Introduction to Animal Biology – ZOOL 200
Spring 2013
Professor- Dr. Musser
Office: 377 Waggoner Hall
Class Hours: MW, 10-11:15 or Th 10-11:50
Office hours by appointment
Email: ro-musser@wiu.edu
Note- Use good corresponding start with my name Dr. Musser, use nice words, end with your name. I may or
might not respond if you do not follow this guideline.
Use good classroom behavior; don’t be rude to classmates or me. If I deem your behavior out of line I will
start taking points off of your grade.
Text
Campbell, Reece, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, Jackson. 2008. Biology . 8th Edition, Pearson-Benjamin
Cummings- ISBN- 13 978-0-8053-6844-4
Course Description
Lecture and lab emphasize basic principles in animal biology including scientific inquiry, cell biology, genetics,
ecology, evolution, and diversity in animal anatomy and physiology. Four credit hours. No prerequisites or corequisites.
Participation- You get 6 free absences after that it does not matter the excuse
Participation- In class assignment (1.0 to 2.0 point per activity)
There are no makes up participation points for the days you are absent no matter the excuse, you
get to drop 6 in class participation activities for a total of 6 absences.
If you miss an exam, the make up will be harder no matter the excuse. If it is not made up with in two days
you will lose points at my discretion. If you do not bubble your name or put your name on assignment you
will lose points. If you missing an exam becomes a habit you will lose points.
Testing and Grading*
Lecture – 75% of final course grade
4 exams (about 100 points each)
Participation points 1 or 2 point each time (unannounced you get to drop 6 with the attendance policy,
and/or use as extra credit…)
3 or 4 Home work and planned/announced quizzes (10 to 30 points)
Insect Collection
Field Trip
Lab – 25% of final course grade
See lab syllabus for description of lab grading. *Departmental policy states that if more than one lab is
missed without acceptable documentation, or if more than three labs are missed total, then a grade of “F” for
the entire course will result. Consult the lab syllabus for more details on lab attendance policies. TranslatedAttendance in lab you can have 1 unexcused absence (you will still lose lab points), however 2 unexcused
absence results in an “F” for the class, you can have 3 excused absences, but the 4th excused absence will
result in a an F for the course.
Final grades will be based on the following scale:
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Grades- Undergraduate student grades are calculated on a semi standard scale based on the percentage points you
received in relation to total points possible (above) (A=93-100%; A-=89-92%;B+=85-88% B=81-84%; B-=78-80%;
C+= 75-77%; C=71-74%;C-=68-70%;D+ =65-67%;D= 62-64%;D-=55-61; F= <55%), I am more lenient in giving
C’s and D’s, you have to work for a grade of an A, B, or F in my course.
Exams and Quizzes
Lecture exams will consist of objective questions (multiple choice, matching, true/false, etc.). Tentative exam
dates will be given at least a weeks in advance if not two weeks. The final exam could be comprehensive. If
more than one exam is missed, it is recommended that the student withdraw from the course or, if after the
regular withdrawal date, appeal to the Council on Admission, Graduation, and Academic Standards (CAGAS)
for a late withdrawal.
Tutoring and Study Skills Services
I am always glad to help with any questions or problems that you may have with the course material. If you
would like an alternative source of help, Academic Services (248 Olson Hall, 298-1871) and the Biology
Assistance Center (WG 104) offer tutoring for ZOOL 200.
Study skills seminars are also available from the University Counseling Center. These seminars are usually
given on a weekly basis (check www.student.services.wiu.edu/ucc/programs/ for the schedule of topics).
They deal with general study skills rather than course-specific material. I have found that many students who
do poorly in introductory biology courses do so because of a lack of basic study skills. Applying the skills
learned in these seminars can help students to learn and perform better not only in this course, but in others
as well. I encourage you to take advantage of this resource.
Americans With Disabilities Act/Disability Support Services
“In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations
may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative
that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not legally permitted
to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency
evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to
follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support Services at (309) 298-2512 for additional services.”
Western Online Website
There is a Western Online website for ZOOL 200. To access it, go to http://westernonline.wiu.edu, type in
your ECOM username and password, and click OK. Once you have logged in, click on the ZOOL 200 link. The
site will contain the syllabus, quizzes, grades, exam answer keys, and so forth. See me if you have questions
or problems, or contact the UCSS helpdesk at ucss@wiu.edu or (309) 298-2704.
Other Websites
It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the information contained in the following university web
sites. Each student should access these web sites and carefully read the information they contain. If you
have questions about any of the information contained in the web sites, feel free to ask.
Department of Biological Sciences Policies: http://www.wiu.edu/biology/about/policies.shtml
Student Rights and Responsibilities: http://www.wiu.edu/provost/student/
Final Exam Policy: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/finexam.php
Academic Integrity Policy: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php
Grade Appeals Policy: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/gradeapp.php
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Tentative Lecture Schedule
Date
Week 1
Topic
Text
8/20
8/22
8/24
Introduction to Course
An Introduction to Biology
Origin and History of Life
Ch. 1
Ch. 22
Week
8/27 2
An Introduction to Evolution
Origin of Species
Taxonomy and Systematics
Ch. 23
Ch. 24
Ch. 26
9/3
9/5
9/7
NO CLASS
An Introduction to Animal Diversity
The Vertebrates
Ch. 32
Ch. 34
9/10
9/12
9/14
The Invertebrates
The Invertebrates (cont.)
An Introduction to Ecology and Biomes
Ch. 33
Ch. 33
Ch. 52
An Introduction to Ecology and Biomes (cont.)
Conservation Biology and Biodiversity
Catch-up/Review
Ch. 54
Ch. 56
8/29
8/31
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
9/17
9/19
9/21
Week 6
9/24
9/26
9/28
(through Conservation Biology and Biodiversity)
Introduction to Animal Form and Function
Animal Reproduction
Ch. 40
Ch. 46
Week
10/1 7
Animal Development
Nutrition, Digestion, and Absorption
Neuroscience I: Cells of the Nervous System
Ch. 47
Ch. 41
Ch. 48
10/8
10/10
10/12
Neuroscience II: Evolution and Function of the Brain and Nerv. Syst.
Respiratory Systems
The Muscular-Skeletal System and Locomotion
Ch. 49
Ch. 42
Ch. 50
10/15
10/17
10/19
Circulatory Systems
Circulatory Systems (cont.)
Excretory Systems and Salt and Water Balance
Ch. 42
Ch. 42
Ch. 44
Excretory Systems and Salt and Water Balance (cont.)
Catch-up/Review
(through Excretory Systems and S & W Balance)
Ch. 44
General Features of Cells
Nucleic Acid Structure and DNA Replication
Gene Expression at the Molecular Level
Ch. 6
Ch. 16-17
Ch. 16-17
Eukaryotic Chromosomes, Mitosis, and Meiosis
Eukaryotic Chromosomes, Mitosis, and Meiosis (cont.)
Simple Patterns of Inheritance
Ch. 12
Ch. 12
Ch. 14-15
10/3
10/5
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
10/22
10/24
10/26
Week 11
10/29
10/31
11/2
Week 12
11/5
11/7
11/9
3
Week
13
11/12
11/14
11/16
Simple Patterns of Inheritance (cont.)
Complex Patterns of Inheritance
Developmental Genetics
Ch. 16
Ch. 17
TBA
Genetic Technology
Genomes, Proteomes, and Bioinformatics
Population Genetics
Ch. 20
Ch. 21
TBA
Week 14
11/26
11/28
Week 15
11/30
Week
12/516
12/3
12/7
Catch-up/Review
(through Population Genetics)
Review for Final Exam
12/12, 8 am
Final Exam (Comprehensive)
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
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