Office:              409 MH Bryant Hall

Phone:             348.2537

Email:                    dlgraf@bama.ua.edu

                                (include “BSC 116” in subject)

Office Hours:        Monday 2-4 PM

                                Wednesday 8-10 AM

Principles of Biology II is a survey of organismal diversity, form, and function — including prokaryotes, fungi, plants, and animals. The overarching themes of the course are the ecological and evolutionary relationships among living things, emphasizing both the unique characteristics that different organisms possess and universal biological principles. The course is divided into three parts: I) Single-Celled Organisms, Fungi, and Plants; II) Animals; and III) Ecology. A students must complete both BSC 116 and BSC 117 to receive natural science (N) credit.

Objectives. The objectives of this course are to 1) survey the diversity major groups of single- and multi-celled life by building upon the lessons learned in BSC 114, and to 2) provide the foundation necessary for success in future coursework in the biological sciences.

 

Course Objectives:

              Your instructor will: 1.    Survey the major groups of single- & multi-celled organisms.

                                                 2.    Compare & contrast variation in form & function across organisms in the context of evolutionary relationships & ecological interactions.

                                                 3.    Review the basic physiology of multi-cellular organisms, with an emphasis on plants & animals.

                                                 4.    Review the ecological principles underlying the complex interactions among organisms and their environment at the levels of the individual, population, community, & ecosystem.

                                                 5.    Emphasize the relevance of organismal biology to human health & happiness.

Learning Outcomes:

                                 You will: 1.    Recognize & classify higher-level organismal diversity.

                                                 2.    Know the basic historical (evolutionary) and contemporary (ecological) patterns observed in the biosphere.

                                                 3.    Contrast and compare the variety of organismal body-plans, ecologies, life histories, and reproductive modes.

                                                 4.    Understand the nature of organismal interactions and the ways these relationships lead to the organization of individuals into populations, communities, and ecosystems.

                                                 5.    Demonstrate the ability to learn, synthesize, and retain a large body of knowledge, including a vast terminology.

                                                 6.    Understand the scientific method and be able to critically evaluate scientific information.

                                                 7.    Become familiar with scholarly research methods.

 

Part I: Evolution & Diversity of Prokaryotes, Protists, Fungi, & Plants; Plant Biology
Date	Day	#	Lecture Topic	Reading
7 Jan.	Th	—	NO CLASS (Roll Tide!)
12 Jan.	T	0	Course Overview & Review of the Scientific Method course logistics: meet your instructor, expectations, grading, attendance, etc; hypothesis testing as a way of knowing	1 (pp. 18-24)
14 Jan.	Th	1	The Pattern and Process of Evolution evolution of populations; speciation; history of life on Earth; phylogenies ("tree-thinking") and their value for inferring the history of evolution	22-25 (review from BSC 114); 26
19 Jan.	T	2	Prokaryotes: Bacteria & Archaea adaptations, reproduction and relationships of prokaryotes; interactions of prokaryotes with the biosphere generally and humans specifically	27
21 Jan.	Th	3	Single-celled Eukaryotes: the Protists Excavates, chromalveolates, rhizarians, algae, and unikonts, and their relationships to multicellular eukaryotes	28
26 Jan.	T	4	Multicellular Eukaryotes: Fungi and Plants fungal life cycles, ecological interactions, and evolution of multicellularity from single-celled protists; evolution of multicellular plants from green algae	29,31
28 Jan.	Th	5	Evolution & Diversity of Plants evolutionary innovations of plants: vascular tissue, seeds, and flowers; how humans use and abuse plants	30
2 Feb.	T	6	Growth & Development of Plants primary & secondary growth in plants; morphogenesis & differentiation	35
4 Feb.	Th	7	Plant Nutrition & Physiology how plants acquire, transport, and store water, nutrients, etc.	36-37
9 Feb.	T	8	Plant Interactions & Reproduction plants' interactions with soil and other organisms; reproduction of flowering plants and how humans manipulate it	37-38
11 Feb.	Th	9	Plant Behavior?! how plants respond to light, herbivory, and other stimuli	39
16 Feb.	T	E1	Midterm Exam 1

Part II: Evolution & Diversity of Animals; Animal Biology
Date	Day	#	Lecture Topic	Reading
18 Feb.	Th	10	Introduction to Animal Diversity & Early Animal Evolution animal body plans, diversity, and evolution; the Cambrian Explosion; the earliest branches of animal phylogeny: sponges, cnidarians & flatworms	32-33
23 Feb.	T	11	Lophotrochozoa, Ecdysozoa & Deuterostomia evolution and diversity of the major groups of animals with complex body plans, including the branch leading to vertebrates	33
25 Feb.	Th	12	Early Branches of the Vertebrate Phylogeny chordates and the transition of vertebrates from invertebrates; evolution of the notochord, vertebrae, and jaws: fishes and amphibians	34
2 Mar.	T	13	Amniotes & the Evolution of Terrestrial Vertebrates evolution and diversity of reptiles, birds and mammals; human evolution	34
4 Mar.	Th	14	Introduction to the Animal Anatomy & Physiology correlation of form and function; metabolism and homeostasis	40
9 Mar.	T	15	Animal Nutrition necessary energy and materials; general and specialized processes for their acquisition and utilization	41
11 Mar.	Th	16	Circulation & Gas Exchange transport of nutrients and gases; the mammalian heart; exchange of gases (O2 and CO2) with the environment	42
16 Mar.	T	—	NO CLASS (Spring Break)
18 Mar.	Th	—	NO CLASS (Spring Break)
23 Mar.	T	17	Animal Immune Systems innate and acquired immunity; their roles in defense and disease	43
25 Mar.	Th	18	Osmoregulation, Excretion & the Endocrine System controlling water-balance and nitrogenous metabolic waste; hormone function, including roles in physiology and behavior	44-45
30 Mar.	T	E2	Midterm Exam 2

 

Part II: Animal Biology (continued)
Date	Day	#	Lecture Topic	Reading
1 Apr.	Th	19	Reproduction sexual and asexual reproduction, gametogenesis, fertilization, and development	46
6 Apr.	T	20	Details of Development the cellular processes of cleavage, gastrulation, and organogenesis	47
8 Apr.	Th	21	Neurons & Nervous Systems action potentials and synapses between neurons; organization of neurons into nervous systems; biological basis of memory, learning, and neurological disorders	48-49
13 Apr.	T	22	Sensory & Motor Mechanisms translation of stimulus energy by sensory receptors provide inputs to the nervous system; muscles receive stimulus from the nervous system to act	50
15 Apr.	Th	23	Animal Behavior behavior is the result of how stimuli are processed, experience, and genotype; evolution of behavior	51

 

Part III: Ecology
Date	Day	#	Lecture Topic	Reading
20 Apr.	T	24	Introduction to Ecology & Populations interactions among organisms (of the same and different species) and their environments; population growth and demography; life history evolution	52-53
22 Apr.	Th	25	Populations & Communities density-dependent population growth; types of interactions; keystone species; biogeography; epidemiology & human population growth	53-54
27 Apr.	T	26	Ecosystems energy & nutrients flow through ecosystems; human impact on chemical cycles through ecosystems	55
29 Apr.	Th	27	Conservation Biology human effects on biodiversity: collateral damage and intentional mitigation efforts	56
4 May	T	E3	Final Exam (8:00-10:30 AM)

 

Exam Rules. There will be two midterm exams and a final, and the dates for these tests are given on the class schedule below. The two midterms are not comprehensive (i.e., they will only cover material since the previous exam), but the final will be comprehensive (although appropriately biased toward new material). Questions will be multiple-choice and cover material from lectures and assigned readings.

 

·         If you arrive so late for an exam that anyone else has finished and left, you will not be allowed to take the exam at that time. You may be able to take a make-up exam (see below).

·         Baseball caps must be worn with the rim to the back.

·         You will not be allowed to use any other materials than 1) a #2 lead pencil with a good eraser and 2) a back-up stash of pencils. DO NOT COUNT ON YOUR INSTRUCTOR TO PROVIDE YOUR PENCIL.

·         Neither MP3 players nor cell phones will be allowed in the testing area.

·         Students should sit with a least one seat between them.

·         At least two different exams will be offered with the same questions but in different order.

·         Scantron answer sheets will be provided. You will need to know your name, CWID, and course number.

·         You must sign your exam and turn it in with your Scantron when you leave.

Quizzes. There will be (around) 24 quizzes given over the course of the semester (one per lecture period). Twenty of these will count towards your final grade. The points from any additional quizzes are bonus freebies that will count toward your grade.

 

·         You will use your clicker for all quizzes.

·         Quizzes will be worth 5 points each and in total will constitute 19% of your grade.

·         The extra quizzes give you some leeway to miss lectures without affecting your grade (e.g., caught in traffic, sick, on vacation, personal clicker malfunction, reality television audition).

·         There are no make-up quizzes.

·         Quizzes will be based upon material from current or a previous lecture/reading.

·         Quizzes will be given during class, probably near the end of the period.

 

Clickers. We will be using the Turning Technologies ResponseCards (clickers) in this course to foster interaction, active learning, and rapid feedback (for both the instructor and students). You are required to acquire a clicker as a learning resource (just like the text). We will use the clickers for in-class quizzes and to take attendance.

 

        You should register your clicker via the link on the eLearning site for this course. You need to do so by 19 January 2010.

 

        You are expected to bring your clicker to every lecture session.

Evaluation. Your final grade for the course will be based upon 540 possible points.

There will be three exams that constitute about 81% of your final grade: two midterms (non-comprehensive) and a comprehensive final. By necessity for a class this size, all exam questions will be multiple-choice and employ Scantron sheets.

 

        BSC 116                                points

        Midterm Exam 1                       120

        Midterm Exam 2                       120

        Final Exam                                200

        Clicker Quizzes                         100

        Perfect Attendance                (+10)

        TOTAL                                        540

 

        The midterm exams will each only cover material from the preceding 9 lectures (1/3 of the course). Each midterm will have 60 questions and be worth a total of 120 points.

 

        The final exam will include not only the material covered since the 2^nd midterm but also concepts from the first two-thirds of the class. The final will be worth a total of 200 points: 120 points from new material and 80 points drawn from the other lectures.

 

        In addition to periodic exams, there will be up to 24 quizzes given over the course of the semester, and 20 of these (5 points each) will count toward your course total: 100 points (19% of the total).

 

        Students with perfect attendance will be given 10 bonus points at the end of the semester.

 

        Grades will be based upon the following percentages of the course totals:

 

100-99%	A+	98-94%	A	93-89%	A-
88-87%	B+	86-83%	B	82-79%	B-
78-77%	C+	76-73%	C	72-69%	C-
68-67%	D+	66-63%	D	62-59%	D-
<58%	F

Make-Up Exams. YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR CLASSES IS AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW. You must make every effort to take exams during the scheduled periods. Make-up exams will be allowed in cases of emergency, for which you must provide written documentation. You must contact your instructor no more than 48 hours after the exam period to qualify for a make-up or you will simply forfeit that exam.

 

·         An emergency is a situation where your presence is required to alleviate extreme suffering (in most cases, yours).

·         The Student Health Center doesn’t handle emergencies.

·         Scheduled appointments aren’t emergencies.

·         A good rule of thumb: If your situation wouldn’t cause you to postpone your wedding, then it isn’t a good reason to miss an exam.

·         Of course, university athletes with the appropriate paperwork (e.g., competition schedule, letter from athletic department) may have excused absences. These should be discussed with your instructor within the first two weeks of classes.

 

Make-Up Exam Time and Format. The make-up exam will be held at ONLY one time, and the format will be different than for the other exams. The make-up exam format will be short-answer and comprehensive. The time for the make-up exam will be 5-7:30 PM 30 April 2010, and the place will be Biology 205 (subject to change). Anyone arriving more than 10 minutes late will not be permitted to take the exam.

 

Attendance Policy. Your attendance at all lecture periods is required. There will be exam and quiz questions on material that will not be found in the textbook or online notes. If you choose to not participate in the course, this will likely manifest itself in your general performance (i.e., there is a direct correlation between attendance and performance).

 

        There are also more concrete consequences for missing lecture: For every 4 absences, your final course grade will be dropped by 1/3 of a grade! If you are going to miss class for a good reason, you should e-mail me in advance and provide documentation.

 

        Students with perfect attendance over the course of the semester will receive 10 bonus points.

 In order to obtain natural science (N) credit, a student must complete both BSC 116 and BSC 117.  The syllabus for BSC 117 is presented here for your information.

BSC 117  LABORATORY SCHEDULE

GENERAL BIOLOGY II

 

Nancy Shefferly, Laboratory Coordinator                                    Your TA:

SEC 2422                                                                                                                             phone:

Phone 348-1802                                                                                                 email:

E-Mail: ngshefferly@as.ua.edu                                                                      office hours:

 

DATE                                        TOPIC                                                                 WORK DUE         

 

Jan 12-15                              Introduction to Course                                        End Quiz 1           

Scientific writing

 

Jan 19-22                              Systematics                                                          Quiz, Lab worksheet 1

 

Jan 26-29                              Protists, Tetrahymena Lab                                                Quiz, Lab worksheet 2

                                                   Lab Report Assigned

 

Feb 2-5                  Plant Anatomy: Vascular Systems                                   Quiz, Lab Worksheet 3

                                               

Feb 9-12                                Transpiration lab                                                 Quiz,  Worksheet 4

 

Feb 16-19                             Angiosperms                                                        Quiz, Worksheet 5

 

Feb 23-26                             Exam I  

                                                 

 March 2-5                               Annelida: Blackworms on drugs                      Quiz, Lab worksheet 6

                                                 

 March 9-12                            Mollusca dissections                                          Quiz, End Quiz 2

                               

Marc 16-19                           Spring Break                                                                                      

 

March 23-26                         Life History in Daphnia magna                         Quiz, 

 

Mch 30-Ap 2                         Snail Trails                                                            Quiz, Lab Worksheet 7

 

April 6-9                                 Honors week, No lab                                                                        

                                               

April 13-16                            Comparative Chordate Dissections                                Quiz, End Quiz 3 

                                               

April 20-23                            Comparative Chordate dissections                 Quiz, End Quiz 4 Daphnia worksheet due

                                                               

April 27-30                            Exam II                                                                                                 

 

 

 

BSC 117

Laboratory Policies

 

Course Description

In this class students will be introduced to (a) the diversity of life forms and (b) elements of form, structure and function in selected animals and plants.  This course is designed to give majors in BIOLOGY and Pre-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS a “hands on” opportunity to design scientific investigations, and to interpret microscopic and macroscopic structure through slides and dissection.  Prerequisite or co-requisite BSC 116.  A student must complete both BSC 116 and 117 to receive natural science (N) credit.

 

Objectives

Course objectives

The objective of this course is to:

1.     Introduce the utility of phylogenetic analysis in the study of living things

2.     Promote familiarity with the scientific method and experimental design

3.     Introduce the utility of statistical comparisons in biological sciences

4.     Explore biological diversity in an inquiry based approach

5.     Examine the characteristics of organisms in light of their evolutionary histories

 

Student Learning Objectives

At the completion of this course, students will:

1.     Be able to interpret microscopic and macroscopic structures through slides and dissections

2.     Have a general knowledge of the diversity of life forms

3.     Have an understanding of the basic form and internal structures of some organisms

4.     Be proficient at designing experiments to explore basic hypotheses in organismal biology

5.     Be able to conduct statistical comparisons of experimentally derived data

 

Laboratory Policies

1.     The laboratory will meet once a week in room 2428 of the Science and Engineering Complex.

2.     Proper laboratory attire is required for all students entering a laboratory, regardless of the activity occurring in the lab at that time. Legs must be covered to below the knee (no shorts), shirts must have sleeves, and closed toe shoes must be worn. Students arriving in inappropriate attire will be sent away until such time as they are appropriately dressed

3.     Required laboratory manual:  University of Alabama BSC 117 Laboratory Manual compiled by Nancy Shefferly, Laboratory Coordinator.

4.     Supplementary lab materials will be made available to the students on e-learning. You will be required to download and print these materials before the scheduled laboratory.

5.     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.  Inadequate 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.

6.     Laboratory attendance is required.  Students are expected to be in lab on time.  There will be no make-ups for quizzes missed due to late arrival. Students are not allowed to attend sections other than the one for which they are registered.

7.     If you miss your lab, you will not be able to make-up the lab exercise, missed quizzes or assignments.

8.     NO CELL PHONES

 

 

 

 

Grading Policies

 

1.     A quiz will be given at the beginning of each laboratory section. Students must arrive before the quiz is distributed in order to take it. Students arriving late to class will not be allowed to make up the quiz.

2.     Students must attend the laboratory session for the lab report and for assignments given during a particular lab to be accepted.  Late reports  and assignments will not be accepted!! This means that if you miss the laboratory experiment upon which the 100 point lab report is based, you will not be able to submit a report. Exceptions will be made for students with legitimate, verifiable emergencies which prevented them from attending lab (see below).

3.     The laboratory grade will be determined by the following:

 

Best 11 of 12 end quizzes/worksheets (20 pts each)                   220 points

Best 10 of 11 quizzes (5 points each)                                               50 points

Writing assignments (1)                                                                     100 points

Tests 100 pts each                                                                              200 points

TOTAL POINTS                                                                                    570 points

 

Each week, you will have to complete a worksheet or end quiz related to the lab. Although you work in groups, your assignment should reflect your own individual efforts. You should not copy from your lab partners, but should phrase your assignment in your own words. Failure to do this could result in a charge of academic misconduct.

 

                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.  Missing an assigned time for the Daphnia lab will result in a deduction of 20 points from a student’s overall score in the class.

 

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.  Make-up exams are difficult to administer in a manner that is fair for all parties in the class. Taking a make up exam should be a course of last resort. Students who take make up exams, offered late in the term, typically perform below the class mean because so much time has elapsed since the material was covered in class. All effort should be made to attend exams at the regularly scheduled time. In general, the reasons you miss an exam should be the same reasons that you would miss your own wedding.

 

7.  In the event you are absent from either of the 100 point Exams or the Tetrahymena Lab, 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 that you were UNABLE to come to the class in question, including a restriction from work or school.  It is your PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to contact Nancy Shefferly (Room 2422) as soon as you know that you will miss or have missed an exam. Those who fail to notify Nancy Shefferly in a timely manner will not be granted a make up exam. 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.  This includes submitting papers that reflect the work of a group rather than the work of an individual. 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.

 

Disability Services

If you are registered with the Office of Disability Services, please make an appointment with Nancy Shefferly as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary.  If you have a disability but have not contacted the ODS, please call 348-4285 or visit 133B Martha Parham East to register for services

           

Computer Labs

 

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.

Requests for extra credit will not be honored.

 

The Code of Student Conduct dictates that student behavior should promote an environment favorable to both teaching and learning. Students that choose to disrupt or obstruct our lectures and discussions will be sanctioned as described in the Code of Student Conduct (http://catalogs.ua.edu/catalog06/15700.html). It is considered disruptive to come late to class, read extra-curricular media in class, or use cell phones (and other electronic devices) during class time. I will require students that choose to disrespect their classmates and their instructor by disrupting lectures or labs to leave.

 

        If you want to keep your cell phone, you should not use it in class!

If you are registered with the Office of Disability Services, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary. If you have a disability, but have not contacted the Office of Disability Services, please call 348-4285 or visit 133-B Martha Parham Hall East to register for services. Students who may need course adaptations because of a disability are welcome to make an appointment to see me during office hours. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services, 133-B Martha Parham Hall East, before receiving academic adjustments.

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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UA is a residential campus with many students living on or near campus. In general classes will remain in session until the National Weather Service issues safety warnings for the city of Tuscaloosa. Clearly, some students and faculty commute from adjacent counties. These counties may experience weather related problems not encountered in Tuscaloosa. Individuals should follow the advice of the National Weather Service for that area taking the necessary precautions to ensure personal safety. Whenever the National Weather Service and the Emergency Management Agency issue a warning, people in the path of the storm (tornado or severe thunderstorm) should take immediate life saving actions.

When West Alabama is under a severe weather advisory, conditions can change rapidly. It is imperative to get to where you can receive information from the National Weather Service and to follow the instructions provided. Personal safety should dictate the actions that faculty, staff and students take. The Office of Public Relations will disseminate the latest information regarding conditions on campus in the following ways:

• Weather advisory posted on the UA homepage
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• Weather advisory broadcast over WVUA at 90.7 FM
• Weather advisory broadcast over Alabama Public Radio (WUAL) at 91.5 FM
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