Diversity, Structure & Function
BIOL 121 – Fall 2008 – Sonoma State University
Professor
Dr. Karina Nielsen
Dr. Nathan Rank
Office
D 235
D 223
Teaching Assistant
Brianna Richards (W pm, Th am)
Cat Hare (W eve, Th eve)
Zannie Dallara (Th pm, F am)
Office Hours
W 2:15-3:15 & Th 2:30-3:30
M 2:30-3:30 & W 11:00-12:00
Office
D 15
D4
D 240
Office Hours
Th 12:15-1:15p
W 5:15-6:00p
Th 9:30-10:30a
Email
karina.nielsen@sonoma.edu
rank@sonoma.edu
Email
richarbr@sonoma.edu
hareca@sonoma.edu
dallara@sonoma.edu
Lecture:
1:00 – 2:15, Mon and Wed (Darwin 103)
Lab:
Darwin 4 (Wed 2:25-5:15, 6:00-8:50, Th 9:25-12:15, 2:25-5:15, 6:00-8:50, F 8:00-10:50)
Required Text:
N. A. Campbell, J.B. Reece, et al. Biology, 2008. Eighth Edition.
Benjamin/Cummings Publishers, San Francisco, CA.
Course Description: You will be introduced to the diversity of organisms that exist on Earth. This course will
emphasize evolutionary relationships among major groups of organisms, structural and functional traits that
distinguish them, and the function and evolution of major organ systems. You will become familiar with the
‘language’ of biology, and learn to use the microscope to identify organisms and study their anatomy in
laboratory exercises associated with lecture material. Participation in laboratory is mandatory.
Relationship to other courses: This is one of two first year introductory courses for students who plan to take
upper division courses in Biology (e.g. Biology majors and minors, Chemistry majors, or Environmental Studies
majors). It is part of a three-semester series of courses that cover introductory Biology in depth. Biology 122
(Genetics, Evolution and Ecology) is the other first year Biology course. Biology 121, 122 and two semesters
of introductory chemistry are prerequisites for Biology 123.
Most students who are not Biology majors should enroll in Biology 110 instead of Biology 121. Biology 110
covers all of introductory biology in one semester and satisfies the B2 and B3 GE requirement
(http://www.sonoma.edu/senate/apc/gemgo.html). Students who do not plan to take upper division Biology
courses usually find that the scope & depth of Biology 121 or 122 requires much more work than Biology 110,
thus students should not view them as substitutes for Biology 110.
Assigned Readings: The lecture syllabus lists text chapters that must be read for each class. Each laboratory
exercise will be posted to course WebCT page. In both cases, students are expected to complete assigned
readings BEFORE coming to lecture and the laboratory. Lecture study guides will be made available. Study
guides are intended to help direct students to main concepts and important new vocabulary presented in readings
and lectures. They are not a substitute for class attendance.
Course WebCT Page: The class will have a webCT page that includes lecture notes, handouts, laboratory
exercises, study guides, and grades. The page will be accessed by logging into WebCT using your SSU LDAP
username and password (same as for your SSU email account).
Learning Strategies: In this course we will ask you to learn many new concepts and biological terms. To do
well, you must be intensely involved with the material throughout the semester. You will need to develop
studying strategies to understand how details fit into the larger picture of biological diversity. University
guidelines and our experience suggest that students need to study outside the classroom at least two hours per
week for each unit to earn a satisfactory grade. Plan your course, work and social schedules accordingly!
Participation: To do well in this course, you must attend lectures and laboratories and actively participate in all
aspects of the course. Late arrivals and early departures are disruptive and will lower your final grade.
Office Hours: We encourage students to sign up for office hours to discuss course material. Please sign up in
advance for the time slot you want. If you have not signed up for office hours, we may not be available. Short
questions can also be dealt with by email. Email is the best way to reach us outside office hours. Put ‘Biol121’
in the subject heading of emails you send us.
Assignments:
1) Lecture Exams (400 pts): There will be three mid-term and one final exam, each worth 100 points. Exams
will be multiple-choice and focus on material covered in lecture, lab, readings and study guides. No make-up
exams will be given without a well-documented excuse (e.g. signed note from doctor or valid documentation
of death in the family). If you cannot make it to an exam because of an emergency, notify us before the
exam. We do not provide make up exams due to students’ travel plans or scheduling difficulties.
2) Lecture Clicker Questions (100 pts): During each lecture, we will pose two questions for you to answer using
your iclicker (one early in the lecture and one near the end of lecture). Each question is worth 2 points (one
point for answering the question, a second point for answering correctly). The questions will be based on
assigned readings for that lecture topic or on materials presented during lecture. YOU MUST COME TO
LECTURE AND BRING YOUR ICLICKER TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR LECTURE QUESTIONS.
4) Laboratory Pop Quizzes (50 pts): There will be five unannounced quizzes during lab, each worth 10 pts.
These brief quizzes are designed to ensure that students come to class prepared to participate actively in the
lab exercise. Students should carefully read lab handouts prior to class (your lab instructor will give you
further details on quizzes). THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP POP QUIZZES. An absence counts as a zero.
5) Homework Study Aids (60 pts). You will receive four assignments, each worth 15 points, which you will
submit to your laboratory at the beginning of the laboratory period on the due date. Specifics and due dates
will be given during the semester.
6) Laboratory Notebook (65 pts): You will keep a notebook recording your activities in laboratory. You can use
this notebook to help you study, and you will submit your notebook to your laboratory instructor at the end
of the semester. Notebooks will be graded on completeness and adherence to guidelines.
7) Laboratory Attendance & Participation (65 pts): You must participate in lab actively. We will take
attendance during each lab session and award points for participation. You should plan on remaining in lab
for the full 3-hour lab period. Directions for each exercise will be contained in handouts for this course.
There will be no make-up laboratories. Under exceptional circumstances, you may be able to attend one
alternate laboratory session, if seats are available and the instructor grants you permission in advance.
Policies about student behavior during lecture and examinations: In a large class like this, we must
minimize disruption during lecture. Arrive on time, do not leave early, and turn your cell phone off before
entering the classroom or laboratory. You may not use cell phones or other electronic devices during an
examination or lecture question. If one of us observes you using an unauthorized electronic device during an
examination, we will collect the examination and you will receive a zero for it. In addition, you may not use the
restroom or leave the room for any reason during an examination. Use the restroom before the test.
Important University policies you should be aware of: These include the add/drop policy; cheating and
plagiarism policy, grade appeal procedures; accommodations for students with disabilities, and the diversity
vision statement (http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/studentinfo.shtml). Students caught violating the
policy on plagiarism and cheating may receive a zero for the course and the violation will be recorded at the
Student Affairs Office.
Grading: Final grades are based on percentage of points earned on exams and assignments listed above. Lettergrade ranges will be: A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; and F = 59% or below.
Assignment
Lecture exams
Lecture Clicker Questions
Laboratory Pop Quizzes
Homework Study Aids
Laboratory Notebook
Laboratory Attendance and Participation
TOTAL
Points
400
100
50
60
65
65
740
2
BIOL 121 – Diversity, Structure & Function – Lecture Schedule
Wk
Date Lecture Topic
Campbell & Reese- Chapter(Pages)
1
Aug 27
Course introduction; Biology as science
2
Sep 1
LABOR DAY
3
Biological diversity & classification
1(1-27),25(491-508),26(529-531)
8
Phylogeny reconstruction I
25(491-508)
10
Phylogeny reconstruction II
25(491-508)
15
History of life
26(512-528),39-45,47-52,58-62,68-801
17
Diversity of prokaryotes and metabolism
6(98),8(141-150),27(534-457)
22
Eukaryote cell structure
6(94-111-118),12(218-227),26(523-525)
24
EXAM
29
Eukaryote life cycles and phylogeny
13(238-243),28(545-552)
Oct 1
Protists (uni- and multi-cellular)
28(545-569)
6
Multicellular plants and bryophytes
29(573-584)
8
Vascular plants
29(584-588)
13
Seed plants
30(591-606)
15
Flowering plant diversity, plant structure
30(600-607), 35(712-727)
20
EXAM
22
Animal diversity
25.4 – 6 (519-531); 32(654-664)
27
Invertebrates: Sponges & Cnidarians
33.1 – 2 (666-673)
29
Invertebrates: Lophotrochozoans 1
33.3 (674-677)
Nov 3
Invertebrates: Lophotrochozoans 2
33.3 (678-682)
5
Invertebrates: Ecdysozoans 1
33.4 (683-687)
10
Invertebrates: Ecdysozoans 2
33.4 (688-692)
12
Invertebrates: Echinoderms & early chordates
33.5 (693-696 ); 34.1 (698-702)
17
EXAM
19
Chordata 1: Craniates & gnathostomes
34.2-4 (702-710)
24
Chordata 2: Vertebrates (early tetrapods &
amniotes)
34.5-6 (710-720)
26
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Dec 1
Chordata 3: Vertebrates (mammals)
34.7 (720-728)
3
Animal form & function, homeostasis
40.1-2 (852-862)
8
Thermoregulation & bioenergetics
40-3-4 (862- 872)
10
Osmoregulation & excretion
44.1-4 (954-969)
17
FINAL EXAM (2:00-3:50p)
Darwin 103
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
1
1(1-27)
You must be familiar with this background material on basic chemical processes, but it may be review for many of you.
Diversity, Structure & Function
BIOL 121 – Fall 2008 – Sonoma State University
Lab room: Darwin 004
Section
Lab Section 2
Lab Section 4
Lab Section 6
Lab Section 8
Lab Section 10
Lab Section 12
Time
2:25 – 5:15
6:00-8:50
9:25-12:15
2:25 – 5:15
6:00-8:50
8:00-10:50
Day
Wed aft
Wed eve
Thurs morn
Thurs aft
Thurs eve
Fri morn
Laboratory Schedule
Week of Exercise Topic
Aug 27
No Lab (Incomplete Week)
Sep 3
Introduction to the laboratory, WebCT, campus trip
Sep 10
Basis of determining relationships
Sep 17
Introduction to the microscope
Sep 24
Prokaryotic diversity
Oct 1
Protist diversity
Oct 8
Bryophytes and seedless vascular plants
Oct 15
Seed plants
Oct 22
Introduction to body plans & dichotomous keys
Oct 29
Sponges, jellies & mollusks
Nov 5
Annelids & arthropods
Nov 12
Field trip to FOP (evening labs only, times TBA)
Nov 19
Field trip to FOP (morning & afternoon labs)
Nov 26
No Lab (Thanksgiving Break)
Dec 3
Echinoderms
Dec 10
Chordate diversity
Instructor
Richards
Hare
Richards
Dallara
Hare
Dallara