Proposal for changing the name of BIO 1 from Introduction to Cell and Molecular
Biology and Genetics to Introduction to Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and
Biochemistry
Bio 1 is the first lower division course in Biology that is taken by students interested in
Biology, Biochemistry, Health Science and Environmental Science majors. In the past, the
course content covered cell biology, molecular and Mendelian genetics and Biochemistry.
Hence, the course was called “Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics”.
However, in recent years, we have modified the course content to allow more time to
emphasize on the Molecular Biology and Biochemistry aspects of the course. This was done
to lay a better foundation for our students in these areas before they start on their upper
division courses. The syllabus and the lecture schedule for Bio 1 taught in Fall 2014 is
attached. Since the Biology majors were already required to take Bio 105 (Genetics) as one
of their required upper division courses, the Genetics introduction in Bio 1 was moved to
this upper division course and we are trying to have the students take this course as one of
their first upper division courses. Since we do not provide an introduction to Genetics in
Bio 1, we would like to change the name of this course to better reflect the content of the
course.
Many of the students who take Bio1 plan to take MCAT or related tests that require
knowledge of both Genetics and Biochemistry. We have found that with the current name
of Bio 1, students incorrectly assume that they know the fundamentals of Genetics and
need to take upper division Biochemistry before the test, while the reverse is true. Having
the name of the course changed to reflect the content delivered would help the students
understand the gaps in their knowledge of Biology and plan their curriculum accordingly.
Therefore, we would like to request UEPC to approve the change of the name of Bio 1 to
Introduction to Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.
This name change was discussed and approved by the Biology department. In addition, the
School of Science Chairs approved this change at their November 2014 meeting.
BIOL 001 (Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Introductory Biology for Majors Course Syllabus
Garrison Fall 2014
BIOL 001
Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics Course
Syllabus
Lecture: BIOL 001 MWF 11:45 am – 12:50 pm SICH 101
Lab:
Various sections and instructors
Instructor: Keith E. Garrison, Ph.D.
Office hours: TBA or by appointment
Office phone: 631-4174
Email: keg4@stmarys-ca.edu
Textbook
Campbell, Reece
Biology 10th ed.
Publisher: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings
# ISBN-13: 9780321775658
Lab Manual
Distributed in your lab section
Course summary
Biology 1 will lead us to an understanding of the biochemical basis of critical
functions of living cells, such as photosynthesis, glycolysis and
fermentation/cellular respiration. The course is guided by the principle of the
genetic basis of cell structure and function. This course will begin to teach you to
think like a biologist. You will integrate your knowledge of chemistry into an
understanding of biological systems. You will also begin to consider the
complexity of living organisms with the vast array of reactions and processes
occurring at every moment in living cells.
The laboratory is a required part of this course. There is an additional course fee
for the lab. This fee covers the cost of laboratory materials that you will use
during this course.
There is a large amount of material for you to learn in this course. For some of
the material, there is no other way to learn it aside from memorization. It is really
important to keep current with the material in the course because later concepts
build on an understanding of the basic concepts and ideas taught at the
beginning of the course. If you do not understand a concept, I STRONGLY urge
BIOL 001 (Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Introductory Biology for Majors Course Syllabus
Garrison Fall 2014
you to come to see me in office hours or by appointment. The best students will
make office hours a regular part of their weekly course schedule. Do NOT wait
until just before an exam because there is little that I can do to help at the last
minute, and you will find that my time is in high demand by many other students.
Student Disability Services Statement
Student Disability Services: Reasonable and appropriate accommodations for
individuals with qualifying disabilities are extended through the office of Student
Disability Services. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the
Student Disability Services office at (925) 631-4358 to set up a confidential
appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines and available services.
Additional information may be found at the following address on the Saint Mary’s
website: http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/sds
Student Responsibilities
It is vital that you meet your student responsibilities to get the most out of this
course. I expect students to:
• Attend every lecture and keep up with the material.
• If you have a question, ask! Others are probably wondering the same
thing.
• Attend office hours to address any questions that we do not or cannot
cover in lecture.
• Clarify difficult or confusing material as we cover it in class, not just before
an exam.
• Study regularly for this course, not only before exams. This will help you
take advantage of office hours. It will also make the amount of material in
the course more manageable.
• Be an active participant in lecture.
• Keep up with the reading in the textbook.
• Respect the learning environment: absolutely no cell phone calls, text
messaging, or internet use during lecture. Keep cell phones on silent and
in your backpacks during class.
• Respect the opinions and experiences that others choose to share in
class.
Office Hours
I put office hours here in the syllabus because it is a joint responsibility for both of
us. I set up office hours at a time that works for the largest number of students
possible and also works with my schedule. This is time that I set aside for you. If
you have questions that are not addressed in lecture, you need to make time to
come to office hours. If I happen not to be in my office, look for me in the lab or
elsewhere in the building. If you would like to meet at another time, please email
to make an appointment. To help facilitate drop in office hours, please follow my
BIOL 001 (Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Introductory Biology for Majors Course Syllabus
Garrison Fall 2014
Twitter feed @ProfGarrisonSMC. I will tweet when I am available in my office
outside regular office hours for drop in questions.
Instructor Responsibilites
I see the following as important factors in my role to make BIO 001 a successful
course:
• Present clear and focused lectures on the course topics.
• Incorporate relevant current and background research studies into the
course.
• Be available during office hours to expand on course material for students.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Describe the basic molecules required for cells to function.
• List the enzymes of DNA replication and repair and describe their
functions within the nucleus of the cells.
• List the organelles found within cells and describe their structure and
functions.
• List the enzymes involved in transcription and translation in the cell and
describe their function.
• Compare and contrast the processes of transcription and translation within
the cell.
• Describe and compare the mechanisms for the control of gene expression
in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
• Describe the processes involved in glucose utilization and list the enzymes
and organelles involved.
• Compare the processes of glucose utilization in the presence or absence
of oxygen.
• Describe the processes involved in photosynthesis and list the enzymes
and organelles involved.
• Compare the processes of photosynthesis that occur in the presence or
absence of sunlight.
• Describe the processes by which cells communicate with each other in a
multi-cellular organism.
• List and describe the phases of cell division.
• Compare and contrast the processes of mitosis and meiosis.
• Compare and contrast the inheritance of single traits and multiple traits
within a genetic cross.
The responsibility for meeting these learning objectives ultimately rests with you.
You should be able to meet them through attendance in lecture and lab,
BIOL 001 (Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Introductory Biology for Majors Course Syllabus
Garrison Fall 2014
completing all course assignments, and preparing for exams. I am here to help
and guide you in meeting these objectives.
Foundations for Success
Below is a list of techniques that successful students have used in this course in
the past. Using these techniques is not a guarantee of success, but they should
help you perform at your best in this course:
1. Take good notes in class. This does not mean record every word I say.
It does mean that you should make sure that you have adequate detail
about the important concepts that we cover to help you learn them.
2. Read actively and keep current with the reading. Read with a pencil in
your hand to take notes on the reading and identify important or interesting
points.
3. Recopy your notes weekly. This will help you to synthesize your lecture
notes with your reading. You should also download the lecture slides to
complement your notes. All of this will also help you identify any areas that
you do not fully understand so that you can clarify them in office hours.
4. Make flashcards to learn the definitions of new terms. Use them on an
ongoing basis throughout the course, not just right before exams. We
learn a lot of new terms in this course and then begin to use the terms
right away.
5. Talk about biology with other students in the course. Try to talk
through processes like DNA replication or glycolysis. This will help you in a
number of ways. By discussing the material with other students, you will
discover aspects of biological processes that you misunderstood or
overlooked. You will begin to use new biological terms properly. You will
have practice synthesizing complex ideas and integrating them into a
coherent picture of how the living systems function.
Exams and Grading
There will be three midterm exams during lecture and a comprehensive final
exam for this course. On midterm exam days, there will be no lecture. Exams will
consist of a combination of multiple choice and short answer/essay questions.
The dates for the midterms are shown on the course schedule. Do not plan work
hours or travel in conflict with an exam date and time. There will be no make-up
exams for this course. If you must miss an exam due to illness or other
emergency, you must notify me before the exam. Any unexcused absence from
any exam will result in a grade of zero for that exam.
Exams are available for review in my office following the return of your Scantron
forms in lecture. I advise that you review each exam soon after each midterm
exam date. It will help you to learn better from your mistakes on the exam.
BIOL 001 (Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Introductory Biology for Majors Course Syllabus
Garrison Fall 2014
Waiting until just before the final exam to review your midterms means more
material to review and learn all at once. Copying down questions from the exam,
photographing the exam or otherwise reproducing questions is not allowed and
will be considered a violation of the honor code.
Your grade for the course will be based upon the following:
Graded assignments and quizzes
5%
Exams
65%
Lab Grade
30%
You must earn a passing grade in BOTH lecture and lab in order to pass
the course.
This is my grading scale, subject to adjustment based on the top and the mean
scores in the course section:
A 100-94%
A- 93-90%
B+ 89-87%
B 86-83%
B- 82-80%
C+ 79-77%
C 76-73%
C- 72-70%
D+ 69-67%
D 66-63%
D- 62-60%
F < 60%
Grade distributions are not determined until the end of the semester using the
total points for the course. However, we encourage you to estimate your grade
for each exam using the top and mean exam scores (that we will report to you
after the exam) for comparison. If you do not receive a passing grade on an
exam, we strongly encourage you to start attending office hours regularly and to
make an appointment to discuss new study strategies and approaches to
learning the course material.
Students must earn a C- or better in BIOL 001 to progress to BIOL 002.
Academic Honesty Policy
Academic honesty is extremely important in the sciences. All scientists must
accurately report data that are the verified results of their own experimentation.
Without these strict standards, our system of scientific inquiry would unravel. This
course operates under the premise of the academic honor code, including the
expectation that you will work to uphold high standards of integrity. This applies
to all assignments in the course, including lab reports and exams. I consider
photographing any exam materials to be a reportable violation of the honor code.
I am available to discuss issues of academic integrity and any questions you
might have about the relationship between the policy and this course. To
understand the academic honor code in full, please see the most recent Student
Handbook.
Disclaimer: The syllabus and course schedule are subject to change during the
semester. Notice of any changes will be announced in class and/or posted on the
Blackboard site for the course. An updated syllabus or schedule will also be
posted.
BIO 001
Dr. Keith Garrison
Dr. Sonya Schuh-Huerta
FALL 2014
Dr. James Pesavento
Introduction to Cell, Molecular Biology and Genetics
#
1
2
3
Day
M
W
F
M
Date
1 September
3 September
5 September
8 September
4
5
6
7
8
W
F
M
W
F
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Reading
10 September
12 September
15 September
17 September
19 September
Lecture Topic
Holiday
Introduction
Molecules of Life
Polymers – Carbohydrates, Lipids-Chem
quiz
Proteins
Enzymes and catalysis
Enzyme Regulation
DNA, RNA, Chromosomes
Overview of a cell
M
W
F
M
W
F
22 September
24 September
26 September
29 September
1 October
3 October
Tour of cell
Cytoskeleton and Extracellular matrix
Exam 1
Membrane structure
Membrane Transport
Membrane potential
6.1 to 6.5
6.6 – 6.7
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
6 October
8 October
10 October
13 October
15 October
17 October
20 October
22 October
24 October
27 October
Cell communication
Cell Signal transduction
Cell cycle and Mitosis- Mitosis quiz
Cell cycle regulation, cancer
Cell death
Exam 2
Meiosis
Meiosis and fertilization
Holiday
DNA replication
1
2, 3, 4
5.1 to 5.3
5.4
8.4
8.5
5.5, 16.3
6.1 to 6.5
7.1 – 7.2
7.3 – 7.5
7.3 – 7.5,
48.2, 48.3
11.1 – 11.4
11.1 – 11.4
12.1, 12.2
12.3, 18.5
11.5
13
13
16
BIO 001
Dr. Keith Garrison
Dr. Sonya Schuh-Huerta
FALL 2014
Dr. James Pesavento
Introduction to Cell, Molecular Biology and Genetics
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
29 October
31 October
3 November
5 November
7 November
10 November
12 November
14 November
17 November
19 November
21 November
24 November
26 November
28 November
1 December
3 December
5 December
9-12 December
DNA repair
Transcription
RNA processing
Protein Synthesis, folding and transport
Mutation
Control of gene expression in prokaryotes
Control of gene expression in Eukaryotes
Exam 3
Metabolism: Bioenergetics and ATP
Redox
Glycolysis
Fermentation
Thanksgiving Holiday
Thanksgiving Holiday
Tricarboxylic acid cycle
Chemiosmosis
Photosynthesis
Final Exam (Comprehensive final)
16
17.1, 17.2
17.3
17.4
17.5
18.1
18.2 – 18.4
8.1- 8.3
9.1
9.2
9.5-9.6
9.3
9.4
10.1 - 10.4