BIOLOGY 101 COURSE SYLLABUS FOR SPRING 2016
Course Description
Biology 101 is the first of a two-semester introductory course sequence designed primarily for science majors. It covers
some central concepts in biology. Topics include molecules, cells, enzymes, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, cellular
reproduction, genetics, and biotechnology. The laboratory includes basic laboratory skills such as safety, microscope use,
and measurement, and it reinforces topics discussed in lecture.
This course meets the SUNY General Education course requirements for natural sciences.
Credit Hours: 4; Contact Hours: 5
Instructor
Dr. Michael Gregory
Office: 219T, Phone: 562-4336
Office Hours: M, W 12:00-01:15, Tu 2:00-2:30, Th 10:00-12:00
E-mail: Michael.Gregory@clinton.edu
Material and Internet Requirements
Textbook – Biology by OpenStax College. This is a free, online textbook. The textbook can be downloaded or viewed online
using the following URL: https://www.openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/biology/get
Safety glasses
Quad-ruled composition notebook
Access to the Internet.
The Biology Web (http://faculty.clinton.edu/faculty/Michael.Gregory/Default.htm)
contains the lab manual, lecture notes, and other resources needed for the course. A link to
faculty websites can be found on the college home page (http://www.clinton.edu/).
Students will be required to use the Angel online course management system for some of
the assignments in this course.
Students are required to check their Clinton Community College e-mail regularly
throughout the semester. Important course announcements will be made via CCC student email accounts.
The Biology Web
Prerequisite: Placement into MAT100 or higher; Students receiving credit for BIO101 and/or BIO102 cannot receive credit
for BIO100
Corequisite: ENG101 – English Composition or equivalent; SCI110 – Foundational Skills in Science
Topics and Reading Assignments
Each reading assignments in the table below should be completed when the topic is discussed in class.
Topic
Introduction
Life
Natural Selection
Science
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
Cells
Membranes
Energy, Enzymes, Metabolism
Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration
Photosynthesis
Mitosis
Meiosis
Genetics: Genes
Genetics: Chromosomes
DNA
Gene Expression
Control of Gene Expression in Prokaryotes
Biotechnology
Reading
(textbook chapter)
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Exam
Exam 1
2.1, 2.2
2.3, 3
4
5
6
7
8
10
11.1
12
13
14
15
16
17
Exam 2
Exam 3
Part 1 of Final Exam
Laboratory
Lab Date
1/26
2/2
Topic
Introduction, Lab Safety
Metric Measurement
Statistics and Graphing
2/9
What is Science?
2/16
2/23
3/1
3/8
3/22
3/29
4/5
4/12
Microscopy
Biochemistry
Biochemistry (Cont.)
Cells
Enzymes
Cellular Respiration
Photosynthesis
Mitosis and Meiosis
4/19
4/26
5/3
Finals Week
Nondisjunction
Pedigree Analysis
Bacterial Transformation
DNA Profiling
Due Date
The day of the next lab
Submission
Online and lab notebook
Group report, due at the beginning of the next
lab
Formal lab report: Due the day of the Cells lab
(in 4 weeks).
In class
Lab notebook and formal
lab report
Lab notebook
Lab notebook
Drawings: beginning of next lab
Questions: next lab day
Next lab day
Next lab day
Lab notebook
Lab notebook
Lab notebook
Lab notebook
Drawings: in class
Questions: online (Angel)
Online (Angel)
Online (Angel)
Lab notebook
Lab notebook
You should read the laboratory exercises before coming to lab so that you have a familiarity with the procedure for the lab.
If the laboratory exercise involves experimentation, you should prepare a hypothesis for each experiment.
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Grading
Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
90 - 100%
87 - 89%
84 - 86%
80 - 83%
77 - 79%
74 - 76%
C
CD+
D
F
70 - 73%
67 - 69%
64 - 66%
57 - 63%
< 57%
Final Grade
Item
Lecture exams (3)
Final exam (Half of this exam is cumulative.)
Class assignments
Lab reports – due the following week
Formal lab report
Lab notebook
% of Final Grade
39 (13% each)
26 (13% each half)
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9
8
9
Exam and Quiz Schedule
Lecture Exam Dates
Exam
Date
Exam 1*
2/22
Exam 2*
3/25
Exam 3*
4/15
Final Exam Finals week
*Dates for the first three exams may change. All changes will be announced in class.
Finals Week
Classes do not meet at their normally scheduled times during finals week. BIO 101 will meet two times for 2.5 hours each
time. The dates and times for each section of BIO 101 will be announced later.
Make-up Exams
If an exam cannot be taken during the regularly scheduled time, a make-up exam can be taken later. Make-up exams may
contain mostly essay and short-answer questions.
Assignments
Due dates for the reading assignments will not be announced during class time. Each reading assignments should be
completed when the topic is covered in class.
Students are required to keep backup copies of all submitted assignments until the end of the semester. Cell phone
cameras are convenient for photographing handwritten materials for before submitting in class. Photographs, photocopies,
scans, or computer files are all good methods for keeping backup copies.
All written assignments should be completed using whole sentences. Abbreviated words should not be used.
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All submitted work must be in your own words. If you work with a partner on an assignment that requires individual
submission, you must submit your own document using your own words. You may obtain or discuss answers to the
exercises from any source that is applicable, but you must use your own words to answer the questions or write the
reports. Documents that appear to have been copied from others will not receive a grade (grade = 0).
If you use information from another source in an assignment, it must be stated in your own words. While it is legal to copy
word-for-word if it is properly cited, this is usually poor writing style and it is not allowed in this course. In addition to
rewording, you must also state where the information came from. For purposes of this course, it is not necessary to state
the source of information obtained from the course textbook or The Biology Web. All other sources of information should
be identified.
Assignments submitted in class are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Assignments that are turned in after class
has started on the due date will be considered 1 day late. Assignments submitted online must be submitted before
midnight on the due date.
Scores on all assignments except the formal lab report will be reduced by 10% of their total possible point value if they are
one day late and 20% if they are two days late. They will not be accepted after two days. Scores on the formal lab report
will be reduced 1% for each day late. All assignments and make-up exams must be completed before finals week begins.
Attendance
The instructor reserves the right to withdraw students that miss more than 8 classes (including labs) or more than 2 labs.
The laboratory class is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences. Students will learn basic laboratory skills while
reinforcing concepts learned in lecture. To a large extent, grades in the laboratory will reflect participation and laboratory
skills acquired, so it is important that students do not miss laboratory exercises.
Absences cannot be made up. This includes absences from the laboratory or from lecture classes.
Students are required to attend lecture and laboratory classes for the entire period. Students that arrive late or leave early
will be marked as absent. Similarly, students that sleep during class or do not participate in class activities will be marked as
absent.
Extra Credit
Extra credit is not available in this course. The topics and assignments listed in the syllabus have been selected as the best
way to meet the course objectives.
E-mail Communication
Students are encouraged to maintain frequent communication with their instructor. E-mail is a convenient way to ask
questions about any of the material covered in the course. Please ask questions on any material that is not clearly
understood.
E-mail from students should contain a minimum level of professional courtesy. For example, it should not contain
abbreviations such as "u" instead of "you" and it should not contain incorrect capitalization such as "i" instead of "I."
Sentences should begin with a capital letter and end with a period. The instructor will not read or reply to e-mail messages
that contain these grammatical errors.
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Academic Integrity
Academic honesty is expected of all Clinton Community College students. It is dishonest to misrepresent another person’s
work as one’s own, to take credit for someone else’s work or ideas, to accept help on a test, to obtain advanced
information on confidential test materials, or to intentionally harm another student’s chances for academic success.
Students with Disabilities
If you have, or suspect that you may have any type of disability or learning problem that may require extra assistance or
special accommodations, please speak with me privately after class or during my office hours as soon as possible so that I
can help you obtain any assistance you may need to successfully complete this course. You should also contact Laurie
Bethka, EXT 252 (room 420M) for further assistance.
Course Continuity Plan
In the case that the college officially closes because of an emergency that causes a short-term disruption of this course, we
will use e-mail to continue this course in the short term (1-3 weeks). All students must use their campus e-mail to receive
course related information.
Tutoring Center
The Tutoring Center provides tutoring services for all students enrolled at Clinton Community College. The Tutoring Center
staff works with students to develop study skills and strategies for academic success. Tutors are available to assist students
in math, science, writing, reading, computers and some specialized technology courses. The Center, located on the 4th floor
of the main building room 412M, offers individual and small group tutoring services. Online tutoring is also available. For
more information about the tutoring schedule go to http://www.clinton.edu/tutoringcenter/tutorschedule.cxml.
Changes
The details of this syllabus, including topics covered, calendar, grading, grading scale, and attendance policy are subject to
change. Changes in the grading scale will be limited to those that result in improved (curved) grades. You will be informed
in class of any changes. All changes to the syllabus will also be posted on the Internet in The Biology Web.
Technology Statement
A CCC student should expect that any class may require some course activity that uses a computer and the
internet. Activities could include but are not limited to accessing the course syllabus, schedule, or other handouts on a
website, completing homework online, taking quizzes or submitting written work, participating in a discussion or
sending/receiving email.
Course Objectives
As the result of instructional activities, students will be able to:
1.
Compare and contrast the structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
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Compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Compare plant and animal cell structures and their functions.
2.
Demonstrate the proper use of compound and dissecting microscopes.
3.
Explain the structure and function of the four major classes of biological molecules.
4.
Describe cell membrane structure and function in active, passive, and facilitated transport.
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5.
Describe how the physical and chemical environment affects enzyme activity.
6.
Explain the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration and their relationship to each other.
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7.
Explain how genetic information is stored in DNA and translated into protein.
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8.
Compare the molecular structures of DNA and RNA.
Describe DNA synthesis.
Describe transcription and translation.
Describe the structure of chromosomes.
Describe the mechanics of mitosis and meiosis and the relationship of these processes to reproduction and function.
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9.
Describe how plants modify their environment (photosynthesis)
Describe the process of cellular respiration
Explain the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Describe the process of chemiosmotic phosphorylation
Describe the beginning and ending products of mitosis, including the relationship of this process to growth, repair,
and chromosome number.
Identify and describe the stages for the cell cycle
Describe the beginning and ending products of meiosis, including the relationship of this process to reproduction,
heredity, variation, and reduction of chromosome number.
Describe the mechanism of operation of the following kinds of receptors: G-protein linked, tyrosine kinase, ion channel.
10. Explain the role of cAMP, phosphodiesterase, protein kinases, and protein phosphates in signal transduction.
11. Apply genetic principles to simple Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance problems and concepts.
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Apply genetic principles to simple inheritance problems/concepts including monohybrid and dihybrid crosses
Describe non-Mendelian inheritance including incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, pleiotrophy,
epistasis, genomic imprinting, polygenetic inheritance
Compare and contrast the relationship between mutations and genetic disorders
Use pedigrees/karyotypes to examine the inheritance of genetic disorders.
12. Explain advantages and disadvantages of using genetic engineering techniques today in plants, humans and other
animals and the ethical issues related to biotechnology.
Lab Objectives
The laboratory experience will reinforce biological concepts and laboratory skills. Students will:
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Compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
Investigate plant pigments and photosynthetic processes in plants.
Compare cellular respiration and photosynthetic processes using a variety of organisms.
Investigate environmental effects on enzyme catalysis.
Investigate mitotic and meiotic cellular processes.
Explore DNA biotechnology, its real world applications, and the use of electrophoresis and recombinant DNA
technology to investigate these applications.
Analyze data from genetic crosses to investigate independent assortment of two genes.
Investigate genes to determine autosomal or sex-linked inheritance.
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Demonstrate understanding of operating and using a variety of instrumentation normally expected to be used in a
biology laboratory setting including:
o Horizontal Gel Electrophoresis
o Compound Microscopes
o Micropipettes
o Vernier software or comparable data collection software
o Spectrophotometers
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Use lab documentation to record all data and scientific information in a bound notebook.
Solve problems using the process of scientific inquiry during laboratory experimentation including:
o Developing hypotheses based on the observation of natural phenomena.
o Designing an experiment based on a testable hypothesis.
o Conducting an experiment using an appropriate experimental design.
o Recording and organizing data resulting from quantitative measurement using tables and graphs.
o Performing appropriate statistical analyses on the data.
o Summarizing the data using graphs, tables, and descriptive statistics.
o Communicating through writing the results of a scientific investigation using scientific arguments and
explanations.
SUNY General Education Knowledge Area Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
1.
understand the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including:
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2.
observation
hypothesis development
measurement and data collection
experimentation
evaluation of evidence
employment of mathematical analysis
apply scientific data, concepts and models in one of the natural sciences
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