Department: Life Sciences
BIOL 1406: BIOLOGY I FOR
MAJORS – SUMMER I, 2013
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
A contemporary course including application of the scientific method, cellular and molecular
biology, classical and human genetics, virology.
Course Title:
Biology I
Course Number
1406 – CRN# 46074
Credit Hours:
4 Semester Credit Hours
Prerequisites
College Level Reading
Semester and Year
Spring 2012
Instructor
Dr. William Palmer
Class Days and Times
M-Thur 5:50- 10:30 PM
Class Room Location
West Loop Lecture M & W C223, and Lab T & Th. in 162
Office:
Biology Office West Loop Campus F 11
Office Hours:
Appointments arranged in advance
E-mail
William.palmer@hccs.edu
Phone
713-718-8136
ADA STATEMENT:
The HCCS colleges are dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all
students. The college district promotes equity in academic access through the implementation of
reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V,
Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students
with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational activities.
If you require reasonable accommodations because of a physical, mental, or learning disability,
please notify the instructor of this course as soon as possible and preferably before the end of the
first two weeks of class to arrange for reasonable accommodations.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A contemporary course including applications of the scientific method, cellular and molecular
biology, biochemistry, classical and human genetics, and virology. This course is intended for
BIOLOGY MAJORS. The coursework and readings will be geared toward students who intend
to pursue biology (or a related discipline) as a major. If you are not majoring in biology (or a
related science/health discipline), you may want to enroll in BIOL1308, the first semester of our
biology for non-majors sequence.
BIOLOGY PROGRAM STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (PSLO):
Program SLO #1 - To recognize, identify, and describe the basic structures and functions associated with
most life forms.
Program SLO #2 - To develop basic laboratory techniques appropriate to the field of Biology.
Program SLO #3 - To develop study skills and habits appropriate for pre-professional students interested
in health-related fields.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLO):
The following Student Learning Outcomes with their associated assessment criteria are not meant to be
all-inclusive, and are meant to be used along with all other course learning outcomes and assessment
devices, listed under Course Objectives, in the determination of the student's final course grade.
Completion of the specific Student Learning Outcomes listed below, at any assessment grading level,
does NOT and will NOT guarantee the student that final course grade at the end of the semester!
Bio 1406 SLO#1
The student will be able to recognize the basic structure and describe the function of eukaryotic cellular
organelles and cell systems.
PSLO #1
Bio 1406 SLO#2
Given a DNA or RNA base sequence, the student will be able to deduce:
a. the sequence of the complementary DNA strand
b. the sequence of the complementary messenger RNA strand
c. complementary codons and/or anticodons
d. the proper amino acid sequence in a peptide by using a supplied table of genetic code.
PSLO #1
Bio 1406 SLO#3
The student will be able to explain the synthesis and properties of
a. carbohydrates
b. lipids
c. proteins
d. nucleic acids
PSLO #1
Bio 1406 SLO#4
The student will be able to devise an experiment containing the correct experimental test points along
with correct positive and negative controls.
PSLO #2
Bio 1406 SLO#5
The student will exhibit competence with bringing the brightfield microscope into focus.
PSLO #2
Bio 1406 SLO#6
The student will develop the habit of reliable attendance by being absent from class no more than four
times per semester.
PSLO #3
Bio 1406 SLO#7
The student will demonstrate punctuality in the submission of class assignments on their due date.
PSLO #3
PREREQUISITES
College reading level as determined by SAT, ACT, TASP; or successfully passing ENGL0305 with a “C”
or better.
REQUIRED TEXTS
J.B. Reece, et al 2011, Campbell Biology, 9th ed., Benjamin Cummings Publishing, San Francisco, CA
Biology 1406 Laboratory Manual, Houston Community College – Southwest, 3rd. edition.
Other Operating Guidelines
(1) You are spending a good deal of time, energy and money on this course – please, make the most
of your investment! There is a school-mandated attendance requirement for this course (please
see the “Classroom Evaluation” section for a description). If you’re still struggling with certain
aspect of the course, please make an effort to see me and I will gladly make time to help you
work through the material.
(2) Make up tests are very difficult to schedule and may not be rescheduled for unauthorized
absences. I reserve the right to give students who miss a test an alternate version of the
appropriate test. Other assignments (e.g. critiques) not turned in on time will be docked 10% of
their final value for each class day that they are late. There will be NO make up labs.
(3) My purpose in this class is to act as your guide through this subject material. I also must make
sure that your grade in this class indicates your mastery of the subject material required by this
college. I am not here to spoon-feed you. It takes approximately 2-3 hours of study time for
each hour of class time to master the material. This class will have over 96 contact hours (4 hr.
credit) compared to 48 contact hours that comprise the normal class (3 hr. credit). The class and
study time necessary to succeed in this class will be close to 300 hours (20 hours per week)!
(4) Please do not talk during class. If you feel the need to discuss something with a classmate, please
do so outside. I will not be offended if you need to take an important conversation outside briefly
so as not to distract your classmates. No cell phones on in class and pagers off or on vibrate.
EVALUATION:
The final course grade will be determined by the percentage of points earned in the following:
4 Tests @ 100 points each
=
400 points
Attendance
=
50 points
Total Lecture Points
=
450 points
1 Final Exam @ 200 points
=
200 points
2 Lab Tests @ 100 points each
=
200 points
Lab Notebook @ 100 points
=
150 points
------------------------------------------------------------------TOTAL
=
1000 points
Tests (100 points each, Final Exam = 200 points)
There will be 4 tests throughout the course (including the comprehensive final exam). Dates for
the tests are listed in the course calendar. The tests will cover material covered prior to the date
of each test. Tests will be given at the beginning of class on designated dates (see course
calendar) with lecture or lab following the test. The final exam will cover material from the
entire course, but about 1/4th of the exam will contain material from the chapters not covered in
previous tests.
Homework Assignments - Students are required to read assigned chapters. Additional
announced and unannounced quizzes during lecture or lab may be conducted throughout the
term.
Attendance Policy: (50 points)
You will receive 50 points for your attendance in class. For each unexcused absence, you will
lose ten of these points. After five unexcused absences, the professor recommends the student
drop the class. In order for an absence to be considered “excused” the student must bring some
form of documentation as to the reason for the absence (e.g. doctor’s note, court record, etc.).
Partial unexcused absences from class will also be considered to be “absences”. The instructor
reserves the right to take attendance at any time, even several times, during class. If you wish to
drop the class you must use the proper drop form, have it signed, and turn it in to the
registration office before the deadline.
Reading Assignments & Possible Unannounced Quizzes:
It is expected that each student will read the pre-assigned section of the text BEFORE coming
to CLASS each day. Reading assignments for each class will be given at the end of the previous
class. Use the class schedule to stay ahead of the lectures. The instructor may give pre-lecture
quizzes to make sure the students are prepared for class.
These quizzes MAY NOT BE ANNOUNCED in advance.
Class Participation:
While there is no “formal” assessment of your participation in class, it is appreciated and will no
doubt aid in your learning (and your classmates’ learning) of the material!
Make-UP Exam Policy:
Make up tests are very difficult to schedule and may not be rescheduled for unauthorized
absences. I reserve the right to give students who miss a test an alternate version of the
appropriate test. Other assignments (e.g. critiques) not turned in on time will be docked 10% of
their final value for each class day that they are late. There will be NO make up labs.
Warning: Students who are repeating this class for the third time will be charged an
additional fee per class hour.
Final Grade “Calculator”
Attendance
(50 points max.)
Test #1
(100 points max)
Test #2
(100 points max)
Test #3
(100 points max.)
Test #4
(100 points max)
Total Lecture Points
(450 points max- 45% of Final Grade)
Lab Test # 1
(100 Points)
Lab Test # 2
(100 Points)
Lab Notebook
(150 Points)
Total Laboratory Points
(350 points max.- 35% of Final Grade)
Final Exam
(200 points max.- 20% of Final Grade)
TOTAL
(1000 points max., not including extra credit)
Divide your total by 1000 = Final Percentage = _________________ %
Letter Grade Assignment:
A = 90-100% (or higher)
B = 80-89 %
C = 70-79 %
D = 60-69 %
F = 0-59 %
GUARANTEED GRADUATE POLICY:
Houston Community College System guarantees that graduates of its Associate of Arts,
Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science and all Certificate programs, providing
under certain circumstances, additional education and training tuition free to students lacking
appropriate mastery of specified competencies. For additional information, refer to the HCCS
college catalog.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY:
Withdrawal from the course before the official day of record (see current catalog) will result in a
final grade of “W” on the student transcript and no credit will be awarded. Prior to the official
day of record, it is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a request for withdrawal
from any course.
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 for visa considerations. You
may contact the International Student Office at 713 718 8520 if you have any questions about
your student visa status or other transfer issues.
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy
The State of Texas has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses excessively. For
example, if you repeat the same course more than twice, you have to pay extra tuition.
Beginning in Fall 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting students to no more than
SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a certificate
and/or degree.
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early
Alert process by which your professor will “alert” you and distance education (DE) counselors
that you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance.
You should visit with your DE professor or a DE counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC
interventions might be available to assist you – online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job
placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic performance.
If you plan on withdrawing from your DE class, you MUST contact a DE counselor or your DE
professor prior to withdrawing (dropping) the class and this must be done PRIOR to the
withdrawal deadline to receive a “W” on your transcript. **Final withdrawal deadlines vary
each semester and/or depending on class length, please visit the online registration calendars,
HCC schedule of classes and catalog, any HCC Registration Office, or any HCC counselor to
determine class withdrawal deadlines. Remember to allow a 24-hour response time when
communicating via email and/or telephone with a DE professor and/or counselor. Do not
submit a request to discuss withdrawal options less than a day before the deadline. If you do
not withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you are making in the class as
your final grade.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
HCCS is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In
becoming a part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and
independent effort. Failure to uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the
following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating on exams or assignments, collusion on
an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials or prerequisites when registering for a
course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another student's exam, orally
communicating or receiving answers during an exam, having another person take an exam or
complete a project or assignment, using unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an exam,
and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an exam or any part of an exam.
Plagiarism means passing off as his/her own the ideas or writings of another (that is, without
giving proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report or
project that someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately
collaborating on assignments designed to be completed independently. These definitions are not
exhaustive. When there is clear evidence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation,
a faculty member will take disciplinary action including but not limited to: requiring the student
to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or "F" for an exam or
assignment; or assigning a grade of "F" for the course. Additional sanctions including being
withdrawn from the course, program or expelled from school may be imposed on a student who
violates the standards of academic integrity.
SOFTWARE PIRACY:
Law strictly prohibits unauthorized copying of software purchased by Houston Community
College for use in laboratories. Houston Community College administration will take
appropriate disciplinary action against anyone violating copyright laws.
COMPUTER VIRUS PROTECTION:
Computer viruses are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Using the diskettes on more than one
computer creates the possibility of infecting computers and diskettes with a computer virus. This
exposes the computers of the college, your personal computer, and any others you may be using
to potentially damaging viruses. The college has aggressive anti-virus procedures in place to
protect its computers, but cannot guarantee that a virus might not temporarily infect one of its
machines. It is your responsibility to protect all computers under your control and use and ensure
that each diskette you use, whenever or wherever you use it, has been scanned with anti-virus
software. Since new viruses arise continually, your anti-virus software must be kept current.
And, since no anti-virus software will find every virus, keeping copies of data (backups) is
extremely important.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:
It is the policy of the Houston Community College System to provide equal employment,
admission and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin,
sex, age, or disability.
HCCS Colleges strive to provide an excellent learning environment free from harassment or
intimidation directed at any person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
Any form of harassment will not be tolerated.
Changes may be made to this syllabus when deemed appropriate by the professor. Students will
be notified of any changes in a timely manner.
My thanks to Dr. Loesch for allowing me to use his class syllabuses as a guide.
COURSE CALENDAR:
Week 1
Mon 6/03
Course Introduction – Syllabus, Chapters 1, 2, & 3
Tue 6/04
Introduction to lab., Safety Issues, Scientific Method, Labs 1, & 2
Wed 6/05
Chapters 4, & 5
Thur 6/06
Labs 3 & 4
Week 2
Mon 6/10
Exam on Chapters 1-4, Chapters 6, &, 7
Tue 6/11
Labs 5, & 6
Wed 6/12
Lecture Chapters 8, 9 & 10
Thur 6/13
Lab Test 1 on Exercises 1-6, Labs 7, & 8
Week 3
Mon 6/17
2nd Exam on Chapters 5 -8; Chapters 11 & 12
Tue 6/18
Labs 9, & 10
Wed 6/19
3rd Exam on Chapters 9–12, Chapters 13 & 14
Thur 6/20
Labs 11 & 12
Week 4
6/24 Last Day for Administrative/ Student Withdrawals- 4:30pm
Mon 6/24
Lecture on Chapters 15 & 16
Tue 6/25
Catch up on labs
Wed 6/26
4th Exam on Chapters 13-16; Lecture on Chapters 17 & 18
Thur 6/27
Chapters 19 & 20
Week 5
Mon 7/1
Catch up on lecture
Tue 7/2
Lab Test 2; exercises 7-12
Wed 7/3
FINAL EXAM
Acknowledgement Page
I acknowledge that I have read the syllabus for Biology 1406 and understand
the effort and time commitment necessary to succeed in this Science Majors
Class.
(OVER 300 HOURS OF STUDY)
Name_____________________________________________________
Email Address _____________________________________________
Current Phone # ____________________________________________