COURSE TITLE
General Biology 1 (Biol 1406) Class # 51296
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Richard Merritt
EMAIL ADDRESS
richard.merritt@hccs.edu
PHONE and OFFICE
713-718-5643; room 901 C, Spring Branch
TEXTBOOK
Biology, 9th edition, Vol.1, 2012 by Campbell.
This textbook is required.
LAB MANUAL
General Biology 1406 Lab Manual. ISBN 978-159984-314-8. Required.
ATTENDANCE
HCC policy provides
that in General Biology 1406, students may be
dropped (W) after missing more than 4 classes.
This instructor will drop any student who misses
more than 4 classes prior to the drop date.
SCANTRONS
Six (6) scantrons will be required
GRADING
There will be five (5) lecture exams, consisting of
100 multiple choice questions each, each worth
100 points toward your final numerical grade.
There will be 1 laboratory exam, consisting of a
combination lab practical and multiple choice
questions. Completion of all lab reports is worth
100 points. Total possible points for class is 700.
Your grade will be calculated as a percentage of
these 700 points. There is no extra credit. The
availability of lecture make up exams will be
evaluated on a case by case basis. The laboratory
exam cannot be made up.
BASIC EXPECTATIONS
The basic intellectual competencies for core courses include reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical
thinking, and computer literacy.
EXAM CONTENT
Exam 1 covers chapters 1-5
Exam 2 covers chapters 6 and 7
Exam 3 covers chapters 8, 9 and 10
Exam 4 covers chapters 12-15
Exam 5 (Final) covers chapters 16-20
DROP DATE
The drop date for this class is November 3, 2011.
After the drop date, a letter grade must be
assigned by your instructor! HCC policy provides
that in General Biology 1406, students may be
dropped (W) after missing more than 4 classes.
This instructor will drop any student who misses
more than 4 classes prior to the drop date.
REPEATING THIS COURSE
“Students who take a course for the third time or more must now pay significant tuition/fee increases at
HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. At HCC it is an additional $50 per credit hour. If
you are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, confer with your
instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, testtaking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might
be available. Also, the state of Texas has passed a new law limiting new students (as of Fall 2007) to no
more than six withdrawals throughout their academic career in obtaining a baccalaureate degree.”
DISABILITIES
Reasonable accommodations will be made for
students with disabilities. An official updated letter
of accommodations must be provided from the
accommodations center each semester.
“Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who
needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Service Office (713-718-5422)
at the beginning of each semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the accommodations
requested by the Disability Support Services Office.”
ADVISEMENT
The instructor is available for advisement before
and after class, as well as during office hours.
COURSE SYLLABUS
Modifications to this course syllabus may be made
at any time at the discretion of the instructor. Any
modifications will be announced in class.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Academic Honesty, Plagiarism, Collusion: HCC policy: "Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is
not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating on a test includes copying from
another student's test paper; using, during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test;
collaborating with another student during a test without authority; knowingly using, buying, selling,
stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of an unadministered test; or bribing
another person to obtain a test that is to be administered. ‘Plagiarism’ means the appropriation of
another's work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one's own written work for credit.
‘Collusion’ means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered
for credit."
“In simplified terms, cheating is: (1) taking unchanged passages (or slightly edited) from another
person's writing and portraying them as one's own; (2) submitting a paper that includes paraphrases of
another person's writing without giving credit; (3) having someone else write your paper for you; (4)
copying or using another person's work during in-class writing or testing; (5) the unauthorized use of
electronic devices during in-class writing or testing; and (6) violating testing rules. Keep in mind also
that whether you are cheating or not, not following testing or writing rules properly, such as
communicating with your neighbor or using a cell phone during a test will be construed as cheating. This
is not an exhaustive list of the forms of cheating on written work. If you are in doubt, consult your
instructor.”)
The consequences of any form of “cheating” will be an automatic zero (0) for that particular exam or
assignment.
CHAPTERS/TOPICS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Intro. Themes in the study of life
Chemical context of life
Water and the fitness of the environment
Carbon and molecular diversity
Large biological molecules
APPROXIMATE WEEKS
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
EXAM 1
6. A tour of the cell
7. Membrane structure and function
EXAM 2
8. Introduction to metabolism
9. Cellular respiration
10. Photosynthesis
EXAM 3
11. Cell communication-not formally covered
12. The cell cycle
13. Meiosis
14. Mendel and the gene idea
15. Chromosomal basis of inheritance
EXAM 4
16. The molecular basis of inheritance
17. From gene to protein
18. Regulation of gene expression
19. Viruses
20. Biotechnology
EXAM 5 (Final Exam)
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 11
Week 12
Week 12
Week 13
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 15
Week 16
LABORAORY EXERCISES** subject to modification
TOPICS
WEEKS
The microscope
Biological measurements
The chemicals of life
Molecules of life
Enzymes
Animal and plant cells
Diffusion and osmosis
Osmotic relationship plant cells
Fermentation and respiration
Photosynthesis
Mitosis and meiosis
Chromosome organization
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
LAB EXAM
Genetics problems
Electrophoresis demo
Week 12
TBA