BIO 103-02
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS I
FALL 2006
MWF 10:30-11:20 a.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. B.W. WITZ
Nazareth College
Department of Biology
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 389-2554
BIO 103-02
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS I
FALL 2004
TIME & PLACE: MWF 10:30-11:20; SMYTH 225
OFFICE: SMYTH 202
OFFICE PHONE: (585) 389-2554
E-MAIL: bwitz7@naz.edu
OFFICE HOURS: MWF 10:00-10:30 a.m. or by appointment
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
1. TEXTBOOK: Biology, Seventh Edition 2004. Neil A. Campbell & Jane B.
Reece, Authors.
2. WRITING HANDBOOK: Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences. 3rd Edition.
2001. Victoria E. McMillan, Author
SUGGESTED MATERIAL:
1. Notes to Accompany Campbell’s Biology. Brian W. Witz, Ph.D., Author.
PREREQUISITE: High School Biology and High School Chemistry
CO-REQUISITE: Bio 103L - Biological Systems Laboratory - You must be
registered for this course concurrently with the lecture.
2
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Biological Systems I is a Perspectives I course designed
primarily for biology, physical therapy, nursing, and chemistry majors. It is the
first semester course in a two-semester sequence that introduces students to the
science of biology. Emphasis will be given to topics such as fundamental
biochemistry, the structure and physiology of cells, cell reproduction, nucleic
acids, introductory genetics, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, protein
synthesis, evolution, and the biology of unicellular organisms. The chapters in
the textbook should be read before coming to lecture. Note taking and/or
audiotaping during my lectures is encouraged as I occasionally may add material
not specifically detailed in your textbook. My lectures will focus upon items in
bold print in your textbook, however, you are responsible for all textbook and
lecture material unless I specify otherwise. You should have taken and
passed high school biology and high school chemistry to take this course. A
score of 80 or above on the NYS Regents Biology Examination is the
recommended level of proficiency. If you do not plan a career in some science
discipline (e.g., nursing, physical therapy, medicine, professional biology,
chemistry) this course probably is not for you. A non-science major course
entitled Contemporary Biology (Bio 111) is available for non-majors who desire
a less rigorous exposure to biology. A rule of thumb for the effort required to do
well in this course is that for every hour spent in lecture, the student should
devote a minimum of 2-3 independent study hours. For a course that meets
three hours per week, this translates into a minimum of 6-9 hours/week devoted
to studying the material above and beyond the time spent in class (I’m not
kidding here). Substantially more study time is required prior to an examination.
Because many of you are first time college students, the transition from high
school to college may prove quite challenging. Such a transition is made easier if
you accept the fact that the level of academic sophistication required in college is
much greater than that which you were accustomed to in high school; you need
to adjust your level of commitment and dedication accordingly. Please come to
see me if you are having difficulty with this adjustment to college academics.
This is a rigorous course but it can be highly instructive (and fun) for anyone;
particularly for those who plan to continue their career in any biology-related
discipline. I hope you enjoy this course as much as I enjoy teaching it. Welcome.
STATEMENT ON STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY: If you are a student with a
documented disability that requires special accommodation, please notify the
instructor as soon as possible.
STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC HONESTY: Students are expected to do their own
original work within the confines of the course objectives and evaluation
procedures. The expectation is that students will act in accordance with the
Nazareth College Policy on Academic Integrity, which can be found in the
Student Policies and Procedures Handbook.
3
GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
To describe the scientific method of inquiry.
To describe the details of the chemical and cellular basis for life.
To outline the hierarchy of organization in organisms.
To describe the biochemical/energetic mechanisms involved in the
maintenance and reproduction of cells.
To discuss the genetic mechanisms involved in heredity.
To discuss the influence of both microevolutionary and macroevolutionary
processes on the history of life on earth.
To list the unique characteristics of viruses, bacteria, and protists
You must earn a grade of C- or better to continue with the next Biology
Department course in your academic program. For Biology/Environmental
Science/Chemistry students, that next course is Biological Systems II (Bio
104/104L); for Nursing/Physical Therapy students, that course is Human
Anatomy and Physiology I (Bio 150/150L). The core curriculum of our
department is organized around the central themes of cell biology, organismal
biology, and ecology. A detailed list of course objectives can be found by
following the link to the biology department course offerings on the Nazareth
College web page.
UNIT EXAMINATIONS: Two unit examinations will be given during the course, one
before and one after the midterm examination. Each examination will cover
approximately 6-8 chapters in the textbook. Each examination will consist of
multiple choice questions and will be scored on a 100-point scale. Failure to
take an examination will result in a grade of zero for that test.
MIDTERM EXAMINATION: There will be a cumulative midterm examination that will
cover all material discussed in lecture prior to this test. Special emphasis will be
placed on the material covered since the first unit examination. This test will be in
the same format as that of the unit examinations.
FINAL EXAMINATION: The cumulative final examination is taken during final's week
(specific date/time TBA) and it will cover all material discussed in lecture, with
special emphasis on the material covered after the second unit examination.
This test will be in the same format as that of the unit examinations. You must
pass this examination to pass the course.
4
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: One of the most important aspects of biological
investigation is the ability to communicate ideas, results, observations, and
conclusions to peers; writing is the most effective method for accomplishing this
goal. Biology 103 is a vehicle to help students develop the skills needed to
communicate with their future professional colleagues in writing. Avoid
plagiarism (a particularly offensive form of cheating) at all costs. If you are
uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me for clarification. The
following three writing projects must be completely successfully to pass this
course:
1.
Bibliography - Each student will generate and submit a bibliography on a
specific topic in biology. Please submit your topic of choice by Friday,
September 15 as an attached MS Word document via e-mail for my approval.
The following three sources in the Nazareth College Library may be helpful to
identify references: the on-line catalog (for books); Info-Trac (for current scientific
periodicals); and printed bibliographies such as Index Medicus for more
specialized references. This bibliography should be typewritten in the
format described in Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (use the
“Name-Year” system, NOT the “number” system and the CSE style). It
should include a minimum of 10 current (within the past 5 years), published,
peer-reviewed references (no Internet URLs, organizations as authors, or
anonymous references, and a maximum of 3 textbook references; if both
electronic and print versions are available, use the print version). You must
provide me with a copy of the title page of each article/textbook, to be
handed in to me in class. Encyclopedia, newspaper, magazine, and Science
News references are not acceptable. The bibliography is due by noon
Wednesday, October 11. This list of references will form the basis for the next
two projects, so choose your topic carefully and include the name of your topic
on the coversheet of your bibliography. Chapter 2 in Writing Papers in the
Biological Sciences provides information on how to choose and research a topic.
2.
Research Proposal - Each student will prepare a short paper proposing a topic
for the term paper based on the bibliography described above. The proposal
should be typed, double-spaced with 1" margins all around, and a 10-point,
legible (no script) font. Do not put more than two spaces between paragraphs.
The proposal should be no longer than 2 pages in length. In your paper, 1)
describe the rationale for choosing your particular topic, 2) delineate the specifics
of how it will be developed, and 3) discuss the potential conclusions you expect
to reach. This assignment is due by noon Friday, November 3.
5
3.
Term Paper - Each student will investigate and review a biological topic in a 5page term paper (excluding the title page, Literature Cited section, and any
tables or figures; no bulleted or numbered lists), expanding upon the information
in the bibliography and research proposal described above. Please number each
page of text. The paper should be typed and double-spaced with 1" margins all
around, and a 10-point, legible font. Do not put more than two spaces between
paragraphs. Use Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences as a guide for the
preparation, format, and composition of this paper. The section entitled Writing a
Review Paper is particularly pertinent. Be sure to cite literature in the text using
the Name-Year format and CSE style described in McMillan, and include a
Literature Cited section at the end of your paper with a minimum of 10 current
references. Check to be sure that all references in this section have been cited in
the text, and that all citations in the text appear in the Literature Cited section.
Structure your paper according to the guidelines on the last page of this
syllabus, and staple those guidelines to the last page of your paper. I will
evaluate your paper based on your adherence to these guidelines. This
assignment is due by noon Monday, December 6. I will not accept late
papers, and the student will receive a grade of “0” for this assignment if the
paper is late.
REGRADES – Re-grade requests for any test or assignment must be in writing and no
later than one week from the time the graded test or assignment is returned to
the student. It is the student’s responsibility to check over all exams/assignments
after they are returned for any grading errors or disagreement with the stated
answer.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance in the lecture is mandatory. No makeup examinations will
be given without a valid written excuse (e.g., note from physician, copy of police
report, etc.). Students who are absent for more than 3 consecutive days must
notify the Academic Advisement Office. The instructor will report excessive
absences and/or poor academic performance in writing to the Academic
Advisement Office. Students who will be away from class for scheduled
academic activities (class related field trips, attendance at programs required by
faculty, etc.) or College-approved intercollegiate activities, are expected to report
the anticipated absences to me in advance, in writing. Students are responsible
for making up all work missed. Make-up examinations will be given no later
than 1 week after the missed examination and they will be in the essay
format. It is your responsibility to contact me and arrange for a make-up
examination. It is both required and courteous to come to class on time and
remain in the class for the full duration of my lecture. If you find yourself falling
asleep in class, perhaps you should re-examine your priorities.
6
INTERACTIVE COURSE WEB SITES:
 Blackboard - I have set up an interactive course web site using Blackboard. You
will be automatically enrolled in the blackboard site for my lecture course. I will post
pertinent web site URLs, and other information here. You will also be able to access
your test scores and final grade at this site. You should be automatically enrolled on
this website. You can access the site by clicking on the blackboard link from the
“Quick Links” drop down menu on the Nazareth College home page (www.naz.edu).
 CourseCompass - We will also be using the Course Compass website
(www.coursecompass.com). The instructions for accessing and using this website
are located in the packet included in your textbook. The Course Compass ID# for
the class is witz58498. Please register in Course Compass Immediately. You will
need the student access code that came with your textbook. If you didn’t purchase
the textbook that came with the access code, you can either purchase an access
code on line (go to coursecompass.com, then click on “Register” under the “Student”
area), or a stand alone access code package at the Nazareth Bookstore. You will be
required to take a chapter quiz for each chapter that we cover during the semester
BEFORE I begin to discuss that chapter in lecture. I will calculate an average for all
Course Compass quizzes, and this average will be equivalent to one unit test in your
final grade calculation.
GRADING: You are required to take all four examinations, all Course Compass
quizzes, and complete all writing requirements to be eligible to pass this course.
Attendance/attentiveness in class may be used as additional criteria to evaluate
borderline students. The final grade will be calculated as follows:
Unit Examination 1
Midterm Examination
Unit Examination 2
Course Compass Quizzes
Final Examination
Bibliography
Research Proposal
Term Paper
10%
20%
10%
10%
30%
5%
5%
10%
TOTAL
100%
7
IMPORTANT DATES:
Fri, Sept 1
Fri, Sept 15
Wed, Oct 11
Wed, Oct 18
Fri, Nov 3
Mon, Oct 30
Mon, Dec 4
Fri, Dec 8
Mon-Fri, Dec 11-16
Last date to drop/add course w/o “W” grade
Topic for semester research project due
Bibliography due
Mid-semester grades for freshman turned
in to Registrar's office.
Research Proposal due
Last date for withdrawing from course w/o “F”
Term Paper due by noon
Regular Classes End
Final examinations week
HOLIDAYS:
Mon, Sept 4
Thurs-Fri, Oct 5-6
Mon-Fri, Nov 20-24
CHEATING POLICY:
Labor Day; no class
Semester Reading Days; no class
Thanksgiving Recess; no class
You cheat-you fail (this includes plagiarism). No exceptions.
Note: This is a tentative syllabus. The instructor reserves the right to alter or
change it at his discretion. I will make every attempt to notify the class in
advance of any proposed changes.
8
BIO 103-02 COURSE SCHEDULE – F’06
CHAPTER # AND TITLE
1. Exploring Life
2. The Chemical Context of Life
3. Water & the Fitness of the Environment
No Classes - LABOR DAY - Monday, September 4
4. Carbon & the Molecular Diversity of Life
5. Structure & Function of Macromolecules
8. Introduction to Metabolism
FIRST UNIT EXAMINATION - CHAPTERS 1-5 & 8
6. A Tour of the Cell
7. Membrane Structure & Function
9. Cellular Respiration
10. Photosynthesis
12. The Cell Cycle
No Classes – Reading Days - Thursday, 10/5 & Friday 10/6
MIDTERM EXAMINATION - CHAPTERS 1-10 & 12
13. Meiosis & Sexual Life Cycles
14. Mendel & the Gene Idea
15. The Chromosome Basis of Inheritance
16. The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
17. From Gene to Protein
18. The Genetics of Viruses & Bacteria
19. Eukaryotic Genomes: Organization, Regulation, & Evolution
20. DNA Technology & Genomics
SECOND UNIT EXAMINATION - CHAPTERS 13-19
22. Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life
23. The Evolution of Populations
24. The Origin of Species
No Classes - THANKSGIVING RECESS - Mon-Fri, 11/20-11/24
25. Phylogeny & Systematics
26. The Tree of Life: An Introduction to Biological Diversity
27. Prokaryotes
28. Protists
CUMULATIVE FINAL EXAMINATION - DATE/TIME TBA
9
DATE
8/28 M
8/30 W
9/1 F
9/6 W
9/8 F, 9/11 M
9/13 W
9/15 F
9/18 M & 9/20 W
9/22F
9/25 M & 9/27 W
9/29 F & 10/2 M
10/4 W
10/9 M
10/11 W
10/13 F & 10/16 M
10/18 W, 10/20 F
10/23 M
10/25 W &10/27 F
10/30 M & 11/1 W
11/3 F
11/6 M
11/8 W
11/10 F
11/13 M
11/15 W & 11/17 F
11/27 M
11/29 W
12/1 F, 12/4 M
12/6 W & 12/8 F
RESEARCH PAPER EVALUATION
NAME: __________________________________
GRADE: __________
TOPIC: _______________________________________________________________________
I.
II.
III.
ORGANIZATION (25%)
A. __________
Goal clearly and specifically stated in the introduction (5).
B. __________
Writer's plan for developing ideas and reaching goal clearly
stated in the introduction (5).
C. __________
Paper includes clearly identified (labeled) introduction,
development, and conclusion sections (5).
D. __________
Paper follows its developmental plan (5).
E. __________
Paper achieves its stated goal (5).
TECHNICAL PRESENTATION (25%)
A.__________
Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, wrong words, wordiness,
etc. (4).
B.__________
Correct sentence construction (e.g. subject-verb agreement,
no misplaced modifiers, etc.) (5).
C.__________
Paragraphs organized around a clear topic (4).
D.__________
Paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence (4).
E.__________
Reference number and type are appropriate and correctly
cited as per McMillan (Name-Year format) (4).
F.__________
Paper shows evidence of being proofread (4).
CONTENT (50%)
A.__________
Facts accurately presented (8).
B.__________
Facts presented are comprehensive (complete) (10).
C.__________
Facts, concepts, and speculations handled with
understanding & logic (8).
D.__________
Facts, concepts, and speculations presented support overall
development (8).
E. __________
Writer distinguishes between his/her ideas and those of
others, and avoids use of quotations by paraphrasing (8).
F. __________
Page limit adhered to (5 pages of text) (6).
G ___________
Grading rubric sheet attached and complete (2)
10
Helpful Information About The Grading Rubric For The Term Paper
I. A. In your introduction, you should include a sentence that begins with “The goal of this paper is to……”
I. B. This should be an outline, in paragraph format, of how you plan to structure your paper. For example,
you might include sentences like “First, I will define ….”. “The next section of my paper will include a
discussion of ….”. “In the third section of my paper, I will….”. “The final section of my paper will…”.
I. C. I expect to see all three sections labeled using bold type face.
II. A. Please run a spell and grammar check in MS Word on your document. These functions will not
catch all errors, but it’s a good start.
II. B,C,D, F. Proof reading, at least 3-times, should catch nearly all of these problems. You may want to
submit your paper to the Nazareth College Writing Center (Golisano Academic Center, Room 495 •
585/389-2636) prior to submitting it if you are having difficulty or if you just want an individual trained in
writing skill development to examine your paper. I will not examine your paper prior to submission.
II. E. Please follow the “Name-Year” format described in McMillan’s “Writing Papers in the Biological
Sciences”. If a journal is available in both print and electronic version, use the print version for your
citation.
III. E. Don’t quote, unless absolutely necessary. Remember that when you submit quoted material, you
are submitting something that was written by someone else…not you; paraphrase, using your own words,
in the overwhelming majority of cases.
III. F. Please make every attempt to stick to the page limit. Anything shorter that 5 pages, and you probably
haven’t done a thorough job; anything too much longer than 5 pages (a few paragraphs may be OK), and
you probably aren’t being concise (a final editing for conciseness is always a good idea).
III. G. The grading rubric is available via the on-line copy of the syllabus located on the blackboard website
for the course. If you don’t submit it, complete with your name and title of your paper, two points will be
deducted from your total score.
11
Common Grammatical Problems in Student Papers & Correction Symbols
1. Wrong word (ww) –
a. Incorrect: They went too the store
b. Correct: They went to the store
Other common wrong word mistakes:
affect (a verb) vs. effect (typically a noun);
2. Subject-Verb agreement error (agr)
a. Incorrect: The bottle were on the shelf.
b. Correct: The bottle was on the shelf.
3. Participle phrase error (pp)
a. Incorrect: : Impressed by the way the girl carried herself, John, who had never met
someone as irresistible as her, suddenly losing all his confidence.
b. ........., suddenly lost all his confidence.
c. Incorrect: Reading at night, it is my hobby. (Participle Clause)
d. Correct: Reading at night is my hobby. (Gerund Clause)
4. Misplaced modifier (mis mod)
a. Incorrect: The professor posted the notes for the students covered in class.
b. Correct: The professor posted the notes covered in class for the students.
5. Dangling modifier (dang mod)
a. Incorrect: Walking through the park, the grass tickled my feet.
b. Correct: The grass tickled my feet as I walked through the park.
c. Correct: Walking through the park, I found that the grass tickled my feet.
6. Split infinitive (si)
a. Incorrect: John wanted to also go to the store.
b. Correct: John also wanted to go to the store.
7. Split verb phase (svp)
a. Incorrect: John may also have a dog.
b. Correct: John also may have a dog.
8. Comma splices (cs) – independent clause errors
a. Incorrect: Joey went to the grocery store, he needed to buy eggs for supper.
b. Correct: Joey went to the grocery store. He needed to buy eggs for supper. (Two
sentence correction)
c. Correct: Joey went to the grocery store; he needed to buy eggs for supper. (Semicolon
correction)
d. Correct: Joey went to the grocery store because he needed to buy eggs for supper.
(Subordinating conjunction correction)
e. Correct: Joey went to the grocery store, for he needed to buy eggs for supper.
(Coordinating conjunction correction)
9. Run on sentence (run on)
a. Incorrect: Michaela loves to draw horses she is a talented artist.
b. Correct: Michaela loves to draw horses. She is a talented artist.
10. Sentence fragments (frag)
a. Incorrect: So Jane left the Reeds’ house.
b. Correct: Jane left the Reeds’ house.
12
11. Unclear pronoun (up)
a. Incorrect: Both Isabel and Barbara loved her children.
b. Correct: Both Isabel and Barbara loved Isabel’s children.
12. Wordiness (wordy)
a. Incorrect: For all intents and purposes, the reason Mr. Henderson arrived late for work
was due to the fact that he stopped at very many traffic lights that were red in color. (31
words)
b. Correct: Mr. Henderson arrived late for work because he stopped at many red lights. (13
words)
13. Punctuation error (punc)
a. Incorrect: Chitinase was found present in both pancreatic and intestinal tissue. (Witz
1997).
b. Correct: Chitinase was found present in both pancreatic and intestinal tissue (Witz 1997).
14. That versus Which for restrictive and non-restrictive clauses
a. Restrictive clauses are introduced by that and are not separated from the rest of the
sentence by commas, e.g. “The house that is painted pink has just been sold.” The
restrictive clause here is “that is painted” and that clause in an essential part of the
sentence.
b. Non-restrictive clauses are introduced by which and must be separated by commas from
the rest of the sentence to indicate parenthesis, e.g. “The house, which is painted pink,
has just been sold.” The non-restrictive clause is “which is painted pink”, and that clause
is a non-essential or ancillary part of the sentence.
If a clause describes the whole set of the term it modifies, the clause in question should be
introduced with which and separated by one or two commas from the rest of the sentence
(This is a nonrestrictive clause). If the clause describes only a subset of the term it modifies,
then the clause in question should be introduced by that and should not be separated by
commas (This is a restrictive clause).
15. Symbols for degrees:
a. Incorrect: 31 degrees Fahrenheit; 28 degrees Celsius
b. Incorrect: 31 o F; 28 o C
c. Correct: 31 oF; 28 oC
16. Multiple sentence structure error (ss)
13