SYLLABUS: Fall 2011
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
BIOL 1406 General Biology I
Course information
Course Title:
Instructor:
Email Address
Lab. hours:
Lect. hours:
Credit Hours:
Required
Texts:
Course
Description:
Tutoring:
Withdrawal
BIOL. 1406 –3 (54753) / BIOLOGY 1
Savannah E. Zinebi, Ph.D.
savannah.zinebi@hccs.edu: Do not abuse this email
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: Ninth Edition 2011, Benjamin Cummings Publishing Co. Editors: Reece. Urry.
Cain. Wasserman. Minorsky. Bring this book to both lecture & laboratory classes.
Lab book: A Hands-on experience: Royal Publishing 2009. Ed. Wagle, J.R. & Turell, M.R. 2nd Edition
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: August 30th - Deadline to withdraw: November 3rd: 4:30pm
Catalog Course Description
Prerequisite: College reading level as determined by SAT, ACT, TASP, or successfully passing ENGL
0305 with a C or better.
A contemporary course including applications of the scientific method, cellular and molecular biology,
biochemistry, classical, molecular and human genetics, principles and mechanisms of evolution, and
virology.
Credit Hours: 4
Lecture Learning Outcomes
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Apply the scientific method in a laboratory setting
Demonstrate an understanding of basic organic Chemistry and apply chemical concepts to living systems
Examine cell structure, function, and reproduction utilizing the cell Theory as a unifying theme in biology
Examine the importance of energy flow by analyzing the inter-related metabolic processes of cellular
respiration and photosynthesis
Analyze the genetic components responsible for heredity and examine current advances in bioscience
technologies
Demonstrate basic knowledge of virology & the impact of viruses on living things & in using biotechnology
Demonstrate an understanding of the components of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and contrast
microevolution with macroevolution
Purpose
This course is the first half of 2-semester sequence, which will satisfy natural science requirements for
majors in most fields. It will also satisfy the freshman biology requirements for biology majors, preprofessional fields, and other health sciences.
Successful completion of this course prepares you for BIOL 1408
Networking with classmates: If you need help when absent, call these classmates: helpline
Name
DEADLINE TO DROP:
email
Aug- 30th;
Phone (optional)
DEADLINE TO WITHDRAW:
November 3rd:
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
TEXTBOOK: you must read your textbook before coming to class and have it with you as much as
you can. You must have a scantron and a pencil with you at all times on lecture days.
LECTURE NOTES: you must print & bring your lecture notes for every chapter we lecture on.
LAB MANUAL: you must bring your lab book to every single lab, or 10 points will be taken from your
lab grade. All the guidelines on what to do in the lab and the guidelines on how to do it are in the lab
manual. Read every single lab guidelines (see schedule on syllabus) before coming to class to do the
experiment in. Bring your lab and textbook to lab: you need them to do the lab report
WHAT YOU MUST TURN IN ONTIME
LAB REPORT: Lab experiments will be done in groups of 4 students who do the experiments &
discuss the data together, but each writes his/her own lab report. Each student must turn in his/her
own report. Every student MUST STAPLE his/her lab report pages together, and then all the reports from
each group must be stapled together in one pack. I ask that the lab report with the most eligible
handwriting be put on the top of the pack before the final stapling is done. That top report will be
graded in detail & the right answers will be written on it. The partners will refer to it for corrections.
TURNING IN LAB REPORTS: Every time we finish a lab report, make sure you have all the data from
class before you leave, then the report must be finished at home and brought in the next lab meeting.
Therefore, every Tuesday, a lab report is due. No story/excuse accepted. Lab report or ZERO? Choose!
TURNING IN HOMEWORK: You must do your homework for each chapter (as we go) and bring it to
class before we start lecturing on that chapter. If you turn in homework for a chapter for which lecture
has started or is finished, your homework will not be accepted. The goal of these homeworks is to find
out who is reading the book before coming to lecture and who is not. Quizzes test your ability to
understand in class and review your notes before taking the quiz.
STUDY RESOURCES
 Biology Department Computer Lab is at LHSB room 415: available to access department’s
webpage, biology study pages, & other biology software.
 Use these websites and more:
http://cc.hccs.edu/biology/AllStudyPages/StudyPages/1406.htm
www.masteringbiology.com
 Use the library on the 4th floor in LHSB to do homework, write lab reports, study, etc.
 Tutoring center at 313 down the hall from our lab room on the right (double glass door). Use
that tutoring center at ay time to understand everything that you have issues with. (schedule
will be given to you as soon as the department finalizes it & emails it to me)
TESTING
LECTURE EXAMS:
each has a 100 questions and worth 100 points. The
questions will be primarily multiple choices, but may include some true/false, picture identification, and
short assays. The material for these tests will come from lecture notes and textbook. You will take 4
lecture exams, but the lowest grade of the 4 will be dropped. If you miss an exam without a valid excuse,
you cannot make it up & therefore you automatically get a zero. If you miss more, the other zeros count
as your grade. You need a scantron and a pencil at all times. If you are late for class on a test day, you
will only have the time left to finish your exam.
Final exam is comprehensive & cannot be dropped or replaced with any other grade. 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. Sit perpendicular to your table, no hats or heads or hands on forehead. If caught
cheating, you get a zero automatically and you will have to leave the room.
Four lecture exams will be given,
LECTURE QUIZZES:
Every time a chapter is finished; a quiz will be given the next class meeting. Quizzes are multiple
choices (8-10 questions only) and you must have a scantron & a pencil. You have no time to borrow
anything in class; you have only 6 min to finish the quiz
LABORATORY TESTING:
Two lab exams will be administered, each worth 100 points (60-80 questions). Usually, 60% of
each exam will be in the form of a practical and 40% in the form of theoretical questions. Lab exam 1
covers lab exercises 1 through 10, and lab exam 2 covers chapters 11 through 21.
Lab quizzes can be given at the beginning of lab session to see if you read your lab manual before
coming to class. They can also be given at the end of a lab session to see if you understood the
experiments that you just did. Read lab material before coming to class every Tuesday. You may not
understand everything you read but know the experiment’s steps & goals & write them down. The first
page or 2 of every lab explain to you what the lab will be about. READ LAB before coming to class.
MISSING TESTS:
If you miss any test with no excuse, you will get a zero that you can drop if it’s a lecture exam or a
quiz but there is a limit (see syllabus). You can’t drop any lab exam grade: they all count. If you miss
more than one exam then those grades will be a zero and will be averaged in with your other grades
when the final grade is calculated. You MUST take the final exam no matter how high your other exam
grades are & you CANNOT replace the final grade with any other grade. You can only make up a test if
you were hospitalized, went to the emergency room, or went to court. A simple visit to the doctor’s
office is not an excuse to miss the exam
You will receive the tutoring schedule when it is ready (takes place in room 313 & 415)
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, alcoholism, drug addiction etc. You will write a 4-5 pages report with 3 extra pages: 1 page for
bibliography to support your writing, 1 page for the outline of the paper, and 1 cove page to write your names, title of the
paper, school name etc. You will receive a rubric (guidelines) that will help you write and organize your paper.
Then you will do a PowerPoint presentation of your research before your classmates in 5 minutes IF TIME PERMITS. This
research paper is as important as any lecture exam (worth 100 pts). You will get the project on the 1 st or 2nd week of the
semester. The deadline to turn them in is on the syllabus schedule.
Written project grade is the same for the 2 partners but the presentation grade is individual.
HOW DO I CALCULATE MY GRADE AVERAGE?
300 pts
200 pts
200 pts
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts (dress professional)
15 pts (add to final exam)
15 pts (add to final exam)
4 lect. exams 100 pts each (drop lowest)
Final exam 200 questions/200 points
2 lab exams 100 pts each (both mandatory & can’t be dropped)
20 Lab reports (drop lowest 3 & average 17):
18 lect Quizzes + 8 lab quizzes (drop 4 & average 22)
Research project (written project = 80pts ; presentation=20pts)
20 Homeworks (each must be done before lect. begin)
20 mastering biology online (do after lecture is finished)
(1030 pts+Extra pts) / 10
FINAL GRADE =
GRADING SCALE: 90-100 =
A
80- 89 =
B
70- 79 =
C
60- 69 =
D
0- 59 =
F
YOU CAN RENT TEXTBOOKS FROM BOOKSTORE FOR 40% the full price: must return it 1 week after finals
You can buy the access code to log in to the online activities that come with the book ($49) or pay $98 at
the bookstore and you get access to the activities and to the book online (ebook).
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 use the tutoring center at room 313 and ask your instructor & counselor about opportunities for
more tutoring & other assistance prior to considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving
passing grades. Info on money for college: http://www.collegefortexans.com/
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: 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 central College Room LHSB 106, phone: 713-718-6164. Instructors are
only authorized to provide accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office and not by
the student.
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 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 “IP” (in progress) is if you are too ill to take the final
lab and/or lecture exam(s). IP allows you to come next semester & finish class without paying.
USE OF RECORDING DEVICES, including camera phones & 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.
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, then, 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.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO after YOU RECEIVE THIS SYLLABUS:
Read the syllabus in its entirety & ask any questions you might have about it at anytime the 1st week
of class. You are completely responsible for everything included in this syllabus. Every time you ask me
a question that has an answer in the syllabus, you get 2 pts taken off your exams.
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.
Take responsibility: Ex: never say “I did not know” or “I did not see the info” or “I wasn’t here” etc.
You are responsible for knowing and following every guideline in the syllabus together with info given
verbally in class.
DROPPING OR WITHDRAWING FROM CLASS: If a student misses 12 hours of class without a valid
excuse (emergency room papers, court papers, or military papers), he/she will be dropped from class.
Excessive absences are now a ground for dropping students. The Texas legislature has now passed a
law that limits the maximal withdrawals for freshmen to 6 times throughout their educational career in
obtaining a degree. If a student wishes to withdraw from a class, he/she is able to withdraw online
without having to see an instructor. If you do not withdraw yourself by November 3rd as explained in
the syllabus & you just stop attending class, you will be given an FX (=F= failure to attend class) at
the end of the semester. This could mess up your student financial help if you have one.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TAKING THIS COURSE
1. The textbook & lab manual are required and YOU MUST READ EVERY CHAPTER & LAB before we start them.
2. Full class attendance is required. I will call the roll sheet 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 and cell phones must be turned off during the class period. If you are
seen using a cell phone or any other electron device in the classroom, you will lose 5pts off your exam grade. If you
use the phone for the second time, you are asked to leave class period! If you use a cell phone during an 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 ARE RESPONSIBLE for reading the laboratory safety rules before doing any of the lab experiments.
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. Grades will not be posted publicly at any time during midterm; they will only be posted at the end of the semester on
the college website.
9. 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. If you are
writing a paper, make sure you know that any information that you find on the internet or in journals, or books does
not belong to you and always comes with the name of the author or website. Therefore, you must cite the author or
website next to every information you get from the internet making sure that you PARAPHRASE IT. IF you cut and
past, you must put quotation marks at the beginning & at the end the citation. Otherwise, this is called plagiarism.
Plagiarism is punished by a zero for the first timers, and expulsion from school for the repeaters.
10. Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are encouraged to call 713.718.6164 to make
necessary arrangements. Instructors are only authorized to provide accommodations requested by the Disability
Support Services Office not by the student.
11. YOU CANNOT ask me any questions related to your absence or any issue related to you personally when I am about
to start lecture or in the middle of lecture, those questions can be asked on the break. YOU CAN stop me and ask me
any question related to lecture at anytime of lecture or lab time or break time.
N.B. I reserve the right to change the schedule in this syllabus at anytime if needed during the semester.
There is no flexibility or discussion for the following rules
1
2
3
4
5
13
14
15
Exam-I: 9/23 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 following class (scantron+pencil)
Written project must be turned in on Thursday of week 11
Oral presentation will be given on Thursday of week 12 (dress professionally)
NO MAKEUP for EXAMS or research presentation: If absent on that day, you get a zero except with Court Papers or
Emergency Room Medical Papers
YOU CANNOT USE your computer during class time, if so 10 pts will be taken of final exam
If you text-message during class time, 10 points will be taken off your final exam grade
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 this class
Before coming back from an absence, do your own update & be ready for a quiz or exam
BEING ABSENT IS NOT AN EXCUSE to avoid taking an exam or quiz: BE READY
If you leave your table/lab bench/floor messy, 5 points will be taken off your lab exam.
Disinfect lab table w/ detergent before & after use to avoid cross contamination
NO offensive language/attitude/behavior are tolerated: 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
If you miss 12 hours of class, you will automatically be dropped from class except w/ documents
Lab books will be taken from you randomly in class at anytime for grading (do your exercises)
Never come to class without 2 scantrons & a sharpened pencil
16
Going to be absent? arrange before hand for update with classmates & exams with the instructor
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tentative schedule: can change at anytime if necessary
Every time a chapter is finished, a quiz is given the next class meeting @ 2:30pm
Tuesday
LAB.
Thursday
LECTURE (+ lecture quizzes)
Aug. 30
Orientation: Safety procedures
Ch1: Intro: Themes in the study of Life
Sept. 01
Ch2: The Chemical context of Life
Sept. 08
Ch3: Water & Life
Ch4: Carbon & the molecular diversity of life
Sept. 15
Ch5: Structure & Functions of large Biol. Mol.
Ch6: A tour of the Cell
Sept. 22
Ch6: A tour of the Cell:
Ch7: Membrane structure & functions
Sept. 06
Sept. 13
Sept. 20
Sept. 27
Oct. 04
Oct. 11
Ex1: The Measurements
Ex2: Basic Chemistry (do at home)
Ex3: Water & its properties
Ex4: Biomolecules: Carbs & proteins
Lec. Exam 1
(Ch 1,2,3,4,5)
Ex 5: Biomolecules: Lipids & N. acids
Ex6: The compound Microscope
Finish lecture
Ex7: Cell structure & function
Ex8: Diffusion & Osmotic
Ex9: Enzymes: catalysts of Life
Finish lecture
Ex10: Cellular Respiration
Sept. 29
Ch7: Membrane structure & functions:
Ch8: An Introduction to Metabolism
Oct. 06
Ch9: Cellular Respiration & Fermentation
Ch10: Photosynthesis
Oct. 13
Ch10: Photosynthesis
Ch12: The Cell cycle (we skip chap 11)
Oct. 20
Ch13: Meiosis & sexual life cycles
Oct. 18
Lec. Exam 2
Oct. 25
Lab Exam 1 (Ex. 1- 10)
Oct. 27
Ex12: Cell division: Mitosis (home)
Finish lecture
Ex13: Cell division: Meiosis (home)
Nov. 03
Nov. 01
(Ch 6,7,8,9,10)
Ex11: Photosynthesis
Nov. 08 Lec. Exam 3
(Ch12,13,14,15)
Ex14: Mendelian genetics
Nov. 15
Nov. 22
Nov. 29
Ex15: Chi square Analysis
Ex16:Non-Mendelian Genetics & hum
Finish lecture chapter 17
Ex17: Karyotyping
Ch19: Viruses
Ex18: Barr Body
Ex19: Gel Electrophoresis
Dec. 06 Lab Exam 2 (Ex. 11- 20)
Ex20: Gel Protein synthesis
Ex21: Gel electrophoresis
Dec.
13/15
Ch14: Mendel & the gene idea
Ch15: The Chromosomal basis of inheritance
Nov. 10
Ch16: Molecular basis of inheritance
Nov. 17
Ch17: From Gene to Protein
Nov. 24
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS
Lec. Exam 4 (Ch 16, 17,19,20)
Dec. 01
Ch20: Biotechnology
Dec. 08
Ch18: regulation of gene expression
Ch21: Genomes & their evolution
FINAL EXAM is 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
I reserve the right to change this syllabus anytime it is necessary to better accommodate students