Laboratory practice in seeding, growing, active ingredient extraction, and utilization of medicinal plants. Emphasis is placed on the survey and identification of important medicinal herb taxa. Students will complete a semester- long project focused on growing a medicinal plant and then isolating and testing extractions for biologic activity.
Prerequisite(s): BIO 050 General Biology of Plants and BIO 160 Cell Biology or permission of instructor.
Corequisite(s): BIO 216 Medical Botany.
BIO 050 General Biology of Plants (4 hours)
An introductory course for biology majors that emphasizes general biological principles of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, physiology, ecology, reproduction, evolution, and a survey of the diversity of plant life.
Three lectures per week.
One 3-hour lab per week.
(Normally offered each semester.)
BIO 160 Cell Biology (4 hours)
A course dealing with prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure and function emphasizing ultrastructure research, macromolecular synthesis, cell movement, and cell division.
Three lectures per week.
One 3-hour lab per week.
Prerequisite(s): BIO 050 General Biology of Plants, BIO 060 General Biology of Animals, CHEM 051 Chemical Principles and CHEM 120 Organic Chemistry I .
(Normally offered each fall semester.)
BIO 216 Medical Botany (3 hours)
A systematic study of chemicals of plant and fungal origin that are used as poisons, hallucinogens, and pharmaceuticals in human health. This course will examine the compounds produced by plants that make medicinal effects possible and the biological mechanisms through which these effects take place in the human body. Ethnobotanical and herbal therapy perspectives in identifying new medicines will also be discussed.
Three lectures per week.
Prerequisite(s): BIO 050 General Biology of Plants and BIO 160 Cell Biology or permission of the instructor.
