SYLLABUS: Spring 2011
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
BIOL 1406 General Biology I
Course information
Course Title:
Instructor:
Email Address
Lab. hours:
Lect. hours:
Credit Hours:
Required
books and
website
Course
Description:
Tutoring:
Withdrawal
BIOL. 1406 – 55302 / BIOLOGY 1
Savannah E. Zinebi, Ph.D.
savannah.zinebi@hccs.edu
Tuesdays: 2:30 -5:30 pm Room 305 LHSB New building
Thursdays: 2:30 -5:30 pm Room 304 LHSB New building
4 hours
Textbook: BIOLOGY: Eighth Edition 2009, Benjamin Cummings Publishing Co. Editors: Campbell
and Reece. Bring this book to both lecture & laboratory classes.
Lab book: A Hands-on experience: Royal Publishing 2009. Ed. Wagle, J.R. & Turell, M.R. 1st Edition
Study website: http//cc.hccs.edu/biology/AllStudyPages/StudyPages/1406.htm
You learn about evolution, basic functions of the cell, consequences of genetic mutations, how
viral and bacterial infections affect living things, gene expression, genetic engineering and the
power of DNA manipulation to cure diseases & increase food productivity
Free tutoring will be available at LHSB room 313 / Lab computer in room 415
Deadline to drop: April 21st
There is no flexibility or discussion for the following rules
Exam-I: 9/23
1
2
Exam-II:10/21
Exam-III:11/11
Exam-IV:11/23
Final Exam: 12/13-19
Every time a chapter is finished, a quiz is given the next lecture session
You must have a scantron (form 882-E) + pencil at all times
3
4
5
Written project must be turned in on Thursday of week 11
Oral presentation will be given on Thursday of week 12 (dress professionally)
6
7
8
YOU CANNOT USE your computer in class, if so 10 pts will be taken of final exam
NO MAKEUP for any missed work except with documents from Court,
Emergency Room, military services, or work-related travel
If you use the phone in class, 5 pts will be taken off your final exam
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
If you talk or joke while I am teaching, 5 points will be taken off your final Exam grade
If you disrespect your classmates, you will be dropped from class
If you miss 12 hours of class, you will automatically be dropped from class except w/ documents
If you leave your table/lab bench/floor messy, 5 points will be taken off your lab exam.
Disinfect lab table with detergent before & after use to avoid cross contamination
NO offensive language/attitude/behavior are tolerated in class: if so, you are dropped from class
If you leave the room before the end of class time, you will be counted ½ absent & if done on
project presentation day, your presentation grade will turn into a zero
Before coming back from an absence, do your own update & be ready for any test
BEING ABSENT IS NOT AN EXCUSE to avoid taking an exam or quiz: BE READY
Lab books will be taken from you randomly in class at anytime for grading (do your exercises)
Going to be absent? arrange before hand for update with classmates
If for safety reason you need help on campus, call campus police at 713-718-8888
Help Lines: If you need any clarification or help when absent, call your classmates
Name
Email
Phone optional
Tentative schedule: susceptible to change
Every time a chapter is finished, a quiz is given the next class meeting @ 2:30pm
Tuesday
Jan. 18
Jan. 25
Feb. 01
Feb. 08
Feb. 15
Feb. 22
Mar. 01
Mar. 08
Mar. 15
Mar. 22
Mar. 29
Apr. 05
Apr. 12
Apr. 19
Apr. 26
May 03
LAB.
Thursday
LECTURE (+ lecture quizzes)
Orientation: Safety procedures
Exploring Life: Chap. 1
mini lecture
Ex1: The Measurements
Ex2: Basic Chemistry
Ex3: Water & its properties
Ex4: Biomolecules: Carbs & proteins
mini lecture
Ex5: Biomolecules: Lipids & N. acids
Ex6: The compound Microscope
Jan. 20
Finish Chap. 1 if not done
Chemical context of Life: Chap. 2
Jan. 27
Water & the fitness of the environ. Chap 3
Carbon & molecular diversity of life: Chap. 4
Feb. 03
Structure & Functions of Macromolec. Chap.5
A tour of the Cell: Chap. 6
mini lecture
Ex7: Cell structure & function
Ex8: Diffusion & Osmotic
Ex9: Enzymes: catalysts of Life
mini lecture
Ex10: Cellular Respiration
Lab. Exam 1 (Ex. 1- 10)
Lec. Exam 1
Feb. 17
(Ch 1,2,3,4,5)
A tour of the Cell: Chap. 6
Membrane structure & functions: Chap. 7
Membrane structure & functions: Chap. 7
An Introduction to Metabolism: Chap. 8
Feb. 24
Cellular Respiration: Chap. 9
Photosynthesis : Chap. 10
Mar. 03
Photosynthesis : Chap. 10
Cell cycle: Chap. 12 (we skip chap 11)
Feb. 10
Lec. Exam 2
Ex11: Photosynthesis
Mar. 10
(Ch 6,7,8,9,10)
Meiosis & sexual life cycles: Chap. 13
SPRING BREAK
Mar. 17
SPRING BREAK
Mar. 24
Mendel & the gene idea: Chap.14
Chromosomal basis of inheritance Chap. 15
Mar. 31
Molecular basis of inheritance: Chap. 16
mini lecture
Ex12: Cell division : Mitosis (home)
Ex13: Cell division : Meiosis (home)
mini lecture
Ex14: Mendelian genetics
Ex15: Chi square Analysis
Ex16:Non-Mendelian Genetics & hum
mini lecture chap. 18
Ex17: Karyotyping
mini lecture
Ex18: Barr Body
Ex19: Gel Electrophoresis
Ex20: Gel Protein synthesis
Lab Exam 2
(Ex. 11- 20)
Lec. Exam 4 (Ch 15, 16,17,19)
Ex 21: Gel electrophoresis
From Gene to Protein: Chap. 17
Apr. 07
Apr. 14
Lec. Exam 3
Apr. 21
Regulation of gene expression: Chap. 20
Apr. 28
Genomes and their evolution: Chap. 18
May 05
Biotechnology: gene manipulation: Chap. 21
(Ch 12,13,14,)
Viruses: Chap. 19 / Star Chap. 20
May. 09 FINAL EXAM: Comprehensive = All chapters included (1 through 21).
Read your lab manual before you come to lab: You will be given quizzes on labs you are about to do
* Lab: Students will work in groups of 3 or 4.
**Lab exams will cover all the material that we covered in lab
Please note that we will be lecturing for a short time on Tuesdays
DEADLINE TO DROP:
Apr. 21st
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Lecture notes FOR SOME CHAPTERS ONLY will be handed to you in class as hard copies or emailed
to you until my website is setup. YOU MUST READ YOUR TEXTBOOK.
LABORATORY: Always bring both your lab and text books to lab: needed to do the lab report
Lab will be done in groups of 4 students who work & discuss the answers together, but
each writes his/her lab report. Each student must turn in his/her own report yet, one only will
be graded. The group must designate the report to be graded & label it: “TO GRADE”
Study Resources:
 For lecture support: A lecture guide by Sen & Wagle is available at the HCC bookstore
 Biology Department will schedule “open labs” for review purposes
 Biology Department Computer Lab is at LHSB room 415: available to access department’s
biology study webpage (http//cc.hccs.edu/biology/AllStudyPages/StudyPages/1406.htm), & more
 Use the library on the 3th floor in LHSB.
TESTING and EXTRA CREDIT: Exam time is 80 min. If you arrive late for an exam, you will have only the
time remaining from the official start of the exam. THERE WILL BE NO MAKEUP EXAMS unless you can
prove you had to go to court or emergency room on the day of the exam.
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in
classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where testing is taking place. Violations of this
policy will result in discipline, up to and including termination or expulsion.
Students with disabilities of any kind including those who need to use a recording device as a reasonable
accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (room 106) for information (call 713
718-6164). Instructors are only authorized to provide accommodations requested by the Disability Support
Services Office.
TESTING
LECTURE EXAMS:
FOUR LECT. EXAMS will be given, each worth 100 points. The questions will be primarily
multiple choices, but may include some true/false, fill in the blank, picture identification, and short
assays. The material for these tests will come from lecture notes and textbook. You will take 4 lecture
exams, the lowest grade of the 4 will be dropped. The final exam cannot be dropped or
replaced with any other grade.. If you miss an exam without a valid excuse, you are automatically
given a zero. On test days, once someone has finished the exam, no other student may
enter and start that exam. If you are late for class on a test day, you may be prohibited
from taking the test. No restroom breaks are allowed during exams.
LECTURE QUIZZES: when a chapter is finished; a quiz will be given first thing next
class meeting
LAB. EXAMS:
TWO LAB EXAMS will be given, each worth 100 points (60-80 questions). Usually, 50% of each
exam will be in the form of a practical and 50% in the form of theoretical questions.
LAB QUIZZES will be given at the end of lab session and will cover the material of the lab that is
going to take place & the lab done the week before. Read lab material before coming to class every
Tuesday. You may not understand everything you read but know the experiment’s steps & goals
Extra credit:
If you participate in class activity and answer questions during lecture, you are guaranteed extra
points on your final average
HOW DO I CALCULATE MY GRADE AVERAGE?
4 lect. exams 100 pts each (drop lowest)
300 pts
Final exam 200 questions
200 pts
2 lab exams 100 pts each (both mandatory & can’t be dropped)
200 pts
20 Lab reports (drop lowest 3 & average 17):
100 pts
15-16 lect Quizzes (drop 3 & average the rest)
100 pts
Research project (written = 80pts ; presentation=20pts)
100 pts
Homeworks (For every homework you do, you have 1 extra point)
20 pts
FINAL GRADE =
(1020 pts+Extra pts) / 10
GRADING SCALE: 90-100 = A
80- 89 = B
70- 79 = C 60- 69 = D
0- 59 = F
YOU CAN RENT TEXTBOOK FROM BOOKSTORE FOR 40% the full price: return 1 week after final exam
Academic integrity: Cheating and plagiarism are defined as taking credit for work that is not one’s own
or assisting others in doing so. Cheating and plagiarism are the unauthorized use of another’s work or
the use of any material or type of assistance other than those permitted by the professor. Examples:
 deliberate or prolonged looking at and/or copying another person’s paper during a quiz/exam
 unauthorized verbal or nonverbal communication during a quiz/exam
 bringing unauthorized notes or other materials into a quiz/exam setting
 using or distributing information about an unauthorized copy of a quiz/exam
 helping someone else with any of the above activities
 Copying information from internet, books, and articles (etc.) and pasting it in your own project
without mentioning the name of the author(s). We have programs that take your written project
electronically and check it for plagiarism in seconds
A student who is suspected of cheating or plagiarism will be confronted by the faculty member for a
violation of academic integrity. The consequences for such a violation may include, but are not limited
to, any or all of the following at the discretion of the faculty:
 a zero on the quiz or exam, project
 Withdrawal from the course or expulsion from the college.
NOTICE TO STUDENTS FROM THE BOARD OF REGENTS:
All students who repeat a course for the third time (and beyond) will be assessed an additional
$50.00/credit fee on top of the normal tuition for the course.
Please ask your instructor/counselor about opportunities for tutoring / other assistance prior to
considering course withdrawal (before April 21st)or if you are not receiving passing grades.
Info on money for college: http://www.collegefortexans.com/
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of your student Visa. Once a W is given for the course, it will
not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration. Please contact the International Student Office
at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa status and other transfer issues.
The only circumstance under which you can get an “I” is if you are too ill to take the final lab &/or lec. exam
DISABILITY STATEMENT:
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs
to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the Central College,
Room LHSB 106, phone #: 713-718-6164
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO after YOU RECEIVE THIS SYLLABUS:
Read the syllabus in its entirety & ask any questions you might have about it
Access your HCCS email account. This is an account you have automatically as a registered student at HCCS.
Go to www.hccs.edu, click on “For Students”, then “Student Email”. This will take you to a place where you
can find out about your User ID and Password. HCCS will be using this email account to send you important
information about registration, financial aid, etc.
Investigate the various sites that are there to help you study for the course: Quizzes, Interactive Sites, and Lab
Study Pages (http//cc.hccs.edu/biology/AllStudyPages/StudyPages/1406.htm). Try some of the interactions
out to see if you think they will be helpful. There is probably more on the site than you could actually ever use,
so try to choose those things that you think will help you succeed.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TAKING THIS COURSE
1. The textbook and lab manual are required.
2. Full class attendance is required. I will call the roll sheet twice every lecture & lab meeting. STUDENTS ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING COVERED DURING THEIR ABSENCE. If you decide to stop
attending class, it is your responsibility to let me know before you withdraw.
3. To avoid disruption in the classroom, all pagers must be set on the silent mode and cell phones must be turned off
during the class period (if emergency, place in vibrate mode). If you are seen using a cell phone or any other
electron device during the exam, you will not be allowed to complete the exam.
4. No one other than students enrolled in the class are allowed in any classroom.
5. Eating, drinking, smoking, or children are NOT allowed in the laboratory.
6. You must read the laboratory safety rules before doing any of the lab exercises.
7. The laboratory safety release form must be signed during the first lab session you attend. If you do not sign the
release form, none of your test papers will be returned to you.
8. Dissection of preserved animals is required in the following courses: BIOL 1407, 1314, 2401 and 2402. You may be
excused from dissection if you have a letter from your doctor declaring that you are unable to handle dissection
specimens. I strongly suggest that if you are pregnant, you seek the advice of your physician before participating in
dissection.
9. Grades will not be posted publicly at any time during midterm; they will only be poster at the end of the semester on
HCC website.
10. CHEATING IS NOT PERMITTED. This means the only source of information that you may use during an exam is your
own brain! If cheating occurs, the student will receive a zero for the exam or a grade of "F" in the course.
11. Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are encouraged to report to Room 102 SJAC,
or call 713.718.6164 to make necessary arrangements. Instructors are only authorized to provide accommodations
requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
RESEARCH PROJECT
You will be writing and presenting a research project (in groups of 2 students only) on health issues like cancer, Liver
cirrhosis, DNA technology, euthanasia, alcoholism, drug addiction etc. You will write a 4-6 pages report with an extra
page for bibliography to support your writing.
Then you will make a PowerPoint to present your research before your classmates. This research paper is as important
as any lecture exam (worth 100 pts). You will get the project on the 3rd week of the semester.
Written project grade is the same for the 2 partners but the presentation grade is individual
More detail will be given to you when the projects are given on week 2.
N.B. I reserve the right to change the schedule in this syllabus if needed during the semester.