BIOLOGY 111 (D1, D2, D3) -- Fall, 2015
Instructor: Dr. Bruce Gillingham
Phone: 362-7241
Office: N203E
E-mail: bgillingham@cfcc.edu
Office Hours: MWF: noon – 1 pm
TTh: 1 pm – 2 pm
E-mail is the best way to reach me. I will respond to emails within one business day.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
BIO 111 – General Biology I – 4 credits (6 contact hours per week)
This course introduces the principles and concepts of biology. Emphasis is placed on basic biological
chemistry, cell structure and function, metabolism and energy transformation, genetics, evolution,
classification, and other related topics. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate
understanding of life at the molecular and cellular levels. This is a Universal General Education Transfer
Component (UGETC) course.
COURSE WEB PAGE: http://cfcc.edu/bgillingham
TEXT: Audesirk, T and G. Audesirk (2013). Biology: Life on Earth (10th edition).
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. It is available in several formats:
--Hardbound textbook with Mastering Biology and full e-text ISBN: 0321794036
--Loose-leaf text with Mastering Biology and full e-text ISBN: 0321844823
--Purchase access code for full e-book with Mastering Biology ISBN: 032183478X
LAB MANUAL: There is no lab manual. Descriptions of laboratory exercises will be posted on
Blackoard and/or handed out in class.
PREREQUISITES: Completion of one of the following:
a. Grade of “C” or better in RED-090
b. Grade of “C” or better in ENG-095
c. Grade of “C” or better in DRE-098
d. Required Placement Test Score(s)
GRADING POLICY:
Students will earn grades by their performance on lecture tests, laboratory exercises and a final exam. The
four lecture tests given during the semester will count 75% of your final grade. These primarily will consist
of "short answer" questions. Questions will focus on lecture material, but also may include material in the
text not covered in class. The laboratory portion of the course (including quizzes, lab reports, and lab
practicals) will be worth 25% of your final grade. Students also will have the option of taking a
comprehensive final exam at the end of the semester. The grade earned on this multiple-choice exam will
be substituted for a lower grade earned on a lecture test during the semester. Your performance on the
final exam cannot harm your grade. If you do not improve on your lowest test score, your final grade will be
based on the four tests taken during the semester. CFCC has a standardized grading scale that must be
used by all instructors:
GRADING SCALE: A= 92-100, B= 84-91, C= 76-83, D= 68-75, F=0-67
W = withdraw: not computed in to the grade point average, requires instructor's signature, last date
on which you can receive this grade is 11/02/15
I = incomplete: agreement with instructor must be completed within six weeks following the end of
the semester
GENERAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
We will cover material during each lecture and lab session. Class lectures will follow the lecture schedule
attached, with lab work designed to reinforce lecture topics. Videos, slides, readings, and living material will
be used throughout the course to help you to understand the material. You are expected to have read any
appropriate material before coming to class. If you are going to miss a class, you should get a classmate to
pick up any handouts that I may give out during that class meeting. I do not keep extra copies.
ATTENDANCE:
Students are expected to attend all class meetings as scheduled. Students who miss more than 20% of the
scheduled class time automatically receive a failing grade (F) for the course. Attendance is mandatory prior
to the course Census Date (10%) for a student to remain in any class. Also, expect that attendance will be
taken for all class periods. Class will start and end on time. It is your responsibility to sign the role sheet at
the beginning of each class and you may not sign in another student. Showing up late and/or leaving early
may count against you. An absence from class is calculated as an absence, regardless of the reason.
Religious Observances: Students will be allowed two days of excused absence each academic
year for religious observances required by the faith of the student. These excused absences will be
included in the twenty (20%) percent of allowable clock hour absences. Students are required to provide
written notice of the request for an excused absence by completing the Religious Observance Absence
form available in Student Development. The completed form must be submitted to the Vice President of
Student Development or his/her designee a minimum of ten (10) school days prior to the religious
observance. The Vice President of Student Development or his/her designee will notify the instructor within
three (3) school days of receiving the request. Students will be given the opportunity to make up any tests
or other work missed due to the excused absence and should work with their instructors in advance of the
excused absence to delineate how to make up the missed coursework.
Contingency Plan: If there is an emergency and the instructor or an appropriate substitute does
not meet with the class, wait fifteen minutes. Then, everyone in the class should sign a roll sheet and
designate someone to take it to the Department Chair or Secretary in U436.
MAKE-UP POLICY:
There are no make-ups. No test, for whatever reason, may be "made-up". However, a comprehensive
exam on lecture material will be given on the last day of class to replace one test. Any additional missed
exams will be treated as a grade of 0%.
There are also no make-ups for labs or lab practicals. You must rely on your lab group for missed
information. Missing a lab practical will be treated as a grade of 0%.
ACCOMODATION OF SPECIAL NEEDS BASED ON DISABILITY:
Any student who requests classroom accommodations because of a disability must present
documentation to verify his/her disability. This documentation must be furnished to · the Disabilities
Service Coordinator, and this should be provided prior to requesting accommodation by the instructor.
On a confidential basis, the student, disabilities services and the instructor will determine the
appropriate accommodations following documentation. Accommodations will be provided in a manner
that is consistent with the objectives, outcomes, and academic standards of the course. Absences
must not exceed class attendance policy.
Academic Honesty/Plagiarism
Reminder, plagiarism is using as your own the words or ideas of another, whether written or oral. When
you use material from a source, you must quote or paraphrase accurately and properly cite the information.
Failure to do so is considered plagiarism. Examples of plagiarism include word-for-word copying without
correctly indicating that you are quoting, inaccurate quoting and paraphrasing, and incomplete or missing
documentation. Purchasing a paper or copying someone else’s work and submitting it as your own are also
plagiarism. Any misrepresentation of the source in your writing or speaking would constitute a form of
plagiarism. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is not acceptable. Any student found cheating
will receive a grade of 0% on that assignment. A second occurrence of cheating will result in an “F” for the
course.
Expectations for Interaction
Students will be held to the highest standards of language and content in all interaction,
whether online or in person. Abusive and derogatory language, actions, or content will not be
tolerated. This non-discrimination policy includes face-to-face interactions, email, online
discussions and all course related content and materials. To learn more about online
interaction, please see “The Core Rules of Netiquette”, from the book Netiquette by Virginia
Shea at: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
myCFCC is your student web portal - there you can access your class websites, email, and WebAdvisor
(official academic info such as grades, transcripts, schedules, etc). Your official CFCC-provided email
account is to be used for all e-mail correspondence with your instructors and CFCC staff. Some
information from CFCC will ONLY be emailed to this address, and not sent through postal mail, so it is very
important that you check this account. To access this account, visit the myCFCC portal - there is a link to
the portal near the top of the CFCC.edu website. Login and click the Email link. Your username is part of
your email address: user@mail.cfcc.edu. (Note if you've had a CFCC email address in the past, this one
may differ because we've changed 'email' to 'mail' in the address.) This email account is provided to you as
long as you are enrolled in classes (you can take the summer off), and may be used for personal email as
well as academic email. The class websites linked from the portal are automatically created for every class
- it is up to the instructors to decide whether and how to use them. Even if they are not used, you can send
an email to your instructor by clicking the Send Email link on your class homepage.
IT Student HelpDesk
The IT Services Student Helpdesk provides first-level technical support to all students of
Cape Fear Community College. They are available to assist students with basic computer and technical
needs, including logging into Blackboard, myCFCC and WebAdvisor.
More information, including Hours, Location, and Contact Information is available at:
http://www2.cfcc.edu/studenthelpdesk/
Blackboard Help
Answers to common Blackboard questions can be found at http://www2.cfcc.edu/online/bb-faq or Ask
Ray.
Science Learning Lab N-407
The Science Learning Lab is located in N-407. Tutors are available for all Biology, Chemistry, Geology and
Physic courses. You must have your instructor sign a form to verify that you are enrolled in a Science
course. The form is available in N-407.
Learning Resource Center (LRC)
The LRC is located in the CFCC library and can be found online at http://cfcc.edu/learninglab.
The LRC provides writing assistance, computer competency skills and tutoring.
Learning Resource Center (Library)
The CFCC Learning Resource Center (Library) provides students with the following resources:
Books/Materials, Course Reserves, Computer/Internet Access, Online Databases/Journals, Group Study
Space, and a Quiet Study Space.
The Learning Resource Center (Library) is located on the 2nd Floor of the L-Building (Downtown
Campus) or on the 1st Floor of the McKeithan Center (North Campus) and can be found online at
http://cfcc.edu/lrc.
Additional Student Support and Academic Services
For a list of CFCC Student Support and Academic Services, please visit http://www2.cfcc.edu/
online/student-support/.
Tobacco use is prohibited on all CFCC property.
***The instructor reserves the right, acting within the policies and procedures of Cape Fear
Community College, to make changes, adjustments, additions, and deletions in course content,
syllabus, or instructional technique, without notice or obligations.
COURSE OUTLINE -- BIO 111
TOPIC
CHAPTER IN TEXT
Science as a Process
Chemistry
1
2, 3, 6
--Test 1--
Cell Structure
Photosynthesis
Harvesting Chemical Energy
Mitosis; Meiosis
4-5
7
8
9
--Test 2--
Genetics
DNA; Protein Synthesis
Molecular Biology
10
11 - 12
13
--Test 3-14 – 16, 17 (pp. 326 – 334)
Evolution
--Test 4--
BIO 111-- Sequence of Lectures*
Lecture #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
Topic
Introduction
Science as a Process
Doing Science
Hypothesis Testing
Introduction to Statistics
Atoms and Molecules
Chemical Processes
The Chemistry of Water
Organic Molecules
Metabolism
Enzymes
TEST 1 Thursday, September 24
Cell Structure
Cell Structure (cont.)
Cell Membrane/Diffusion
Osmosis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis; Carbohydrate Metabolism
Carbohydrate Metabolism (cont.)
Cell Cycle; Mitosis
Meiosis
TEST 2 Tuesday, October 27
Intro to Genetics: Historical Perspective
Mendel
Mendel (cont.)
Genetics Beyond Mendel
Genes and Chromosomes
Human Genetics
DNA Structure
Protein Synthesis
Regulation of Protein Synthesis
Mutations and the Structure of DNA
DNA Technology
TEST 3 Thursday, November 19
Intro to Evolution: Historical Perspective
Darwin
Darwin (cont.)
The Strength of Darwin's Theory
Population Genetics
Natural Selection and Population Genetics
Speciation
Human Evolution
Human Evolution (cont.)
TEST 4 Tuesday, December 15
FINAL EXAM Thursday, December 17
* This schedule is based on a class meeting three times per week
GENERAL BIOLOGY 111 LAB OUTLINE -- FALL, 2015
LAB MANUAL: There is no lab manual. Descriptions of laboratory exercises will be posted on Campus
Cruiser and/or handed out in class
A calculator is also a handy thing to bring to class, as we often will be working with numbers. Any calculator
that adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides, and calculates square roots will be adequate.
GRADING:
Students can earn a maximum of 20 points from each lab. This will usually come in the form of a quiz given
at the beginning of the next lab period, although quizzes may be given as a pre-test (before doing the lab to
test your preparedness) or at the end of the lab period. Grading sometimes will be based on participation in
discussions, laboratory reports, or competitions among students.
There will be a comprehensive lab practical at the end of the semester.
Students should keep track of their quiz grades in order to monitor their progress during the semester. Your
final lab average (= total number of points earned divided by the total number of possible points) will count
25% toward the final grade for the course.
SURVIVAL TIPS:
SHOW UP ON TIME and STAY FOR THE WHOLE LAB.
Read over the lab BEFORE you come to class.
Ask questions if you do not understand something.
Take notes -- the material covered at the beginning of the lab may not be covered in the lab manual or
handout.
Bio 111 Lab Schedule – Fall, 2015
WEEK
DATES
TOPIC
1
8/21, 8/24, 8/26
Introduction; metric system
2
8/28, 8/31, 9/2
hypothesis testing
3
9/4, 9/9, 9/14
orientation behavior in arthropods
4
9/11, 9/16, 9/21
orientation behavior in arthropods II
5
9/18, 9/23, 9/28
microscopy
6
9/25, 9/30, 10/5
mitosis
7
10/7, 10/9, 10/12
meiosis
8
10/14, 10/16, 10/19
"Osmosis"
9
10/23, 10/26, 10/28
genetics--corn
10
10/30, 11/2, 11/4
karyotypes and sex-linked inheritance
11
11/6, 11/9, 11/11
genetics game show
12
11/13, 11/16, 11/18
natural selection
13
11/20, 11/23, 11/25
"Sickle-Cell Alleles"
14
11/30, 12/2, 12/4
evolution vs. creation science
15
12/7; 12/9, 12/11
LAB PRACTICAL
Lab time on Monday, Dec 14 and Wednesday, Dec 16 will be used to review lecture material