Spring 2011
Biology 240W: Function and Development of Organisms
Lectures: MWF 10:10-11:00 a.m.
100 Thomas Building
Biology 240W is a four-credit course with lecture and laboratory/recitation components. The goal of this course is to provide
an understanding of the major unifying principles as they apply to the study of the function and development of organisms. In
laboratory/recitation, you will practice the scientific method through experimental laboratory exercises and become proficient
in the interpretation and presentation of your results through written and oral reports.
Instructors:
Dr. John Waters (10 Jan – 4 Mar)
413 Mueller Laboratory
johnwaters@psu.edu (put Bio240W in the subject line)
814-863-1154
Office Hours: M: 1:30-2:30, W&R: 4-5 p.m. /by appointment
Dr. Michael Axtell (14 Mar – 29 April)
260 N. Frear
mja18@psu.edu (put Bio 240W in the subject line)
814-867-0241
Office Hours: M,W,R 11:15-noon/by appointment
Course Coordinator: Dr. Kimberlyn Nelson, 111C Mueller Lab, 863-6360, Office Hours: MTW 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. For
course logistics questions, email Dr. Nelson, kxn4@psu.edu (Put “Bio240Wday” in the subject line). For questions about
course content, see an instructor during office hours, during an appointment, or during the weekly review session.
Laboratory Coordinator: Dianne Burpee, dmb11@psu.edu, Room 115 Mueller Lab, 865-1714. Office Hours: By
appointment.
Required Course Materials:
Textbook: Reece, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, Jackson. 2011. Campbell Biology, 9th edition, Pearson/Benjamin
Cummings. Readings should be completed before the relevant lectures. You may purchase either the printed textbook or
the etext. If you are going to use an older version of the textbook you will need to purchase an access code for Mastering
Biology (see below).
Mastering Biology access: If you purchased a new copy of the 9th edition of Campbell Biology, you will have received a
printed access code inside the MasteringBiology Student Access Kit. If you wish to use an older version of the textbook,
then you will need to purchase a separate code for access to Mastering Biology. To purchase a code on-line, go to
www.masteringbiology.com , click on the register “STUDENT” button and the next window will give you the option to
purchase a code. Click on the picture of the textbook, you do not need access to Virtual Labs, you can decide if you
would like to have the etext ($93.50) or not ($48.50). You will use your purchased access code to set up a student account
and join the class MBWATERS55653. You must use your PSU Access Account ID, i.e. kxn4 (NOT your student ID
number) as your student ID for Mastering Biology. Failure to properly format your Mastering Biology account will result
in the loss of any points associated with an incorrect ID. Only points earned under your access account ID will be
credited.
Digital Lab Access Coupon: Purchase this coupon at one of the cash registers at the Penn State Bookstore in the HUB-
Robeson Center. This coupon is non-refundable. During your first lab you need to submit this coupon to your TA with
your printed name, signed name and section number on it. The lab manual will be accessed through your lecture section in
ANGEL. Additional lab materials will be posted in your lab section of ANGEL. Note well: ANGEL is down for
maintenance between 4 -6 a.m. daily – during that time you cannot access any materials or submit assignments on
ANGEL.
Active PSU Access Account: To access both lab and lecture materials via ANGEL it is essential that you have an active
Penn State Access Account and access to a computer. If you do not have your own computer, you can use one of the
many computer labs located on campus. Your PSU Access Account ID is also necessary to receive credit for on-line
homework.
Course Format:
Lectures: Lectures will begin at 10:10 a.m. The instructor will assume that you have some working knowledge of the
material before coming to class (i.e., from textbook readings and on-line homework). In many cases the readings are more
comprehensive than the material covered in the lecture but the additional information will help you to more fully
understand the concepts that we cover in class. All topics discussed in class, on-line homework and/or posted on
ANGEL, will be considered testable material. Please do not ask the Instructors what material you “need to know”. Unless
told otherwise, you need to know it all. Regular class attendance is VERY IMPORTANT!
Weekly Review Sessions: Each week, the Instructor will hold a 45 minute review session on Tuesday from 8:45-9:30 a.m.
The location will be finalized during the second week of the semester and posted on ANGEL. These sessions will be a
question and answer format and will allow you to ask about any material in the lecture and from the on-line homework that
you want to review.
This course stresses concepts and it is critical that you understand and synthesize the material; memorization alone will not be
sufficient. Bring your questions to class, to your Instructor’s office hours (or make an appointment), or to the weekly review
sessions.
Laboratory Policies:
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This part of the course begins the week of January 10th in either the Life Sciences Building or N. Frear (see your class
schedule for room locaton) with a discussion session.
Section change requests if not available via eLion must be emailed to Dianne Burpee at dmb11@psu.edu, and they must
be completed before 14 January 2011. Please include your 9-digit student ID with your request.
Attendance in laboratories is mandatory; also, points will be deducted for tardiness (arriving after class has begun).
The only legitimate excuses that allow you to receive an official makeup, which must be completed within one week of an
absence, are described under “Exams” (below). You may miss one lab session without a legitimate excuse and not receive
negative attendance points (see complete details on attendance and makeup policies found in the lab syllabus posted on
ANGEL and provided by your TA on the first day of your own scheduled lab section). If you miss any lab session, you
still are responsible for the material covered and for any assignment(s) given during that missed class, and especially for
any assignments that may have been due at the time of your missed class even if you were not in attendance.
o You MUST email your TA within 24 hours of your missed section about an absence from lab.
o You should make every effort to attend another lab during the same week
 The schedule of lab times and rooms is posted on ANGEL in the lecture folder and it is
your responsibility to find a time or times that work for you. You must ask the TA of the
section if you can attend, and if the section is full you will need to try another section.
o If you cannot make up your lab during the same week, you must schedule an individual appointment
with your TA
o If you miss more than three lab meetings, for any reason, you must speak with the course coordinator, Dr. Nelson,
immediately after the 3rd missed session. You will NOT be permitted to continually reschedule your missed lab
meetings. You must attend the section that you have registered for on a regular basis or you will have points deducted
from your final lab score.
Most written assignments will be electronically submitted through a drop box in ANGEL and must be submitted before
the beginning of your scheduled lab session on the date that the assignment is due to be considered on time. Further
details about submitting assignments, grading policies and making up exercises for which you have a legitimate excuse will
be found in the lab syllabus, the lab manual introduction file and discussed by your TA during the first meeting of your
section the week of January 10th. Each student is responsible for reading and understanding all laboratory policies found
in the lab syllabus and in the introduction file of the lab manual posted in ANGEL.
Note Well: If you have an evening exam in another course, you must make arrangements to take the conflict exam at another
time because you will not be excused from a lab for the purposes of taking an evening exam in another course.
Teaching Assistants: The TAs are available to help you with laboratory material. Their office hours are held in the TA
Office(Office hours and location will be announced). TA office hours will be posted near the door and on the course web
page in ANGEL.
COURSE POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR BIOL 240W
Exams:
You will be responsible for understanding all material presented during lecture and/or posted on the course website. During
the time that classes are in session, you will have three lecture exams during the semester (140 pts. each). During the final
exam period you will be given one final exam that consists of two parts: one lecture exam on new material (since the third
exam) (140 pts.) and a comprehensive final exam (196 pts.). The comprehensive final will cover mainly the material on the
first three lecture exams and the two lectures prior to the start of Spring Break, but will have some questions covering material
on the fourth lecture exam. Your lowest lecture exam score from the exams worth 140 points will be dropped; the final exam
scored cannot be dropped. The first three lecture exams will be taken in the e-Testing center in Pollock Building
(http://www.testing.psu.edu/). Please watch the video on that web page to know what to expect when you take your exam.
You must have your student ID with you to enter the testing facility. You must schedule your exam in advance through the eTesting website – there is a link on the page titled information for students
(https://clc.its.psu.edu/Logon.aspx?Return=/eTesting/Students/). It is your responsibility to schedule your exam and to be
present at the testing facility well before your scheduled time (there may be a line). If you begin the exam late, you will only
have through the end of your scheduled time to complete it. If you forget to sign up for a time, you will receive a zero for that
exam. Attendance at exams is mandatory; if you miss your scheduled time you must contact the course coordinator within
24 hours of missing the exam and preferably before the exam starts. The following are the only legitimate excuses for missing
an exam:
 Illness
 A University sponsored event (with note from sponsor)
 Religious holiday recognized by PSU
 Death in the family (you must provide documentation with a date)
If you miss an exam for any reason, then that exam will be considered your dropped exam score. If you miss a
second exam and have verifiable excuse for both exams missed, you must schedule a make up for that exam with the course
coordinator. The make up exam will be short answer/essay and must be scheduled within one week of missing the lecture
exam. Social functions (family reunions, weddings) are not legitimate excuses for missing an exam. If you are unsure about
your excuse, ask the course coordinator before your absence. As adults, it is your responsibility to provide reasonable
verification; each situation is unique, and we can be flexible. If you have a family emergency, you may call the Assistance and
Information Center 24 hour Family Emergency line at 814-863-2020. They will take the information and notify your
instructors of your absence.
Exam scores and answer keys will be sent to your student access account by SI within a few days after the exam. If you
believe that a clear and unambiguous error was made in grading a question, submit a short explanation (limited to two
questions per exam) via email to Dr. Nelson within two weeks of receiving your SI output. Questions submitted after two
weeks will not be considered, nor will requests to check the accuracy of scantron grading.
Final Exam: The final exam will be given at the time and place set by the University in its final exam schedule which will be
posted on eLion after February 14th. You must memorize your lab section number and your PSU student ID number in order
to correctly complete the University Testing Services (UTS) scantron form. Any test materials submitted without the proper
ID number and section number will have points deducted. Do not make plans to leave the University before you know the
final exam date– travel is not a legitimate reason for scheduling a conflict for the final exam (final exams run from 8 a.m.
Monday, May 2nd through 8:50 p.m. Friday, May 6th). Locations for the exam will be announced in class and posted on the
web (please do not phone or email for exam locations!).
Conflict Final Exam: The fourth lecture exam and comprehensive final exam in the course are given during the official
final exam period during the week of May 2nd. If you have three or more finals within consecutive exam periods, or on the
same day, or a direct conflict, you must file for a conflict exam. Students may file for conflict examinations through eLion
between Monday, February 14th and Sunday, March 6th. No conflict exam requests will be accepted after March 6th.
Individual conflict final exams will not be arranged. Please do not make any travel plans until the final exam schedule is
published on eLion.
On-line Homework via Mastering Biology: There will be assigned tutorials, activities and reading questions within the on-
line Mastering Biology course. These assignments are selected to help you with difficult concepts but are in no way
comprehensive of all the material presented within the chapter. Each chapter will have an assignment due date and you must
complete the assignment by the due date to receive full credit. For the first half of the course, at any time before spring break
you can complete a past animal physiology assignment from Dr. Waters and receive up to 50% of those points even though
the due date has passed. For the second half of the course, at any time before finals week you can complete a past plant
physiology assignment from Dr. Axtell and receive up to 50% of those points even though the due date has passed. You can
earn a maximum of 84 points for all on-line homework.
Use of e-mail:
E-mail is an effective way to handle brief communications, but it is not an effective means to communicate concepts, major
ideas, or to discuss a student's performance in the course. Thus:
E-mail should be used by students to:
 Point out any errors or oversights made by the Instructor during lectures.
 Set up an appointment to talk with your Instructor if you cannot meet during regularly scheduled office hours.
 Ask questions about lecture material that can be answered in one to two brief sentences.
E-mail should NOT be used by students to:
 Ask for explanations about concepts, ideas, theories, laws, processes, or any other information that requires more
than a short explanation. Your Instructor can explain such things and answer major questions much better by
talking with you in person or over the phone than via e-mail.
Please Note: You MUST use your PSU account and an appropriate subject line to communicate with any course personnel.
You must include BIO240W in your subject line. Failure to do so may result in your email being missed or filtered to the
Junk email mailbox.
Academic Integrity/Academic Dishonesty:
Professional behavior includes academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is not limited to simply cheating on an exam or
assignment. The following is quoted directly from the "PSU Faculty Senate Policies for Students" regarding academic integrity
and academic dishonesty: “Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner.
Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members
of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the
University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights
and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.
Academic integrity includes a commitment by all members of the University community not to engage in or tolerate acts of
falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the
University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.” Lying to gain an advantage over other
students is also an academic integrity violation.
All University and Departmental policies regarding academic integrity/academic dishonesty apply to this course and the
students enrolled in this course. Refer to the following URL for further details on the academic integrity policies of the Eberly
College of Science: http://www.science.psu.edu/academic/Integrity/Policy.htm. Each student in this course is expected to
work entirely on her/his own while taking any exam, to complete assignments on her/his own effort without the assistance of
others unless directed otherwise by the instructor or teaching assistant, and to abide by University and College policies on
academic integrity and academic dishonesty. If you have any questions about an assignment, please ask. Academic dishonesty
either in lab or lecture will be sanctioned and can result in assignment of “F” by the course instructors or "XF" by Judicial
Affairs as the final grade for the student. Students are responsible for ensuring that their work is consistent with Penn State's
expectations about academic integrity.
You will be turning in most of your written assignments electronically, through ANGEL, to give us a date and time stamp; this
helps to ensure that we treat all students equally in meeting the deadlines for their assignments. Further details will be given in
class and are found in the lab manual introduction file posted on ANGEL, along with the lab syllabus.
Assignment of Final Grades:
It is your responsibility to keep track of your grades on lab assignments. Exam grades will be sent to you by SI. Clicker
question points will be posted periodically in ANGEL. Exams and on-line homework (700 pts) count for 70% of your grade;
the remaining 30% will come from laboratories (300 pts). Earning less than 60% of the lab points (179 points or lower) will
result in a final grade of an F in the course, regardless of your lecture score. Final course grades will be assigned as follows
(out of 1000 possible points* -- there are NO extra credit points available):
A
AB+
93-100%
90-92%
87-89%
B
BC+
83-86%
80-82%
77-79%
C
D
F
70-76%
60-69%
less than 60%
Grade cutoffs may be adjusted to reflect the score distribution of the class. Individual exams are NOT curved. If the
class mean is below 75% at the end of the semester, then grades will be assigned with the mean being a “C”. A final
grade will only be changed if a calculation or entry error has been made. *In extraordinary circumstances, a final grade
may be based upon fewer than the total number of points available.
Disability: Qualified students with disabilities are encouraged by Penn State to participate in the University's programs
and activities. Should you need any type of accommodation in any course because of a disability or have questions or
concerns about the physical access, please contact the Office for Disability Services in 116 Boucke Building (863-1807).
Please contact the course coordinator, Dr. Nelson, if you need accommodations for a disability.
The Eberly College of Science Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation" www.science.psu.edu/climate/Code-ofMutual-Respect final.pdf embodies the values that we hope our faculty, staff, and students possess and will endorse to
make The Eberly College of Science a place where every individual feels respected and valued, as well as challenged and
rewarded.
Copyright Issues and Classroom Note-Taking Services: Students who are enrolled in the course and who sell
notes to either commercial note-taking services or to other students are advised to consult official University policies
(for example, see Administrative Policy AD40 at: http://guru.psu.edu/policies/AD40.html) to learn about classroom
notes, handouts, and other materials that are protected under the federal Copyright Act and under University policy.
Students should consult such University policies in order to avoid violating copyright laws and University policy.
The syllabus is subject to change. The Instructors reserve the right to make changes to items on this syllabus,
including changes to the lecture and lab schedules, and lecture and lab topics and assignments.
Biology 240W Spring 2010 –Lecture Schedule
Date
Chapter
Readings
Lecture Title
10 Jan
Overview of Syllabus and Course Policies; Reproduction I
46
12 Jan
Reproduction II
46
14 Jan
Animal Development I
47
17 Jan
No Class—Martin Luther King Day
19 Jan
Animal Development II
47
21 Jan
Animal Development III
47
24 Jan
Circulation and Gas Exchange I
42
26 Jan
Circulation and Gas Exchange II
42
28 Jan
Circulation and Gas Exchange III
42
31 Jan
Nutrition I
41
2 Feb
Review
Wed and
Thurs.
2/2 and 2/3
EXAM 1 (Jan 10-Jan 31) – e-Testing center. The exam will be offered from
8 a.m – 11 p.m. on both days (except during scheduled class time on
Wednesday) – you will receive an email from the testing center and you must
sign up in advance for a specific exam time
4 Feb
Osmoregulation I
44
7 Feb
Osmoregulation II
44
9 Feb
Osmoregulation III
44
11 Feb
Endocrine I
45
14 Feb
Endocrine II
45
16 Feb
Nervous System I
48,49
18 Feb
Nervous System II
48,49
21 Feb
Nervous System III
48,49
23 Feb
Motor System I
50
25 Feb
Motor Systems II
50
28 Feb
Motor Systems III and Review
50
Tues and
Wed.
3/1 and 3/2
EXAM 2 (Feb 2 or 4 - Feb 28) – e-Testing center. The exam will be offered
from 8 a.m – 11 p.m. on both days (except during scheduled class time on
Wednesday) – you will receive an email from the testing center and you must
sign up in advance for a specific exam time
2 Mar
4 Mar
Immune Systems I (Questions on the immune system material
will
Immune System II be included on the comprehensive final
exam)
**Spring Break (March 7-11)**
43
43
Lecture Title
14 Mar
Plant diversity I: The conquest of land
29
16 Mar
Plant diversity II: Seed Plants
30
18 Mar
Plant breeding and biotechnology
21 Mar
35
28 Mar
Plant structure and growth I: plant cells, tissues, and primary
growth
Plant structure and growth II: secondary growth, morphogenesis,
and differentiation
Plant organ structure : roots, shoots, leaves, and their
modifications
Plant reproduction I: overview, flowers, pollination
30 Mar
Plant reproduction II: seeds and seed dispersal
38
1 Apr
Plant reproduction III: asexual and vegetative propagation
38
4 Apr
Review
Tues and
Wed.
4/5 and 4/6
EXAM 3 (Mar 15 - Apr 4) – e-Testing center. The exam will be offered from
8 a.m – 11 p.m. on both days (except during scheduled class time on
Wednesday) – you will receive an email from the testing center and you must
sign up in advance for a specific exam time
6 Apr
Plant hormones
39
8 Apr
Plant responses: Light and pathogens
39
11 Apr
36
13 Apr
Transport in plants I: overview, absorption of water and nutrient
acquisition by roots
Transport in plants II: transpiration, phloem transport
15 Apr
Photosynthesis I: overview; chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis
10
18 Apr
Photosynthesis II: carbon fixation
10
20 Apr
Photorespiration: C4, CAM
10
22 Apr
Plant nutrition I: nutrients and soil
37
25 Apr
Plant nutrition II: nitrogen
37
27 Apr
Plant nutrition III: Symbionts, parasites, and the colonization of
land
Wrap up and Review
37
23 Mar
25 Mar
29 Apr
Week of
2 May
38, 20
35
35
38
36
Exam 4: covers 6 April through 29 April lectures and
Comprehensive Final (including questions on the immune
system lectures)– Time and Location will be posted on eLion after
14 Feb – do not make any travel plans before that date
The instructors reserve the right to make changes. Please refer to the ANGEL webpage for updated information.