GENERAL BIOLOGY I
BIO 111
COURSE LEVEL LEARNING OUTCOMES
COMP
NUMBER
01
PERFORMANCE/TASK
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: THEMES IN THE STUDY OF LIFE
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD %
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the students should be able to:
01-01
Briefly describe unifying themes that pervade the science to biology.
01-02
Diagram the hierarchy of structural levels in biology.
01-03
Describe seven emergent properties associated with life.
01-04
Distinguish between holism and reductionism.
01-05
Distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
01-06
List the five kingdoms of life and distinguish among them.
01-07
Briefly describe how Charles Darwin’s ideas contributed tot he conceptual framework of biology.
01-08
Outline the scientific method.
01-09
Distinguish between inductive and deductive reasoning.
02
THE CHEMICAL CONTEXT OF LIFE
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
02-01
Define an element and compound.
02-02
State four elements essential to life that make up 96% of living matter.
02-03
Describe the structure of an atom.
02-04
Define and distinguish among atomic number, mass number, atomic weight, and valence.
02-05
Given the atomic number and mass number of an atom, determine the number of neutrons.
02-06
Explain why the noble gases are so unreactive.
02-07
Distinguish among nonpolar covalent, polar covalent and ionic bonds.
02-08
Describe the formation of a hydrogen bond and explain how it differs from a covalent or ionic bond.
02-09
Explain why weak bonds are important to living organisms.
02-10
Describe how the relative concentrations of reactants and products affect a chemical reaction.
COMP
NUMBER
03
PERFORMANCE/TASK
WATER AND THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
03-01
Describe the structure and geometry of a water molecule, and explain what properties
emerge as a result of this structure.
03-02
Explain the relationship between the polar nature of water and its ability to form hydrogen
bonds.
03-03
Describe the biological significance of the cohesiveness of water.
03-04
Distinguish between heat and temperature.
03-05
Explain how water’s high specific heat, high heat of vaporization and expansion upon
freezing affect both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
03-06
Explain how the polarity of the water molecule makes it a versatile solvent.
03-07
Define molarity and list some advantages of measuring substances in moles.
03-08
Write the equation for the dissociation of water, and explain what is actually transferred
from one molecule to another.
03-09
Explain the basis for the pH scale.
03-10
Using the bicarbonate buffer system as an example, explain how buffers work.
04
CHAPTER 4: CARBON AND MOLECULAR DIVERSITY
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
04-01
Summarize the philosophies of vitalism and mechanism, and explain how they influenced
the development of organic chemistry, as well as mainstream biological thought.
04-02
Explain how carbon’s electron configuration determines the kinds and number of bonds
carbon will form.
04-03
Describe how carbon skeletons may vary, and explain how its variation contributes to the
diversity and complexity of organic molecules.
05
CHAPTER 5: THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF MACROMOLECULES
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
05-01
List the four major classes of biomolecules.
05-02
Describe the distinguishing characteristics of carbohydrates, and explain how they are
classified.
05-03
Describe the important biological functions of polysaccharides.
05-04
Distinguish between the glycosidic linkages found in starch and cellulose, and explain why
the difference is biologically important.
05-05
COMP
NUMBER
Explain what distinguishes lipids from other major classes of macromolecules.
PERFORMANCE/TASK
05-06
Describe the unique properties, building block molecules and biological importance of the
three important groups of lipids: fats, phospholipids and steroids.
05-07
Distinguish between a saturated and unsaturated fat, and list some unique emergent
properties that are a consequence of these structural differences.
05-08
Describe the characteristics that distinguish proteins from the other major classes of
macromolecules, and explain the biologically important functions of this group.
05-09
List and recognize four major components of an amino acid, and explain how amino acids
may be grouped according to the physical and chemical properties of the side chains.
05-10
Define primary structure and describe how it may be deduced in the laboratory.
05-11
Describe the two types of secondary protein structure, and explain the role of hydrogen
bonds in maintaining the structure.
05-12
Explain how weak interactions and disulfide bridges contribute to tertiary protein structure.
05-13
Define denaturation and explain how proteins may be denatured.
05-14
Summarize the functions of nucleic acids.
05-15
List the major components of a nucleotide, and describe how these monomers are linked
together to forma nucleic acid.
05-16
Distinguish between a pyrimidine and a purine.
05-17
Briefly describe the three-dimensional structure of DNA.
06
CHAPTER 7: A TOUR OF THE CELL
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
06-01
Describe techniques used to study cell structure and function.
06-02
Distinguish between magnification and resolving power.
06-03
Describe the principles, advantages and limitations of the light microscope, transmission
electron microscope and the scanning electron microscope.
06-04
Explain why there are both upper and lower limits to cell size.
06-05
Describe the structure and function of the nucleus, and briefly explain how the nucleus
controls protein synthesis in the cytoplasm.
06-06
Describe the structure and function of a eukaryotic ribosome.
06-07
List the components of the endomembrane system, describe their structures and functions
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF DELIVERY
and summarize the relationships among them.
COMP
NUMBER
PERFORMANCE/TASK
06-08
Explain how impaired lysosomal function causes the symptoms of storage diseases.
06-09
Explain the role of peroxisomes in eukaryotic cells.
06-10
Describe the structure of a mitochondrion and explain the importance of compartmentalization in
mitochondrial function.
06-11
Describe probable functions of the cytoskeleton.
06-12
Describe the structure and list some functions of the extracellular matrix in animal cells.
07
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
CHAPTER 8: MEMBRANE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
07-01
Describe the function of the plasma membrane.
07-02
Describe the Davson-Danielli membrane model and explain how it contributed to our current
understanding of membrane structure.
07-03
Describe the fluid properties of the cell membrane and explain how membrane fluidity is
influenced by membrane composition.
07-04
Describe how proteins are spatially arranged in the cell membrane and how they contribute to
membrane function.
07-05
Define diffusion; explain what causes it and why it is a spontaneous process.
07-06
Explain what regulates the rate of passive transport.
07-07
Explain why a concentration gradient across a membrane represents potential energy.
07-08
Define osmosis and predict the direction of water movement based upon differences in solute
concentration.
07-09
Explain how large molecules are transported across the cell membrane.
08
CHAPTER 6: AN INTRODUCTION TO METABOLISM
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
08-01
Explain the role of catabolic and anabolic pathways in the energy exchanges of cellular
metabolism.
08-02
Distinguish between kinetic and potential energy.
08-03
Distinguish between open and closed systems.
08-04
Explain, in their own words, the First and Second Law of Thermodynamics.
08-05
Explain why highly ordered living organisms do not violate the Second Law of
Thermodynamics.
08-06
Distinguish between entropy and enthalpy.
COMP
NUMBER
PERFORMANCE/TASK
08-07
List two major factors capable of driving spontaneous processes.
08-08
Distinguish between exergonic and endergonic reactions.
08-09
Describe the function of ATP in the cell.
08-10
List the three components of ATP and identify the major class of macromolecules to which it
belongs.
08-11
Explain how ATP performs cellular work.
08-12
Describe the function of enzymes in biological systems.
08-13
Explain the relationship between enzyme structure and enzyme specificity.
09
CHAPTER 16: THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF INHERITANCE
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
09-01
Explain why researchers originally thought protein was the genetic material.
09-03
Summarize experiments performed by the following scientists, which provided evidence that
DNA is the genetic material:
a. Frederick Griffith
b. B. Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase
c. Erwin Chargaff
List the three components of a nucleotide.
09-03
List the three components of a nucleotide.
09-04
List the nitrogen bases found in DNA, and distinguish between pyrimidine and purine.
09-05
Explain the “base-pairing rule” and describe its significance.
09-06
Describe the structure of DNA, and explain what kind of chemical bond connects the nucleotides
of each strand and what type of bond holds the two strands together.
09-02
09-07
Explain, in their own words, semiconservative replication, and describe the Meselson-Stahl
experiment.
09-08
Describe the process of DNA replication, and explain the role of helicase, single strand binding
protein, DNA polymerase, ligase, and primase.
09-09
Define antiparallel, and explain why continuous synthesis of both DNA strands is not possible.
09-10
Distinguish between the leading strand and the lagging strand.
09-11
Explain how the lagging strand is synthesized when DNA polymerase can add nucleotides only
to the 3’ end.
09-12
Explain the role of DNA polymerase, ligase, and repair enzymes in DNA proofreading and
repair.
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
COMP
NUMBER
10
PERFORMANCE/TASK
CHAPTER 17: FROM GENE TO PROTEIN
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
10-01
Give early experimental evidence that implicated proteins as the links between genotype and
phenotype.
10-02
Distinguish between “one gene—one enzyme” hypothesis and “one gene—one polypeptide,” and
explain why the original hypothesis was changes.
10-03
Explain how RNA differs from DNA.
10-04
In their own words, briefly explain how information flows from gene to protein.
10-05
Distinguish between transcription and translation.
10-06
Describe where transcription and translation occur in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes; explain why
it is significant that in eukaryotes, transcription and translation are separated in space and time.
10-07
Define codon, and explain what relationship exists between the linear sequence of codons on
mRNA and the linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide.
10-08
Explain the evolutionary significance of a nearly universal genetic code.
10-09
Explain the process of transcription including the three major steps of initiation, elongation, and
termination.
10-10
Given a sequence of bases in DNA, predict the corresponding codons transcribed on mRNA and
the corresponding anticodons of tRNA.
10-11
Describe the structure of a ribosome, and explain how this structure relates to function.
10-12
Describe the process of translation including initiation, elongation, and termination and explain
what enzymes, protein factors, and energy sources are needed for each stage.
10-13
Describe the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic mRNA.
10-14
Explain how eukaryotic mRNA is processed before it leaves the nucleus.
10-15
Describe some biological functions of introns and gene splicing.
10-16
Describe how mutagenesis can occur.
11
CHAPTER 18: MICROBIAL MODELS: THE GENETICS OF VIRUSES AND BACTERIA
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
11-01
List and describe structural components of viruses.
11-02
Explain why viruses are obligate parasites.
11-03
Explain the role of reverse transcriptase in retroviruses.
11-04
Distinguish between lytic and lysogenic reproductive cycles using phage T4 and phage  as examples.
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
COMP
NUMBER
PERFORMANCE/TASK
11-05
Explain how viruses may cause disease symptoms, and describe some medical weapons used to fight
viral infections.
11-06
Describe how the lac operon functions and explain the role of the inducer allolactose.
12
CHAPTER 19: THE ORGANIZATION AND CONTROL OF EUKAROYTIC GENOMES
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
12-01
Compare the organization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes.
12-02
Explain how histones influence folding in eukaryotic DNA.
12-03
Distinguish between heterochromatin and euchromatin.
12-04
Describe where satellite DNA is found and what role it may play in the cell.
12-05
In general terms, explain how genome plasticity can influence gene expression.
12-06
Explain the genetic basis for antibody diversity.
12-07
Describe the normal control mechanisms that limit cell growth and division.
13
CHAPTER 20: DNA TECHNOLOGY
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
13-01
Explain how advances in recombinant DNA technology have helped scientists study the eukaryotic
genome.
13-02
Describe the natural function of restriction enzymes.
13-03
Describe how restriction enzymes and gel electrophoresis are used to isolate DNA fragments.
13-04
Explain how the creation of sticky ends by restriction enzymes is useful in producing a recombinant
DNA molecule.
13-05
Outline the procedures for producing plasmid and phage vectors.
13-06
Explain how vectors are used in recombinant DNA technology.
13-07
Describe how “genes of interest” can be identified with the use of a probe.
13-08
Describe how bacteria can be induced to produce eukaryotic gene products.
13-09
Describe how recombinant DNA technology can have medical applications such as diagnosis of
genetic disease, development of gene therapy, vaccine production, and development of
pharmaceutical products.
13-10
Describe how gene manipulation has practical applications for agriculture.
13-11
Explain how foreign DNA may be transferred into monocotyledonous plants.
COMP
NUMBER
13-12
14
PERFORMANCE/TASK
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
Describe how recombinant DNA studies and the biotechnology industry are regulated with
regards to safety and policy matters.
CHAPTER 21: THE GENETIC BASIS OF DEVELOPMENT
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
14-01
Distinguish between the patterns of morphogesis in plants and in animals.
14-02
Describe what kinds of changes occur to the genome during differentiation.
14-03
Describe the general processes by which “Dolly” was cloned.
14-04
Describe the molecular basis of determination.
14-05
Describe how homeotic genes serve to identify parts of the developing organism.
15
CHAPTER 12: THE CELL CYCLE
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
15-01
Describe the structural organization of the genome.
15-02
Overview the major events of cell division that enable the genome of one cell to be passed on to
two daughter cells.
15-03
Describe how chromosome number changes throughout the human life cycle.
15-04
List the phases of mitosis and describe the events characteristic of each phase.
15-05
Recognize the phases of mitosis from diagrams or micrographs.
15-07
Draw or describe the spindle apparatus including centrosomes, nonkinetochore microtubules,
kinetochore microtubules, asters, and centrioles (in animal cells).
15-08
Explain how abnormal cell division of cancerous cells differs from normal cell division.
16
CHAPTER 13: MEIOSIS AND SEXUAL LIFE CYCLES
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
16-01
Explain why organisms only reproduce their own kind, and why offspring more closely resemble
their parents than unrelated individuals of the same species.
16-02
Distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction.
16-03
Diagram the human life cycle and indicate where in the human body that mitosis and meiosis
occur; which cells are the result of meiosis and mitosis; and which cells are haploid.
16-04
List the phases of meiosis I and meiosis II.
COMP
NUMBER
PERFORMANCE/TASK
16-05
Describe key differences between mitosis and meiosis; explain how the end result of meiosis
differs from that of mitosis.
16-06
Explain why inheritable variation was crucial to Darwin’s theory of evolution.
17
CHAPTER 15: THE CHROMOSOMAL BASIS OF INHERITANCE
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
17-01
Explain why Drosophila melanogaster is a good experimental organism.
17-02
Distinguish between a heterogametic sex and a homogametic sex.
17-03
Describe sex determination in humans.
17-04
Explain why a recessive sex-linked gene is always expressed in human males.
17-05
Explain how an organism compensates for the fact that some individuals have a double dosage of
sex-linked genes while others have only one.
17-06
Describe the type of chromosomal alterations implicated in the following human disorders:
Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, extra Y, triple-X syndrome, Turnere syndrome, cri du
chat syndrome, and chronic myelogenous leukemia.
17-07
Give some exceptions to the chromosome theory of inheritance, and explain why cytoplasmic
genes are not inherited in a Mednelian fashion.
18
CHAPTER 14: MENDEL AND THE GENE IDEA
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
18-01
Describe the favored model of heredity in the 19th century prior to Mendel, and explain how this
model was inconsistent with observations.
18-02
Explain how Mendel’s hypothesis of inheritance differed from the blending theory of inheritance.
18-03
State, in their own words, Mendel’s law of segregation.
18-04
Use a Punnett square to predict the results of a monohybrid cross and state the phenotypic and
genotypic rations of the F2 generation.
18-05
Distinguish between genotype and phenotype; heterozygous and homozygous; dominant and
recessive.
18-06
State, in their own words, Mendel’s law of independent assortment.
18-07
Use a Punnett square to predict the results of a dihybrid cross and state the phenotypic and genotypic
ratios of the F2 generation.
COMP
NUMBER
18-08
18-09
PERFORMANCE/TASK
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
Using the laws of probability, predict from a trihybrid cross between two individuals that are
heterozygous for all three traits, what expected proportion of the offspring would be:
a. Homozygous for the three dominant traits
b. Heterozygous for all three traits
c. Homozygous recessive for two specific traits and heterozygous for the third
Explain how the phenotypic expression of the heterozygote is affected by complete dominance,
incomplete dominance and codominance.
18-10
Explain how a lethal recessive gene can be maintained in a population.
18-11
Explain why consanguinity increases the probability of homozygosity in offspring.
18-12
Explain why lethal dominant genes are much more rare than lethan recessive genes.
18-13
Give an example of a late-acting lethan dominant in humans, and explain how it can escape
elimination.
18-14
Explain how carrier recognition, fetal testing and newborn screening can be used in genetic screening
and counseling.
19
EVAL
METHOD
CHAPTER 23: THE EVOLUTION OF POPULATIONS
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
19-01
Explain what is meant by the “modern synthesis.”
19-02
Explain how microevolutionary change can affect a gene pool.
19-03
In their own words, state the Hardy-Weinberg theorem.
19-04
Write the general Hardy-Weinberg equation and use it to calculate allele and genotype frequencies
19-05
Explain the consequences of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
19-06
Demonstrate, with a simple example, that a disequilibrium population requires only one
generation of random mating to establish Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
19-07
Describe the usefulness of the Hardy-Weinberg model to population geneticists.
19-08
List the conditions a population must meet in order to maintain Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
19-09
Explain the role of population size in genetic drift.
19-10
Distinguish between the bottleneck effect and the founder effect.
19-11
Explain why mutation has little quantitative effect on a large population.
19-12
Give the cause of nearly all genetic variation in a population.
19-13
Explain how genetic variation may be preserved in a natural population.
19-14
In their own words, briefly describe the neutral theory of molecular evolution, and explain how
changes in gene frequency may be nonadaptive.
COMP
NUMBER
PERFORMANCE/TASK
19-15
Explain what is meant by “selfish” DNA.
19-16
Explain the concept of relative fitness and its role in adaptive evolution.
19-17
Explain why the rate of decline for a deleterious allele depends upon whether the allele is
dominant or recessive to the more successful allele.
19-18
Describe what selection acts on and what factors contribute to the overall fitness of a genotype.
19-19
Distinguish among stabilizing selection, directional selection and diversifying selection.
20
CHAPTER 10: PHOTOSYNTHESIS
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
1,3
75%
6
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
21-01
Distinguish between autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition.
20-02
Distinguish between photosynthetic autotrophs and chemosynthetic autotrophs.
20-03
Describe the location and structure of the chloroplast.
20-04
Explain how chloroplast structure relates to its function.
20-05
Write a summary equation for photosynthesis.
21
CHAPTER 9: CELLULAR RESPIRATION: HARVESTING CHEMICAL ENERGY
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
21-01
Describe the overall summary equation for cellular respiration.
21-02
Write a summary equation for glycolysis and describe where it occurs in the cell.
21-03
Explain at what point during cellular respiration glucose is completely oxidized.
21-04
Explain how membrane structure is related to membrane function in chemiosmosis.
21-05
Distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.
22
CHAPTER 22: DESCENT WITH MODIFICATION: A DARWINIAN VIEW OF LIFE
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
22-01
State the two major points Darwin made in The Origin of Species concerning the Earth’s biota.
22-02
Compare and contrast Plato’s philosophy of idealism and Aristotle’s scala natura.
22-03
Describe Carolus Linnaeus’ contribution to Darwin’s theory of evolution.
22-04
Describe Georges Cuvier’s contribution to paleontology.
22-05
Explain how Cuvier and his followers used the concept of catastrophism to oppose evolution.
22-06
Explain how the principle of gradualism and Charles Lyell’s theory of uniformitarianism
influenced Darwin’s ideas about evolution.
COMP
NUMBER
PERFORMANCE/TASK
22-07
Describe how Charles Darwin used his observations from the voyage of the HMS Beagle to
formulate and support his theory of evolution.
22-08
Describe how Alfred Russell Wallace influenced Charles Darwin.
22-09
Explain what Darwin meant by the principle of common descent and “descent with
modification.”
22-10
Explain what evidence convinced Darwin that species change over time.
22-11
Explain why variation was so important to Darwin’s theory.
21-12
Explain how Reverend Thomas Malthus’ essay influenced Charles Darwin.
22-13
Distinguish between artificial selection and natural selection.
22-14
Explain why the population is the smallest unit that can evolve.
22-15
Using some contemporary examples, explain how natural selection results in evolutionary
change.
22-16
Explain why the emergence of population genetics was an important turning point for
evolutionary theory.
22-17
Explain the problem with the statement that Darwinism is “just a theory.”
22-18
Distinguish between the scientific and colloquial use of the word “theory.”
23
CHAPTER 24: THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
23-01
Distinguish between anagenesis and cladogenesis.
23-02
Define morphospecies and explain how this concept can be useful to biologists.
23-03
Define biological species (E. Mayr).
23-04
Describe some limitations of the biological species concept.
23-05
Explain how gene flow between closely related species can be prevented.
23-06
Distinguish between prezygotic and postzygotic isolating mechanisms.
23-07
Distinguish between allopatric and sympatric speciation.
EVAL
METHOD
STANDARD
%
METHOD OF
DELIVERY
1,3
75%
6