1
SYLLABUS
Bio 103 Section 02
4 Credit Hours
Principles of Biology I
Fall 2014
Course Information
Prerequisite(s)
Course
Description
Program
Outcomes
Course
Competencies
Student
Learning
Outcomes
Class
schedule and
location
Required
textbook and
Course
Materials
Last Date of
Withdrawal
None
This is an introductory course for science and non-science majors. It covers physical, chemical, and biological principles
common to all organisms. These principles are explained through a study of cell structure and function, cellular reproduction,
basic biochemistry, cell energetics, the process of photosynthesis, and Mendelian and molecular genetics. Also included are
the scientific method, basic principles of evolution, and an overview of the diversity of life with emphasis on viruses,
prokaryotes, and protist. A 120 minute laboratory is required.
Outcome 1: Demonstrate skills related to scientific investigation and quantitative reasoning
Outcome 2: Demonstrate ability to use logic to integrate and critically evaluate information
Quantitative Reasoning
Competency 2.1 Students will demonstrate an ability to apply scientific reasoning by drawing appropriate conclusions from
scientific data
Competency 2.2 Students will demonstrate an ability to apply quantitative reasoning by producing solutions to or analyses of
appropriate problems.
Critical Thinking
Competency 3.1 Students will evaluate the logic behind strengths and weaknesses of varying points of view.
Competency 3.2 Students will demonstrate the ability to distinguish between pertinent and irrelevant information.
Use of Technology
Competency 5.1 Students will gather and correctly process information through appropriate use of technology tools.
Competency 5.3 Students will demonstrate the ability to use information technologies to communicate information to others
Student Learning Outcomes
2.1.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the unifying concepts of basic biology
2.2.1 The student will develop an understanding of the diversity and classification of organisms
2.1.2 The student will develop an understanding of the organization of life
2.1.3 The student will develop an understanding of the scientific method and its role in broadening our knowledge base
2.2.3 The student will develop an understanding of enzymatic activities
2.1.4 The student will develop an understanding of the basic characteristics of viruses, prokaryotes, and protists
2.1.5 The student will develop an understanding of the production and transfer energy on the organic molecular level
2.1.6 The student will develop an understanding of the basic principles of genetics and be able to use this knowledge to
explain basic inheritance patters
2.1.7 The student will develop an understanding of the basic principles of biochemistry and their application to organisms
3.1 The student will develop an understanding of cell structure, function, and reproduction common to all organism
3.2 The student will develop basic laboratory techniques relative to the study of living organisms
5.1 The student will utilize online resources to aid in studying
5.2 The student will utilize online resources in testing materials as well as laboratory exercises
Lecture
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00AM – 9:55AM; Trustees Building Room 102
Laboratory
Tuesday 10:00Am –11:55AM; Trustees Building Room 102
Biology Concepts and Applications (9e); Starr, Evers, and Starr; ISBN 9781285777313
-ORBiology Concepts and Applications (9e) Ebook; Starr, Evers, and Starr; ISBN 9781285777313
The last day to withdraw from a class is October 21, 2014
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Last Date for
Drop Add
Final
Examination
Schedule
The last day to drop or add a class is August 22, 2014
Class Period
MWF 2nd Period
MWF 3rd Period
MWF 1st Period
MWF 4th Period
T-R 1st Period
T-R 2nd Period
T-R 3rd Period
T-R 4th Period
Exam Date
December 10
December 10
December 10
December 11
December 11
December 11
December 12
December 12
Exam Time
0800-1000
1030-1230
1400-1600
0800-1000
1030-1230
1400-1600
0800-1000
1030-1230
Exams to be given on or before the last scheduled day of class: Band, Chorus, Military Science and Labs, Physical Education,
Science Labs, Theater
Instructor Information
Instructor
Instructor’s
E-mail
Time and
location of
office hours
Website
Department
Chair’s
E-mail and
phone
number
Joy Knickman Roche, MS
jroche@marionmilitary.edu
Open office hours
Monday 12:00PM – 3:30PM
Wednesday 12:00PM – 4:00PM
Friday 12:00PM – 3:30 PM
Other hours available by appointment
My office is located next to Trustees Building Room 102
http://principleofbiology103.weebly.com
Dr. Sam Stevenson
samstevenson@marionmilitary.edu
334-302-1045
College Policy Information
Academic
Misconduct
Attendance
Policy
MMI Catalog
Policies
Cadets are expected to be honorable in all college assignments. Suspected cases of academic
misconduct are reported to the Academic Dean and, if needed, the Honor Council. Cadets should
refer to the Cadet Manual and the Academic Catalog for specific policies and procedures regarding
academic misconduct.
Marion Military Institute Attendance Policy: Cadets are expected to attend all classes for which
they are registered, to be prompt and to remain in class/lab for the entire time. Attendance will be
recorded at every class/lab meeting. In the event that a cadet must miss class due to a schoolsponsored activity, the cadet is advised to meet with the instructor prior to the absence to arrange
completion of missed work. If a cadet reaches the point of having four (4) or more unexcused
absences in a course, the cadet is subject to being administratively withdrawn from the course and
receiving the grade of “F” for the course. Three (3) cases of lateness (tardy) will count as one
unexcused absence. Cadets who are unable to attend class regularly, regardless of the reason or
circumstance, should withdraw from the class. Withdrawal from class can affect eligibility for
federal financial aid.
The Marion Military Institute Academic Catalog directs cadets to policies which apply to all classes
at the college. It is available from the MMI website, www.marionmilitary.edu. It is the
responsibility of the student to abide by these policies. This class syllabus is intended to give further
3
Statement on
Discrimination
and
Harrassment
Americans
with
Disabilities
detail about the policies and expectations in this class. College policies are also published in the
Cadet Manual. Cadets are expected to be aware of and abide by College policies in every class.
The College and the Alabama State Board of Education are committed to providing both
employment and educational environments free of harassment or discrimination related to an
individual’s race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, or disability. Such harassment is a
violation of State Board of Education policy. Any practice or behavior that constitutes harassment
or discrimination will not be tolerated.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 state
that qualified students with disabilities who meet the essential functions and academic requirements
are entitled to reasonable accommodations. It is the student’s responsibility to provide appropriate
disability documentation to the College.
Grading
Activities
14 chapter tests worth 10 points each (total 140 points)
14 laboratory exercises 5 points each (total 70 points)
Final examination (cumulative) 90 points
Total possible points
Make-up
policy
Points
140
70
90
300
Daily class work cannot be made up, therefore, missing a laboratory session should be avoided at all
costs. With proper documentation test can be made up the first day the cadet returns to campus or
returns off of bed rest.
Letter grades will be assigned according to the following:
Points
Letter grade
300 – 270
A
269 - 240
B
239 - 210
C
209 - 180
D
179 and below
F
Tentative Class Outline and Topics Investigated
Daily
Activities
WEEK 1: 8/18 – 8/22
Review syllabus and class procedures
Pre-Test
Chapter 1: Invitation to Biology
Life’s organization
Characteristics shared by living organism
Differences found in living organisms
Classification of living organisms
The Scientific method
Designing scientific experiments
Scientific theory and laws of nature
4
WEEK 2: 8/25 – 8/29
TEST 1: Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Life’s Chemical Basis
Basic chemistry of all matter
Chemical Bonds
Special properties of water
Hydrogen ions and pH
WEEK 3: 9/1 – 9/5
Monday 9/1 No class, Labor Day
TEST 2: Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Molecules of Life
Carbohydrate (monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides)
Lipids (fats, phospholipids, waxes, steroids)
Proteins
Nucleic Acids (RNA / DNA)
WEEK 4: 9/8 – 9/12
TEST 3: Chapter 3
Chapter 4: Cell Structure
Cell theory
Plasma membrane (Fluid mosaic model)
Nucleus
Endomembrane system
Mitochondria
Cytoskeleton
Cell walls
Cell Junctions
Comparing and contrasting eukaryotic and prokaryotic structures
WEEK 5: 9/15 – 9/19
TEST 4: Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Ground Rules of Metabolism
First and second laws of thermodynamics
Enzymes and enzyme activity
Metabolic pathways
Oxidation–reduction reactions
ATP/ADP cycle
Diffusion and osmosis
Active and passive transport
Movement of large particles across membranes
WEEK 6: 9/22 – 9/26
TEST 5: Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Where It Starts – Photosynthesis
Properties of light
Photosynthetic pigments
Photosynthesis: CO2 + water ---(light energy)--- sugars + O2
Light-dependent and light-independent reactions
Noncyclic and cyclic pathway
Calvin–Benson cycle (carbon fixation)
C3 plants, C4 plants, CAM plants
5
WEEK 7: 9/29 – 10/3
TEST 6: Chapter 6
Chapter 7: How Cells Release Chemical Energy
Aerobic respiration (glycolysis, Krebs cycle, ETC)
Fermentation (alcoholic fermentation, lactate fermentation)
WEEK 8: 10/6 – 10/10
TEST 7: Chapter 7
Chapter 8: DNA Structure and Function
DNA structure
DNA's Base Sequence
Chromosome structure
Chromosome number and type
DNA replications (semiconservative replication)
Directional Synthesis
DNA mutations (agents of DNA damage)
Cloning
WEEK 9: 10/13 – 10/17
TEST 8: Chapter 8
Chapter 9: From DNA to Protein
DNA transcription to RNA
Post-Transcriptional Modifications
Messengers: mRNA
Translators: rRNA and tRNA
RNA translation to protein
WEEK 10: 10/20 – 10/24
TEST 9: Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Control of Gene Expression
Transcription factors (repressors, activators)
Acetylation and methylation
mRNA processing and transport
Homeotic genes
Barr bodies, sex determination in humans
Operons (lac Operon)
Inherited gene expression patterns
WEEK 11: 10/27 – 10/31
TEST 10: Chapter 10
Chapter 11: How Cells Reproduce
Mitosis: Multiplication by Division
Control over the cell cycle
Sequence of events during mitosis
Eukaryotic cellular division
Cell cycles out of control (cancer)
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WEEK 12: 11/3 – 11/7
TEST 11: Chapter 11
Chapter 12: Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction
Alleles
Advantages of sexual reproduction
Meiosis halves the chromosome number
Steps of meiosis
Introducing variations in traits (chromosome segregation, crossing over)
Chapter 13: Observing Patterns in Inherited Traits
Mendel’s experiments
Punnett square
Testcross (monohybrid cross, dihybrid cross)
Law of segregation
Law of independent assortment
Crossovers (linkage groups)
Non-Mendelian inheritance (codominance, incomplete dominance, epistasis, pleiotropy)
Environmental effects on phenotype
WEEK 13: 11/10 – 11/14
TEST 12: Chapter 12
Chapter 14: Human Inheritance
Autosomal dominant inheritance pattern
Autosomal recessive inheritance pattern
X-linked recessive inheritance pattern
X-linked dominant inheritance pattern
Chromosomal mutations (duplications, deletions, inversions, translocation)
Changes in chromosome number (aneuploidy)
Changes in chromosome structure
Genetic screening
WEEK 14: 11/17 – 11/21
TEST 13: Chapter 13 and Chapter 14
Chapter 15: Biotechnology
DNA Cloning
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR
DNA Sequencing
Genomics
DNA profiling
Genetic Engineering
Gene therapy
Personal Genetic Testing
WEEK 15: 11/25 – 11/29
No classes, Thanksgiving break
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WEEK 16: 12/1 – 12/4
TEST 14: Chapter 15
Chapter 19: Viruses, Bacteria, and Archaea
Viruses structure
Viral replication
Bacteriophage (phages)
HIV replication
Viral diseases
Similarities between bacteria and archaea
Bacterial lineages
Bacteria and human health
Disclaimer
Schedule may be amended from time to time depending on the pace of the class