BSC 114 Section 001: Principles Of Biology I
Fall, 2009
3 Credit Hours
Primary Instructor: Kimberlee Caldwell
Core Designation: Natural Science
10-10:30AM Mon., Wed., & Fri., or by appointment
BSC114 is designed as an introduction to biology at the college-freshman level for biology majors, biology minors, and pre-health professions students. Topics covered include the basic principles and terminology of cell chemistry, cell biology, genetics, and evolution. In order to receive natural science (N) credit for the general studies core, a student must complete Both BSC 114 and BSC 115.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of general biological principles including the chemical basis of life, the interrelationships between cell structure and metabolism, genetics, and evolution. This course provides a foundation for future coursework in the biological sciences.
Student Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course students will be able to:
1.Identify the chemicals of life and how they interact at the cellular level.
2.Relate the structure and function of cellular organelles.
3.Understand the mechanisms of metabolic processes and the interrelationship of cells and molecules in the production of energy necessary for life.
4.Solve genetic crosses, analyze gene interactions and interpret phenotypes.
5.Know how molecules are synthesized and utilized for inheritance and cell function and are used in modern molecular technologies that are changing medicine and agriculture.
6.Understand how genetics underlies speciation and evolution of life and predicts population structure.
As a collaborative and active learning course, students will:
1.Recognize and identify key concepts in science to provide a broad perspective on the human condition
2.Be able to critically discriminate between reliable and less reliable information when making decisions
3.Understand the scientific method and critically evaluate scientific information as related to real world problems
4.Be knowledgeable of research methods used in cellular, molecular, and evolutionary biology
5.Have developed skills in working together in teams
The chemical context of life
Water and the fitness of the environment
Carbon and the molecular diversity of life
The structure and function of large biological molecules
A tour of the cell
Membrane structure and function
An introduction to metabolism
Cellular respiration: Harvesting Chemical energy
Photosynthesis
Chemical communication
The cell cycle
Meiosis and sexual life cycles
Mendel and the idea of the gene
The chromosomal basis of inheritance
The molecular basis of inheritance
From gene to protein
Regulation of gene expression
Viruses
Biotechnology
Genomes and their evolution
Descent with modification: A Darwinian view of life
The evolution of populations
The origin of species
Students will:
•Undertake a daily quiz
•Contribute to class discussions
•Complete homework assignments
•Take four exams
Quizzes:
Quizzes
•Based on newly assigned readings and concepts from the current or previous day of class
•Use clicker for quizzes
•Worth 10% of your final grade.
•31 quizzes; each worth 4 pts. Six lowest quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester for a total of 100 pts.
Exams:
Exam 1 – September 18, 9 – 9:50 AM
Exam 2 – October 14, 9 – 9:50 AM
Exam 3 – November 6, 9 – 9:50 AM
Exam 4 - December 10, 8:00-10:30 AM
Questions on all exams will be multiple choice (50 questions/exam). Exams will cover required reading and lecture material. Exam questions will include material from class discussions that is not available in the notes. Exam 4 is not comprehensive.
Homework:
•To encourage regular study habits, there will be online assignments for each chapter using MasteringBiology.
•There is a link to MasteringBiology on our class website (on the homepage)
•Course ID: MBCALDWELL64790
•Follow the assignment list tab at the top left of the Masteringbiology.com home page
•Review the due dates (on our class calendar). All assignments due at 9AM on specified dates.
•Worth 10% of your grade
•24 assignments. The four lowest will be dropped (there is no make up for missed homework).
•Each assignment worth 5 pts, for a total of 100 pts.
•Most assignments will be accessible the day before new material begins
•Most assignments due at the beginning of class when the next chapter begins
A break down of your grade, based on graded assignments.
Clicker quizzes (6 lowest are dropped) 100 pts 10%
Homework (Mastering Biology) 100 pts 10%
4 Exams (all exams are weighted the same) 800 pts 80%
Total possible points 1000 pts 100%
Letter Assignment: Based on a percentage, as follows.
A+ = 99-100 B+ = 88-89.9 C+ = 78-79.9 D+ = 68-69.9
A = 92-98.9 B = 82-87.9 C = 72-77.9 D = 62-67.9
A- = 90-91.9 B- = 80-81.9 C- = 70-71.9 D- = 60-61.9
F < 60
Make-up Lecture Exams: If you do not show up for an exam you must take a make-up exam. Make ups for exams 1 - 3 will only be given on Monday, November 23, at 4 PM in Biology room 202. A make up for exam 4 will be given on January 7 at 2 PM in Science and Engineering Complex I Building, room 3307. All make up exams are multiple choice. It is your responsibility to attend the make up exam at the required time/place or the grade for that exam will be forfeited.
Quizzes
oFailure to take up to 6 quizzes will not hurt your grade (this can result from clicker or alarm clock failure, traffic, sickness, vacation, death in family, etc).
oAll missed quizzes above the 6 allowed will result in a forfeit for the quiz that day regardless of the reason – use your freebies wisely - there are no make up quizzes.
Homework via masteringBiology online: 24 assignments. The four lowest will be dropped.
Class attendance is required!!! There are several important reasons to attend every class including:
•Daily quizzes
•I will test you on material from lecture that is NOT in your textbook or on-line notes
•Studies show that students remember, understand class material, and perform better on exams when present in lecture.
•You will be actively solving problems during many class periods. Similar problems will appear on quizzes, homework, and in exams.
In order to receive natural science (N) credit for the general studies core, a student must complete Both BSC 114 and BSC 115. For your information the syllabus for BSC 115 is included here.
BSC 115 LABORATORY
GENERAL BIOLOGY I
Nancy Shefferly, Laboratory Coordinator
Room 2422 SEC Phone 348-1802
E-Mail: ngshefferly@as.ua.edu
Aug 24-28 Lab 1 Scientific Investigation mini lab report
Aug 31-9/4 Lab 3 Microscopes & Cells; summary; Quiz 1
Appendix A and B Scientific writing
Sept 6-11 Labor Day Holiday
Sept 14-18 Lab 4 Chemical Composition of Cells summary; Quiz 2
Sept 20-25 Lab 2 Enzymes summary; mini lab report
Sept 28-10/2 Lab 5 Diffusion and Osmosis summary; mini lab report
Oct 26-30 Lab 9 Mendelian Genetics: Drosophila summary; mini lab report
Nov 2-6 Lab 10 Bacteriology summary
Bacteriology mini labreport
Photosynthesis Reportdue
.
This course is designed for majors in Biology, Science and pre-professional programs.
In this laboratory course, students will use inquiry based experiments designed to investigate the basic principles of biology. The exercises are designed to promote careful observation and logical thinking in solving problems and analyzing new situations. Topics studied include cellular mechanisms and reproduction, genetics, bacteriology, and molecular biology. Prerequisite or co-requisite is BSC 114.
Objectives
Course Objective
The objective of this course is to:
1. become familiar with major macromolecules, their structure and function
2. use the scientific method to investigate cellular mechanisms
3. use model organisms (flies and bacteria) to illustrate genetic and molecular principles
4. to understand the difference in the cellular processes mitosis and meiosis
Student Learning Objective
At the completion of this course, students will:
1. be able to practice logical thinking skills in solving biological experiments and analyzing relevant lab situations
2. understand the chemical basis of life
3. have a better understanding of cellular biology, including cell structure and metabolism
4. have a knowledge of the basic principles of genetics and evolution
5. have a basic broad knowledge and recognition of simple organisms, including bacteria
Laboratory Policies
1. The laboratory will meet once a week in the Science and Engineering Complex.
2. Required laboratory manual: Investigating Biology: A Laboratory Manual for Biology (Custom for the U of A) by Judith Morgan and Eloise Carter.
3. Each week you will be required to read the exercise before coming to lab. This is absolutely necessary for the efficient completion of the lab. In adequate preparation before the laboratory will add a minimum of thirty minutes to your time in lab and will significantly decrease your success in accomplishing the laboratory objectives.
4. Laboratory attendance is required. Students are expected to be in lab on time. There will be no make-ups for missed quizzes, mini-lab reports or lab reports
5. If you miss your lab, you will not be able to make-up the lab exercise.
6. NO CELL PHONES
1. A quiz will be given at the end of some laboratory sessions. Students must attend the entire lab in order to take the quiz.
2. Students must attend the laboratory session for the lab report and the mini-lab reports to be accepted. Late reports will not be accepted!!
3. The laboratory grade will be determined by the following
Distribution of points:
a. Weekly lab summary (lowest dropped) 8 x 5 = 40
b. Best 9 of 10 quizzes and mini lab reports 9X 12 = 108
c. Main writing assignment 100
d. Exams (100 pts each) 200
Writing assignments:
a. Weekly Summaries. Each week, students will be required to submit a hand written summary of the laboratory being performed that week. Summaries should include a brief overview of the topic under consideration and the techniques that will be used to investigate this topic. Summaries are intended to help prepare students to perform the lab by ensuring that they have read through the procedure ahead of time. Please refer to the elearning site for this course for examples.
b. Mini-lab reports
Reports will be written on the following labs:
1. Scientific Investigation 4. Bacteriology
2. Diffusion and Osmosis 5. Drosophila
3. Photosynthesis 7. Enzymes
4. Colony Transformation
c. Main lab report on Photosynthesis: following is a list of report components
1. Title (2 pts) 6. Discussion/conclusion (20 pts)
2. Abstract (8 pts) 7. References (5 pts)
3. Introduction (20 pts) 6. Grammar (10 points)
4. Materials and methods (10 pts)
5. Results (25 pts)
Grading Scale
|
A+ = 99-100
A = 92-98
A- = 90-91 |
B+ = 88-89
B = 82-87
B- = 80-81 |
C+ = 78-79
C = 72-77
C- = 70-71 |
D+ = 68-69
D = 62-67
D- = 60-61 |
F = <60 |
4. Make-up exams are To Be Arranged; call your Teaching Assistant or Nancy Shefferly.
.
5. Grades will not be posted. Please see your teaching assistant during his/her office
hours to ask about grades or to review tests.
6. In the event you are absent from either of the 100 point Exams, a bona fide and verifiable written excuse from an authorized individual (physician, dentist, minister, judge, etc.) is required before a lab make-up exam will be given. This excuse must clearly articulate the reason you were UNABLE to come to the class in question. It is your PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to contact Nancy Shefferly (Room 2422) as soon as possible. Failure to take a make-up exam at the scheduled time will result in a ZERO for that exam.
Academic Misconduct
All acts of dishonesty in any work constitute academic misconduct. This includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of information, misrepresentations, and abetting any of the above. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event that academic misconduct occurs. Students should refer to the Student Affairs Handbook, which can be obtained in the Office of Student Life and Services in the Fergusen Center.
|
Building |
Room # |
Phone # |
Availability |
|
Morgan |
203/238 |
8-8493 |
All U of A students |
|
Gordon Palmer |
152 |
8-8598 |
All U of A students |
|
Ten Hoor |
346 |
8-9264 |
All U of A students |
|
Nott Hall |
171 |
8-9885 |
MA 005 & 100 students |
If you have any questions or suggestions about the laboratory, or are having any problems, see Nancy Shefferly in Room 2422.
NONE.
All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.
The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
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