BSB 101 003 GENERAL BIOLOGY
Fall 2006
Tuesday, Thursday 8 – 9:15 a.m. 117 Parkinson Hall
Instructor:
Office:
E-mail:
Telephone:
Office hours:
George Pinchuk, M.D., Cand. Sci. Med.
208 Parkinson Hall
gpinchuk@muw.edu
(662) 329-7281 (office), (662) 324-5238 (home)
Mon, Wed, 9-11 a.m., 1-2 p.m.; Mon. 3-5 .m.
Any other time – by appointment
WHAT WILL THIS COURSE BE ABOUT?
This course will be about the world of living things and about the principles of its
scientific study. BSB 101 emphasizes the small side of the scale of life – molecules and
cells. We will learn how molecules make up cells and how cells form tissues. We will
study such phenomena as the generation of energy in cells, the cellular growth,
reproduction, and death. Finally, we will take a brief look at some important mechanisms
of biological evolution.
WHY TAKE THIS COURSE?
All students of this university are required to take two semesters of courses in natural
sciences. This is not surprising because in today’s society, any citizen should be prepared
to make a number of choices regarding individual and public health, protection of the
environment, etc. Taking this course will help you understand some of the most
fundamental principles of the functioning of living organisms, which should be useful for
making good medical and environmental decisions. In a more practical sense, knowledge
about biologically important molecules and cells will help you understand the nature of
diseases and their treatment, so that you can be better prepared for nursing school or
medical school.
DESIRED STUDENT GOALS AND OUTCOMES
At the end of this course (and generally, at the end of all university 100-level science
courses), students are expected to be able to: a) understand the nature of scientific
inquiry; b) integrate computational and mathematical skills with scientific applications.
In addition, at the end of this specific course, students are expected to: c) understand the
structure and principal functions of living cells; d) understand, how energy is generated,
stored, and used in living systems; e) understand, how genetic information is transferred
2
from parent to offspring and how is it used to sustain the life of a cell; f) understand the
basic mechanisms of evolution such as natural selection.
TEXTBOOK
C. Starr and R. Taggart. “Biology: the Unity and Diversity of Life.” Brooks/Cole
Publishers, 2006 (11th edition). Available from the university bookstore.
PREREQUISITES
There are no prerequisite courses required for this class. However, I strongly recommend
you to refresh your knowledge of high school science, especially chemistry. Also, please
be ready to study the material that is heavy on detail.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Division policy states that any student who misses more than 30% of the classes (in this
case, 9 or more lectures) will receive an F in that course, regardless of their grade at that
time and regardless of the validity of their excuses.
MISSED EXAMS AND LATE ASSIGNMENT
Make-up exams will be given if an acceptable excuse is provided. Any illness must be
appropriately documented by a medical professional. Known conflicts with exams must
be approved prior to the exam date. You will be given an assignment (a written essay)
and a deadline to complete it; if you are late, ten percent of your grade for the assignment
will be deducted unless you provide an acceptable excuse.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Every attempt will be made to accommodate students with disabilities. However, it is the
student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of any professionally diagnosed
disabilities so the necessary steps can be taken to meet the student’s learning needs.
METHOD OF EVALUATION
Four semester exams, two unannounced pop quizzes, one comprehensive final exam, and
an essay. See descriptions below. Exam dates are indicated in the lecture plan (see
below). The final grade for the course will be evaluated according to the following
principle:
Total number of points……….
Semester exams……………....
Essay………………………….
Pop quizzes…………………...
Final exam…………………….
500 pts (100%)
60 pts/exam x 4 = 240 pts
60 pts
10 pts/quiz x 5 = 50 pts
150 pts
If your score of points is 90-100% of the total, you will receive an A; 80-89% - a B, 7079% - a C, 60-69% - a D, 0-59% - an F.
3
EXAM STRUCTURE AND QUESTION TYPES
There will be two major types of exam questions: one probing your familiarity with terms
and facts, and one testing your understanding of concepts. Questions may appear in a
multiple choice or in short answer format.
ESSAY
You will be required to write a 4-page essay on a topic in biology. I am deeply convinced
that independently written essays are a great learning tool. Find some interesting material
on the topic you choose (with my consent) or on the topic I suggest, and summarize your
understanding of what you found. Essays should be concise, informative, and logical.
They should trigger a reader’s interest; “infect” him or her with your enthusiasm about
your findings. I will deduct points for sloppy writing or for incorrect understanding
(misinterpretation) of your material. A short list of sources is mandatory. I may ask you
to bring me a copy of a source that you used (to be sure that you did not plagiarize the
material).
EXTRA CREDIT
None will be given. If you are unhappy with your performance, come see me
immediately, before it is too late. We will work out ways to help you.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Please come to lectures on time and do not leave the auditorium during the lecture. Do
not talk. Moving around the auditorium and talking are major distractions both for your
instructor and for your fellow students. If you bring your cellular phone, please make sure
it’s switched to the no-sound mode. Talking, moving across the auditorium and letting
your cell phone sound will not be tolerated by your instructor and may result in your
dismissal from the class.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
In accordance with the University policy and the MUW student honor code, academic
dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in a grade of 0 for the exam or assignment
in which the dishonesty occurred. Your instructor will immediately write a letter to the
Vice President for Academic Affairs. If this is your first offense, the Vice President will
put your name in a special file. If it is your second offence, you will have to appear
before the Academic Standards Board for hearing. In addition, any student who is a party
to academic dishonesty, whether having given or accepted assistance, shall appear before
the Academic Standards Board for appropriate action. Please note that the Board has the
authority to suspend or even to expel you from the University.
Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism. While cheating is rather selfexplanatory, plagiarism is not always understood by students correctly. Please keep in
4
mind that if you copy your essay from some source and then just change a word or two,
it’s still plagiarism.
If you have any questions about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please do not
hesitate to ask me.
IMPORTANT DATES
Fri August 25 – last day to add and/or register for classes
Wed September 20 – last day to drop a course without receiving a grade
Fri September 22 – last day to apply for a degree to be awarded in December
Wed October 18 – last day to drop a course (will receive WP/WF)
Fri November 10 – last day to withdraw from the University
LECTURE AND EXAM PLAN
Note: topics are tentative. We will cover the chapters in the order indicated, but pacewise, we may or may not proceed exactly as indicated. “ST” stands for the Starr-Taggart
textbook (see section “TEXTBOOK” above).
Date
Thur Aug 17
Tue Aug 22
Thur Aug 24
Tue Aug 29
Thur Aug 31
Tue Sep 5
Thur Sep 7
Tue Sep 12
Thur Sep 14
Tue Sep 19
Thur Sep 21
Tue Sep 26
Thur Sep 28
Tue Oct 3
Thur Oct 5
Tue Oct 10
Topic
Levels of organization in
nature. Overview of life’s
unity. The nature of
biological inquiry.
Chemical Foundations for
Cells
Molecules of life
Review of lectures 1-3
Cell Structure and Function
Membrane Structure and
Function
Review
Exam 1
Ground Rules of
Metabolism
How Cells Acquire Energy
How Cells Acquire Energy,
pt. 2
How Cells Release Stored
Energy
Review
Exam 2
Cell Division and Mitosis.
Meiosis
Fall break
Reading
ST Ch. 1 (“Invitation to
Biology”)
ST Ch. 2 (“Life’s Chemical
Basis”), handout
ST Ch. 3
ST Ch.1-3
ST 4
ST 5
ST 1-5
ST 1-5
ST 6
ST 7
ST 7
ST 8
ST 6-8
ST 6-8
ST 9
5
Thur Oct 12
Tue Oct 17
Thur Oct 19
Tue Oct 24
Thur Oct 26
Tue Oct 31
Thur Nov 2
Tue Nov 7
Thur Nov 9
Tue Nov 14
Thur Nov 16
Tue Nov 21
Thur Nov 23
Tue Nov 28
Thur Nov 30
Observable Patterns of
Inheritance
Observable Patterns of
Inheritance, pt. 2
Chromosomes and Human
Genetics
Review
Exam 3
DNA Structure and
Function
DNA Structure and
Function, pt. 2
From DNA to Proteins
Recombinant DNA and
Genetic Engineering
Review
Exam 4
Microevolution
Thanksgiving holiday
Microevolution
General Review
ST 11
ST 11
ST 12
ST 9-12
ST 9-12
ST 13
ST 13-14
ST 14-15 (ESSAYS DUE!)
ST 16
ST 13-16
ST13-16
ST 17
ST 17
ST 1-17
FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, December 5, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.