BIO 101
Spring 2014
Instructor Information
Instructor: Dr. Christina Ylitalo
Email: ylitaloc@gogebic.edu, preferred contact
Phone: 906-369-4294
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 12-1pm and by appointment
Course Description
Course Number: BIO 101
Course Name: Principles of Biology
Credits: 4 credit hours
Location: Gogebic Copper Country Center – Room103
Class times: Lecture: Mon 9-11:53am
Lab: Wed 9-11:53am
Description: This course focuses on the fundamentals of biological systems, including the chemistry of
life, the cell, genetics, mechanisms of evolution, evolutionary history of biological diversity,
plant form and function, animal form and function, and ecology.
Course Resources
Required [Lecture]: Campbell, Reece, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, & Jackson. Biology. Ninth
Edition. Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco, CA 2011.
Required [Lab]:
Goggles or safety glasses
Grading Scheme
Grading System:
A 93-100%
A- 90-92%
Possible Points:
B+ 87-89%
B 83-86%
B- 80-82%
C+ 77-79%
C 73-76%
C- 70-72%
Weekly Quizzes x 15 [10 pts ea.]
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Group assignment
Lab Assignments x 10 [20 pts ea.]
Lab Report x 2 [50 pts ea.]
Total Points
[lecture = 700 pts]
[lab = 300 pts]
D+ 67-69%
D 63-66%
D- 60-62%
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=
=
=
=
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F 0-59.9%
150 pts
150 pts
200 pts
200 pts
200 pts
100 pts
1000 pts [lec & lab]
Exams: There will be two exams during the semester. A midterm exam on Wednesday, March 19 that is
worth 150 points and a final exam on Monday, May 5 that is worth 200 points.
Weekly Quizzes: Each week there will be a 10 point quiz. The purpose of these quizzes is to reinforce
important concepts learned prior and ensure that you are keeping up with the material.
Any information taught prior to the quiz will be valid, focused on the previous week.
Group ‘Project’: There will be one group assignment during the semester, worth 200 points. It includes a
three-page paper (150pts) and a presentation (50pts) to be turned in as a group.
Extra credit opportunities: There may be opportunities to earn extra credit during the semester.
Unexcused absences will result in a loss of opportunity.
Lab Reports: Two lab reports (on two labs of your choice) are required for submission during the semester.
First submission by March 5. Second submission by April 30. They should include the
following sections:
Abstract – an overview of the experiment including brief intro, methods, results.
Introduction – background on why there is a need for the study
Materials & Methods
Results – include graphs, figures, and tables (no raw data)
Discussion – discuss the observable trends and likely causes supported by references
Conclusion – make a final conclusion of results and discussion
References – MLA format is fine
Course Policies
Students are expected to come to class and lab prepared, contribute to discussions and respect your classmates
and instructor.
Attendance: Students must attend both lecture and lab during the course of the semester. If an absence is
anticipated with justification, an excused absence may be acquired from the instructor prior to the missed
lecture or lab session. If an emergency arises, which results in an excused absence, the student must notify
the instructor within 24 hours to be eligible for any make-up, although due to time constraints, make-ups
cannot be guaranteed. Excused absences from lecture allow the student to make up any missed
assignments, quizzes, or exams. Due to time constraints and equipment/materials required for labs, absence
from lab, excused or unexcused, will result in a zero for that lab assignment or report.
**Cell phone use is prohibited during class - students using phones may be asked to leave class.
Lab Safety: Safety goggles, closed toed shoes, and ‘knee-covering’ pants are required for all lab sessions
Exam/Quiz Re-grades: If there is a question about how an exam question was graded or a dispute over a
correct answer, the exam or quiz may be turned in for a re-grade. The disputed question must be marked
and a written explanation must accompany the exam in order to receive credit. I will not consider an exam
for a re-grade unless the question/dispute is in writing. Any re-grades must be turned in one week after the
exam is returned to you. Re-grades will NOT be considered after the one week deadline.
ADA Statement: If you believe that you need academic accommodations for a disability that qualifies
under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please contact the
Office of Disability Services, located in office T105E of the ACES Center on the Ironwood Campus, by
calling 906.932.4231 x 271, or e-mail daylej@gogebic.edu to discuss your needs and the process for
requesting accommodations. This office is responsible for coordinating disability-related academic
accommodations and will issue students with verification letters as appropriate. Since accommodations may
require early planning and are not provided retroactively, please contact the office as soon as possible.
Academic Integrity: Dishonesty of any kind, including cheating on examinations or any assigned work,
may be dealt with in any manner deemed suitable by the instructor, including a failing grade for the course.
Cheating may also result in the student appearing before the Student Personnel Committee and suspension.
• All of your work must be in your own words. Copying from another student, copying answers from
previous students’ worksheets, or cutting & pasting or otherwise copying from the internet is
cheating. You may work together in lab, but all lab reports, quizzes, etc. must be unique.
• First offense: You and the person you copied from will fail the assignment/test.
• Second offense: You fail the course.
*Use of a cellular device for any reason during an exam or quiz will result in an automatic failing grade
Course Schedule [Assignments in bold] **This is tentative and may be adjusted during the semester.
Lecture [Mon]
Lab [Wed]
Week 1:
January 13
Syllabus
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
January 15
Quiz 1
Safety
Scientific Investigation
Week 2:
January 20
Finish Chapter 2
Chapter 3
January 22
Quiz 2
Chapter 4
Week 3:
January 27
Quiz 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
January 29
Microscopes and Cells
Finish Chapter 5
Week 4:
February 3
Quiz 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
February 5
Chemicals of life
Week 5:
February 10
Quiz 5
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
February 12
Diffusion and Osmosis
Week 6:
February 17
Quiz 6
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
February 19
Enzymes
Week 7:
February 24
Quiz 7
Chapter 12
February 26
Chapter 13
Week 8:
March 3
Quiz 8
Review for Midterm
March 5
Lab Report 1 due
Midterm Exam
Spring Break – March 10-14th
No Class
March 17
Quiz 9
Chapter 14
Chapter 19
March 19
BLAST searches
Week 9:
Week 10:
March 24
Quiz 10
Chapter 20
Assign Biotech Assign.
March 26
Population Genetics HW
pGLO Transformation
Week 11:
March 31
Quiz 11
Chapter 27
April 2
pGLO Transformation
Week 12:
April 7
Quiz 12
Chapter 40
April 9
Restriction Digestion
pGLO Transformation
Start HIC
Week 13:
April 14
Quiz 13
Chapter 41
April 16
HIC Chromatography
Week 14:
April 21
Quiz 14
Chapter 42
April 23
Finish Chapter 42
Work on Biotech Presentations
Week 15:
April 28
Quiz 15
Biotech. reports due
Chapter 43
April 30
Biotech. Presentations
Review for Final Exam
Lab Report 2 Due
Week 16:
May 5
Final Exam