Biology 105
Biological Concepts: Unity
Section B09C
Dr. Todd Kostman
Office: HS156, HS 55
Telephone: 424-7301, 424-0811
email: kostman@uwosh.edu
http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/kostman/kostman.html
OFFICE HOURS
M, W 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. I am happy to make appointments outside of my normal office hours-just
contact me by phone or e-mail or talk to me after class.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Biology 105 is the introductory course for all Biology courses on this campus, serving as a general
education course for many and the first step towards the nursing program for others. It is assumed you
are entering this course with no real background in Biology.
The main focus of the course is to examine the characteristics shared by all living organisms. This boils
down to the bulk of the course being an introductory cell biology course. We begin by studying basic
chemistry, then move on to biological molecules and how they interact, then onto cells and cell
structure, how cells make and use energy, how they reproduce, and finally how cells and organisms
evolve.
Throughout the course I will be tying the material into real life examples about how Biology relates to
your everyday life (and it really, really does). I hope you leave the course with a better understanding of
basic biology that enables you to make informed decisions about your life, and current political issues
such as genetically modified organisms and stem cell research among others.
LECTURE INFORMATION
LECTURE SCHEDULE: 1:50 to 2:50 MWF in HS106.
LECTURE TEXT: Campbell et al.: Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fifth Edition, Pearson Cummings
Custom Publishing, San Francisco, CA.
Lecture Format: Lectures will be presented via Powerpoint and overheads of the figures from your
text. I will frequently refer to the figures, so you should bring your text to class and make note any
figures I specifically reference.
LECTURE EXAMS: We will have four lecture exams on the scheduled dates. Each exam will be worth 100
points, and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. There will be material from roughly 8 lectures on
each exam (resulting in 6 exam questions per lecture). As you can see, missing even one lecture could
have significant impact on your exam performance. I use questions from various sources, including
from the end of the chapters of your book and from the CD, as well as questions myself and other
instructors have written.
LECTURE MAKEUP EXAM: One makeup lecture exam will be given on Friday, May. 12th, 2006 during the
regular class period for anyone who missed a lecture or a lab exam. This exam will be comprehensive
(covering material from all four prior exams). In order to be eligible to take this exam, a student must
receive prior permission from Dr. Kostman and permission will be granted only for those who contacted
Dr. Kostman before the exam missed. Only one missed exam may be replaced with the makeup exam
score-so if you miss more than one exam, or you do not contact Dr. Kostman before a missed exam,
you will not be allowed to take the make-up exam.
Cell Phones: All cell phones must be turned off during lecture and laboratory time. If you must
leave it on in case of an EMERGENCY call (i.e. life or death), set it to vibrate. Cell phones going
off during lectures or lecture exams will be confiscated and returned after the period is over.
LABORATORY INFORMATION
Laboratory meeting times: There are seven lab sections, B01-B07 that correspond to this lecture.
You need to attend the lab section you are signed into as space is limited. Labs will meet each week at
the assigned time in Room 211 and be two hours in length-assume each lab will take the entire period.
You will receive a lab syllabus from your lab instructor with more details on how your lab section will be
conducted. Labs cannot be made-up as there is extensive preparation necessary by our staff for each
lab.
LABORATORY TEXT: Holton and Charley-Johnson: BIO 105: Concepts in Biology: Unity: Laboratory
Manual. Bring it (along with lecture text) to every laboratory meeting.
LABORATORY EXAMS: Three laboratory exams (worth 100 pts each) will be administered during lecture
periods (see schedule). Lab exams will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions. A missed exam will
result in a score of zero for that exam, unless you qualify for the makeup exam.
LABORATORY GRADE: You will have 400 points from the lab-300 points from the lab exams and 100
points that will be assigned by your lab instructor.
GRADING
COURSE GRADE: There are a total of 800 points possible for the semester (400 points from lecture
exams, 300 points from lab exams, and 100 points from lab). I will calculate your grade by dividing the
total number of points you earn over the semester by 800, which will yield a percentage. This
percentage will be converted into a letter grade using the scale below:
GRADING SCALE:
100-90% = A
89%-87% = AB
86-80% = B
79-77% = BC
76-70% = C
69-67% = CD
66-60% = D
<60% = F
Accessing Grades and Class Information
I have set up this course on the D2L site and will post all grades there. In addition, I will also post
messages to the class, sample exams, and review sheets over the course of the semester. If you have any
questions or problems using the site please see me.
Supplemental Instruction: We are fortunate to be a part of a program called "Supplemental Instruction"
that provides a student peer, Ms. Amanda Wolf, who will attend the class and offer weekly review sessions
that will help you learn how to learn the material. This program has been proven to be very successful on
this campus and others and I strongly encourage you to use this resource. More information is attached to
this syllabus and Amanda will be talking to you at the end of the first class period to schedule weekly
meeting times.
STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Students are referred to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Student Discipline Code as detailed in
specific provisions of Chapter 14 of the State of Wisconsin Administrative Code. Any student(s) found in
violation of any aspect of the above Code (as defined in sections UWS 14.02 and 14.03) will receive a
sanction as detailed in UWS 14.05 and 14.06. Examples of violations include: looking at another student’s
exam or answer sheet and copying the answers during and exam, talking or whispering to another student
during an exam,, and receiving text messages during an exam on an electronic device. Sanctions range
from a grade of zero for the assignment in question to an oral reprimand to expulsion from the University of
Wisconsin Oshkosh. Students have the right to request a hearing and to appeal sanctions (as defined in
UWS 14.08-14.10).
Lecture and Laboratory Schedule-Biology 105 Spring 2006
Date
Lecture Topic
Text
Reading
1
2.1-2.9
Jan. 30
Feb. 1
Feb. 3
Syllabus, Overview of Science and Biology
Basic Chemistry: Elements, Atoms, and
Bonds
Water, Chemical Reactions
Feb. 6
Molecules
3.1-3.7
Feb. 8
Feb. 10
Molecules
Introduction to Cells
3.8-3.16
4.1-4.5
Feb. 13
Organelles
4.6-4.12
Feb. 15
Feb. 17
Organelles
Energy and Enzymes
4.13-4.19
5.1-5.9
Feb. 20
Membrane structure and function
5.10-5.14
Feb. 22
Feb. 24
Transport and Osmosis
Lecture Exam I (lectures1-9)
5.15-5.21
Feb. 27
March 1
March 3
Cell Respiration I
Cellular Respiration II
Cellular Respiration III
6.1-6.6
6.7-6.12
6.13-6.16
Lab Topic
No lab
2.10-2.17
Exercise 1: Being a
scientist
Exercise 2: Infectious
disease; start Exercise 3
Exercise 3: Mystical
molecules
Exercise 4: Enzymes
March 6
Lab Exam I (labs 1-3)
Exercise 5: Osmosis and
diffusion
March 8
March 10
Photosynthesis I
Photosynthesis II
March 1317
Spring Break 
March 20
March 22
March 24
Photosynthesis III
Cell Cycle, Mitosis, Cytokinesis
Meiosis
March 27
March 29
March 31
Lecture Exam II (lectures 10-17)
Chromosomes, gametes, crossing jordan
Cancer and birth defects
8.13-8.18
8.19-8.23
April 3
Mendel I
9.1-9.10
April 5
April 7
Mendel II: Genotypes and phenotypes
Mendelian Genetics III: Chromosomes and
Inheritance
9.11-9.17
9-.18-9.24
April 10
April 12
April 14
Review genetics
DNA and DNA replication
Lecture Exam III (lectures 18-24)
April 17
April 19
April 21
Lab Exam II (labs 4,5,6,7)
Transcription and Translation
Mutations and viruses
10.6-10.16
10.17-10.23
April 24
Gene regulation
11.1-11.8
April 26
April 28
Evolution I: Darwin and populations
Evolution II
13.1-13.8
13.9-13.18
May 1
Evolution III-species and speciation
14.1-14.10
May 3
May 5
Evolution IV: Macroevolution
Course wrap up and review
14.11-15.5
7.1-7.4
7.5-7.9
7.10-7.14
8.1-8.7
8.12
Exercise 6: Respiration
Exercise 7: Photosynthesis
Exercises 8 and 9: Two
defects, did one cause the
other? & The first steps in
genetic engineering
Continue Exercise 9
10.1-10.5
Continue Exercises 8 and 9
Finish Exercise 9; do
Exercise 10: a quick
exercise in selection
Exercise 11: Species:
products of evolution
Finish exercises 8; Discuss
results, assessment exam
May 8
May 10
May 12
Lab Exam III (labs 8,9, 10, and 11)
Lecture Exam IV (lectures 25-33)
Make-up Exam (comprehensive)
*
*
No Labs
Lab Section Meeting Times and Lab Instructors: Spring 2006
Section
Meeting Day/Time
Instructor
Section Meeting Day/Time
Instructor
A01L
A02L
A03L
A04L
A05L
A06L
A07L
Charley-Johnson
Bosma
Beard
Bosma
Bosma
Bosma
Kostman
Mon. 10:20-12:20
Mon. 12:40-2:40
Tu. 8-10
Tu. 1:20-3:20
Wed. 12:20-2:20
Wed. 12:40-2:40
Th. 8-10
Charley-Johnson
Beard
Beard
Kostman
Bosma
Beard
Bosma
B01L
B02L
B03L
B04L
B05L
B06L
B07L
Mon. 8-10
Mon. 3-5
Tu. 11-1
Wed. 8-10
Wed. 3-5
Th. 11:10-1:10
Th. 1:20-3:20
Supplemental Instruction (SI) for Biology 105
Dr. Kostman
Jessica Burki, Student SI Leader
E-mail: burkij24@uwosh.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SI?
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly review sessions for students taking
historically difficult courses. SI is provided for all students who want to improve their
understanding of course material and improve their grades.
Attendance at SI sessions is voluntary. For you the student, it’s a chance to get together with
people in your class to compare notes, to discuss important concepts, to develop strategies for
studying the subject, and to test yourselves before your professor does. At each session you
will be guided through this material by your SI leader, a competent student who has previously
taken the course.
What is an SI leader?
Have you ever wished you could do something over, knowing what you know now? SI leaders
are students themselves and are prepared to share with you what they have learned over the
years about how to study. They know the course content and are anxious to help guide you
through it. They’ll be in class with you every day, hearing what you hear and reading what you
read. What they won’t do is lecture; their job is to help you think about the lectures you hear
and the books you read, and then put it altogether during the SI review sessions. SI can help
you learn course material more efficiently.
When do SI review sessions start?
On the first day of class you will fill out a short survey to let the SI leader know your class
schedule. Each SI leader will set up two or three review sessions each week at times that are
best for the majority of students taking the class. You can attend one, two, or all three (the
choice is yours) and each one will be different because you’ll have new material to discuss. SI
review sessions are informal. Bring your notes; bring your textbook; bring your questions.
What’s in it for me?
If you attend SI sessions regularly, chances are you’ll earn a better grade. You’ll have
developed a better understanding of course content as well as more effective ways of studying.
This will help you in other classes also.