BIOL 121.50 General Biology Laboratory (Honors)
Longwood University
Course Syllabus
Instructor:
Office:
Fall 2010
Dr. David W. Buckalew
305A or 220 Chichester Science Center
395-2586 or 395-2933
Office hours: M: 11:00-12noon; T/R: 3:45-5:00
Email:
buckalewdw@longwood.edu
Text:
Vodopich and Moore. 2010. Custom Laboratory Manual, McGrawHill Publ.
Course Description: Honors and honors-enhanced courses present the student
with different work not more work. The Honors component of this course will focus
on service projects related to the betterment of our major(s) department, university,
and/or our town community. Since the Honors section of BIOL 121 is relatively
large in size, many different service projects are possible. The additional time (1
hr) provided for each lab period may be used to fulfill the honors requirement for
the course.
This course is the first semester of a two-semester introduction to the college-level
study of biology for biology and health pre-professional majors. Major topics
include the molecular and cellular basis of life, energy and life, photosynthesis and
cellular respiration, classical and molecular genetics, mechanisms of evolution,
and classification schemes. Biology majors must score a C-grade or better
before taking advanced (200-level and above) courses. Three lectures and one
3-hour lab period per week.
4 credits.
Lab Requirements:
There are several general classes of requirements for the lab component of this
course. These include: a mid-term exam and a final exam. The instructor
reserves the right to give quizzes on information contained in one to several lab
exercises where appropriate.
1) Lab mid-term exam: On Weds, Oct 13 you will receive a written exam covering the first five (5)
laboratory exercises.
2) Lab final exam: On Weds, Dec 1 an exam covering the last five (5) laboratory exercises will be
given.
Evaluation and Grading
The tabulation of points will include:
Mid-term exam…………………………………………………. 100 points
Final exam……………………………………………………… 100 points
Total points possible……………………………….…………..200 points
Tardiness and Absences:
Class attendance and punctuality are strongly emphasized. Please refer to the
lecture syllabus for discussion on this topic. Attendance will be taken when
required. Any student not present when roll is taken will be considered absent. If
a student arrives after roll is called, it is the responsibility of the student to
personally inform the instructor of his/her presence as soon as the class is over.
An absent or tardy student will also be held accountable for all materials missed
during their absence from the lab.
Honor Code
I strongly support the Longwood University Honor System and expect you to do likewise. All
written work is to be pledged in full and signed. Any student found responsible for an Honor Code
violation in this laboratory will receive an “F” grade for the entire course.
Additional Note:
The safety and housekeeping policies discussed in the lab introduction and any similar
instructions given toward that end must be adhered to faithfully. Consumption of food or drink
in the lab is expressly forbidden.
Outline and Schedule of Exercises………..BIOL 121 Honors Gen Bio laboratory. Fall 2010
Meeting date:
Exercise
Aug
25
Sept
1
2. Measurements in Biology and Data Analysis
Sept
8
3. Solutions, Acids, and Bases
Sept 15
1. Introduction to the lab
Lab safety contract, article reviews, background knowledge survey,
and library research guides
4. Examinations of cells and organelles
Sept
22
5. Purification and size determination of proteins
Sept
29
6. Electrophoretic analysis of proteins
Oct
6
7. Review of labs for mid-term lab exam
Oct
13
8. Mid-term Lab Exam
Oct
20
9. Measurements in cell respiration
Oct
27
Nov
3
11. An examination of photosynthesis
Nov
10
12. Genetic transformation of bacteria
Nov
17
13. Human genetics problems
Nov
24/25/26
14. Thanksgiving break – no labs
Dec
1
15. Final Lab Exam
10. Practical application experiment in cell respiration