PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: BIOL 1020
Fall 2007
INSTRUCTOR:
OFFICE:
Dr. Narendra K. Singh, Professor, Biological Sciences
326 Rouse Life Science Building. Office hours: by appointments only
(844-1667 or singhna@auburn.edu)
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objective of this course is to provide you with a fundamental
understanding of modern biological principles that will be the basis for subsequent courses in the
biological sciences. More specific objectives will be discussed in class, and topics important for you
to learn are listed at the beginning of each unit.
Required material:
Principles of Biology 1020 Laboratory Manual (Sunderman, Lishak
and Bowling , 3rd Edition
Biology 1021 Lab CD (will be given out in lab)
Biology (Campbell & Reece 7th Edition)
Course Compass Website access
InterWrite PRS RF remote (“clicker”)
LECTURES: Lectures are from 2.00 to 2.50 PM on Mon, Wed and Fri in Room 101 Science
Center Auditorium. Lecture part of this course is worth 750 points (75% of total points for this
course). Class attendance is necessary to keep up with fast moving course materials. Unannounced
bonus quizzes using clickers may be administered from time to time. Points earned on these quizzes
will be bonus points for your total. Do not expect to use office visits to cover for missed classes.
Lecture notes and sample questions will be available on my BIOL 1020 web page. The web address
is as follows: www.auburn.edu/~singhna/. Keep in mind that the lecture notes are not a substitute
for your book and lectures in the class. Please understand that the sample questions are only to
give you an idea of question types that you can use to practice for your exams. For questions
about changing your lecture / lab sections, contact Dr. Scott Bowling at 844-3932 or by Email.
bowlisa@auburn.edu.
LABORATORY: Labs (BIOL1021) meet in SCL 205 or 223. Check your schedule for your time
and day of lab section. Lab attendance is MANDATORY! Labs are scheduled for 2 hours - plan to
stay that long. Your lab instructors will give you specific details during the first lab session. It is
advisable to come prepared for entrance and exit quizzes for each of your laboratory sessions. Your
laboratory experience for this course is worth 250 points (25% of total points for the course). You
will be evaluated for laboratory performance for each week lab quizzes/ attendance/ performance,
and lab practical exams including a laboratory final. Laboratory schedule is appended at the end.
Teaching assistants responsible for your laboratory sections will explain additional requirements in
detail during the first class. Make sure to take your lab manual to each laboratory session. For further
details contact Dr. Scott Bowling in 210 SCL near labs and see instructions on WEB PAGE:
http://www.auburn.edu/biol1021.
DISTRIBUTION OF POINTS:
Point distribution in lecture exams:
Exam I
120 points
Exam II
130 points
Exam III
130 points
Exam IV
120 points
Final Exam
Lecture subtotal
Laboratory subtotal
250 points (Comprehensive)
____________
750 points (75%)
250 points (25%)
ATTENDANCE: Lecture attendance is highly recommended but not checked. Although lecture
attendance is not required, it is impossible to obtain a decent grade if you miss lectures. Missed
lectures will likely cost you at least a letter grade. Bear in mind that students with even a few classcuts rarely achieve well in this course because the subject materials covered are related and move
very quickly.
I expect that you will observe the following rules to maintain academic sanctity in classroom:
 Turn off your cell phone once in class
 Plan to stay in class for entire duration. It is rude and distracting to leave the class
earlier and / or show up late for the class.
 Refrain from any kind of discussion or talk in class.
 No cell phone should be outside your pocket or back pack during exams.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: Students who need special accommodations are encouraged to
see me after class or in my office so we can discuss your situation, confidentially. You can contact
me, if these times conflict with your schedule. Please bring your memo from The Program for
Students with Disabilities (PSD) to me as soon as possible; we can discuss it during your
appointment. Exam accommodations should be arranged at least one week in advance. If at any
time during the semester you feel that the accommodations we have put in place are not working,
please consult with me and /or the professional staff in the PSD office. If you do not have a memo
from the PSD office that tells me about your accommodations, it is recommended that you make an
appointment to see them in 1232 Haley Center (844-2096).
EXAMINATIONS: All examinations will be multiple-choice questions using scantron on dates
indicated in this handout. Scantrons will be provided. Final lecture exams will be on Tuesday,
December 11, 2006 from 11.00 to 1.30 PM in Science Center Auditorium You will need to bring
at least 1, and preferably 2, sharpened number 2 pencils with you to all exams. NOTHING else
brought into the room will be permitted on your desk during the exam.
MAKE SURE TO BRING YOUR VALID IDENTIFICATION AT EACH EXAM. Random
identification checks are administered by proctors and teaching assistants.
STUDYING FOR THIS COURSE: Each of you may have preferred way of studying/ preparing for
the course. However, some general guidelines may be helpful. Use lecture notes as starting point and
supplement your study with textbook and accompanying CD. You will find useful information and
study aids in your textbook and CD. Studying in groups or with one or more study partners helps
some students.
DIFFICULTY OF THE COURSE: This course is for biology related majors. For liberal arts and
business school students, BIOL 1000 is suitable. Check with your advisors about the course
requirements for your major. Some of you may feel that this course will be easy, because the topics
sound familiar to your high school biology course. But the fact is otherwise. The materials are
covered in greater details with newer concepts. Many students fail this course. A general advice is to
take this course seriously from the beginning.
CHEATING: All forms of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Honesty
Committee. This may result in failing grade, suspension or expulsion from university.
MAKE-UP POLICY: Missing exams should be avoided at all cost. Make-ups may only be allowed
for excuses outlined in the TIGER CUB. All excuses will be verified. Make sure to bring suitable
evidence for your excuse that can be officially verified. Medical certificates without proper and
original signature will not be acceptable. There will be no make up for the laboratory sessions
during the following week. There will be no make up for any of the bonus quizzes. Keep in mind
the exam dates before planning any trip home, particularly for your Exam IV and Final
exams.
GRADING: Grades are assigned according to the points-earned system shown below. NO
subjective grade adjustments or curving of the class grades will be made. If all students earn A's
all students will receive A's. You should keep track of your grades in each exam. Raw scores for
each of your exams will be posted electronically.
Grading Scale:
Classes begin
Examination I
Mid-semester
Exam IV
Class ends
A = 90 -100 % (900 + points)
B = 80 – 89.9 % (800-899 pts)
C = 70 –79.9 % (700-799 pts)
D = 60–69.9 % (600-699 pts)
F = below 60 % (below 600 pts)
Important dates for Fall 2006
Aug 16
Labor Day: no class
Sep 12
Examination II
Oct 8
Examination III
Nov 16
Thanksgiving:
Dec 6
Lecture final
Sep 3
Oct 8
Oct 26
Nov 19-24
Dec 11
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE
Fall semester 2007
August
17
20
22
24
27
29
31
September
3
5
7
10
12
14
17
19
21
24
26
28
October
1
3
5
8
10
12
15
17
19
22
24
26
29
31
November
2
5
7
9
12
14
16
19-24
26
Chapter 1: Introduction / Exploring life
Chapter 1: Exploring life
Chapter 2: The chemical context of life
Chapter 3: Water and the fitness of environment
Chapter 4: Carbon and the molecular diversity of life
Chapter 5: The structure and function of macromolecules
Chapter 5: The structure and function of macromolecules
NO CLASS (Labor day)
Chapter 8: An introduction to metabolism
Chapter 8:
Chapter 8
Exam I (Wednesday in class)
Chapter 16: The molecular basis of inheritance
Chapter 16
Chapter 17: From gene to protein
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Chapter 6: A tour of the cell
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7: Membrane structure and function
Chapter 7
Exam II (Monday, in class)
Chapter 9: Cellular respiration
Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Photosynthesis
Chapter 10
Chapter 12: The cell cycle
Chapter 13: Meiosis and sexual life cycles
Chapter 13
Exam III (Friday, in class)
Chapter 14: Mendel and gene idea
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Chapter 15: The chromosomal basis of inheritance
Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Chapter 20: DNA technology and genomics
Chapter 20
Exam IV (Friday, in class)
THANKSGIVING Holidays
Chapter 23: The evolution of population
28
30
Deecember
3
5
11
Chapter 22: Descent with modification
Chapter 22
Chapter 24: The origin of species
Chapter 24
Comprehensive FINAL Exam (Tuesday, 11.00 AM – 1.30 PM)
BIOL 1021 – Principles of Biology Laboratory – Schedule
Fall Semester 2007
Rooms: SCL 205, 223
Labs begin – week of August 20
Lab Final – week of November 26 (in lab)
Dates
LAB
8/21 - 8/24
Lab 1
Collection of Scientific Data
8/28 – 8/31
Lab 2
Biological Molecules
9/4- 9/7
Lab 3
Metric System and the Compound Light Microscope
9/11 -9/14
Lab 4
Enzymes
9/18 – 9/21
Recitation
DNA replication, transcription, translation
9/25 – 9/28
Lab 5
Cells – Types and Diversity of Cells
10/2- 10/5
Lab 6
Diffusion – Movement of Molecules
10/9 - 10/12
Lab 7
Cell Respiration
10/16 - 10/19 Lab 8
Lab 9 &
10/23 - 10/26 Lab 10
Photosynthesis
Mitosis (Lab 9);
Meiosis and Fertilization (Lab 10)
10/30 - 11/2
Lab 11
Genetic Crosses
11/6 - 11/9
Lab 12
Techniques Used in Cell Biology
11/13 - 11/16 Lab 13
Evolution – Use of the Hardy-Weinberg Equation
11/20 - 11/23 NO LAB
- THANKSGIVING BREAK -
11/27 – 11/30 LAB FINAL
FINAL in lab room – see lab syllabus for details