Biology

Study of the structure and function of the major tissues, organs, and organ systems of the human body. Three hours per week.

This course will introduce you to ecology, evolution, and biodiversity within the context of structure and function including the adaptive strategies plants and animals use to manage the everyday challenges of life. Most importantly, you will build a foundation for understanding how science works and how to think and communicate scientifically. Your participation in this course will give you a solid background of basic biology concepts that you will use as you progress in the sciences. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate comprehension of life at the organismal and ecological levels.

An introduction to the molecular and cellular processes common to life with an emphasis on control of energy and information flow. Central themes include basic biological chemistry metabolism, cellular physiology, macromolecular function, and the genetic basis of cellular function. Topics covered include the chemical basis of living systems, energy transformations of living systems, enzymes and metabolic functions, cell structure and function, and the flow of biological information within a cell and between cells.

Students examine the structures of the human body by use of models, charts, and case studies. Also, experiments are used to demonstrate functional aspects of the major organ systems. Two laboratory hours per week. 

An introductory laboratory course with projects designed for students to implement the scientific process from hypothesis formulation to quantitative data analysis and communication. Laboratory projects will be based on topics related to organismal physiology and behavior, evolutionary concepts, and ecological principles. Meets two hours per week.

An introductory laboratory course with projects designed for students to implement the scientific process from hypothesis formulation to quantitative data analysis and communication. Laboratory projects will be based on topics related to cellular structure, respiration, photosynthesis, DNA structure and function, cellular and organismal reproduction, and genetics. Meets two hours per week.

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

An introduction to terminology used in the health professions. This is an on-line, self-paced course covering root words, suffixes, and prefixes commonly used in healthcare professional settings. Students will be guided through development of a medical vocabulary and use of this knowledge to analyze primary literature in the medical field and presentation medical information.

This course will provide exposure to professions related to the life sciences, physical sciences and environmental sustainability. Using student identified Strengths from StrengthsQuest, students will develop the professional skill sets to start a career path in various science and sustainability fields. Employment opportunities at all levels (technician, field specialist, human resources, sales, marketing, education, writing, advocacy, management, coordinator, etc.) in nonprofit, government, academic, and private sector industries will be discussed.

This course introduces students to concepts on inter-professional education as it is being practiced in the field of healthcare. Students will be guided through reflection on ethical and practical issues of a career in the healthcare field. Students will review requirements and application processes for a variety of careers including medical, dental, physician assistant, veterinary, as well as the many allied health programs. Additional topics covered include study of the variety of healthcare professions, avenues of application, professionalism, personal statements, and developing an academic plan. This is a seminar course with speaker and discussion format.

A course that delves into the role of women in science throughout history. Students will examine relationships of women to society in general and to science as it evolved through changing societies. The lives of an assortment of women who contributed to scientific advance will be examined. Three lecture hours per week.

Recent advances in biology and medicine are creating many new and complex social issues and conflicts. Developing a community of concerned responsibility to resolve these issues requires an understanding of the underlying biological principles involved and of the various potential solutions. Through a series of selected topics Biology and Society will present the pertinent basic biological concepts and will foster discussion of values and issues involved in making personal decisions abt each topic.

This course emphasizes the evolution, morphology, physiology, systematics, and ecology of land plants as well as fungi and algae. 

An interdisciplinary field biology course with focus on tropical ecosystems, natural history, and conservation. The ecological complexity of the tropics, the patterns of species diversity and the types of species interactions that characterize these systems are discussed, as well as how these ecological processes are affected by human activities. The approach is experiential, with emphasis on developing scientific skills of observations, analysis, and critical thinking, and applying them to field research.

A comparative phylogenetic study of protozoans and animalians. For each taxon structural and functional consideration will be given to the systems of maintenance, activity, and continuity. The course will also emphasize the ecology, behavior, and evolution of each group. Three lecture hours per week.

Application of scientific principles to the study, conservation, and management of the environment with emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving used to study this broad field. Three class hours and three laboratory hours per week.

Laboratory study of plants to illustrate and supplement lecture material presented in BIO-211. Laboratory exercises will deal with life cycles and morphology of the major groups of the plant kingdom, anatomy and morphology of higher plants, and experiments in plant physiology. Three laboratory or field trip hours per week. 

Laboratory studies include specific reference to classification, structure, function, ecology and phylogeny of the major animalians. Special emphasis is placed on the observation of living animals. Three laboratory hours per week. 

The focus of Cell Biology is the study of the structure and function of the cell, the simplest unit of life. Cell biology forms the base upon which all modern biology and medicine is built. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells will be covered but the course will emphasize the study of eukaryotic cell structure and function, including cell chemistry, bioenergetics, enzymes, membrane transport, cellular communication, flow of genetic information, gene expression regulation, cell division, cell cycle regulation and immune response. Clinical relevance of the concepts covered in the course will be emphasized, and defects in cellular processes will be related to various human diseases, including cancer. Modern experimental techniques used in understanding cellular biology will also be discussed in this course. Three lecture hours per week.

A study of the emergence and history of life on earth. Emphasis is put on the mechanisms that result in evolutionary change at the cellular, population, and ecosystem level. Areas covered include genetics, population ecology, speciation, and extinction. Three lecture hours per week. 

The microscope and microscopy [techniques] are central to the development and practice of modern biology. This course provides an historical outline of microscopy and a review of its modern techniques. Topics included are phase-contrast, interference, fluorescence, confocal, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. One practicum hour per week. 

A presentation of current methods in plant tissue culture. Discussion and research experiments to develop understanding and expertise in such areas as: sterile technique, plant propagation, nutritional effects, isolation and fusion of protoplasts, and other current plant tissue culture techniques. Three practicum hours per week. 

A course presenting many of the central principles of pharmacology and the mechanisms of drug action on biological systems. Areas of study include drug development, dose-response relationships, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics. 

Students will apply biological, chemical, and geological techniques to investigate environmental processes and how these processes are impacted by humans. Class time will be spent in the laboratory and field. One three-hour lab meeting per week. 

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

A research development and seminar course in which freshman and sophomore level students will be introduced to processes and mechanisms for conducting original laboratory, field, or library based research. Students are required to present their findings orally and in written form.

This course is an introductory course in biostatistics, with a strong emphasis on statistical applications, in public health and environmental research. This course will provide students with statistical tools for the analysis and presentation of data, and will stress interpretation of statistical results from health science literature. Course topics will include: sampling and study design, graphical presentation of data, simple hypothesis testing, repeated measures analysis, and regression modeling. Students will develop analytical computing and data presentation skills using the statistical package 'R'. 

Medical Ethics will introduce students to a variety of ethical and moral issues facing medicine and health care providers today. Through the use of lecture and activities/discussions based on sound biological/scientific principles, students will be able to: articulate an ethical issue, assemble necessary science-based information for making ethical decisions in a biological context, identify possible courses of medically-appropriate action and develop a morally and medically acceptable solution by synthesizing science-based information. 

This course is designed to give students exposure to the fundamental concepts of human immunology. Course topics include the history of the discipline, innate and adaptive immunity, antigen recognition, B-cell and T-cell maturation and selection, the complement cascade response and control and manipulation of the immune system. Special topics on human immune diseases, including autoimmunity and immunodeficiency, will be discussed. Additionally, the course will explore practical applications of immunology in laboratory, diagnostic and public health settings. 

A combined lecture-laboratory course. The microanatomy of mammalian tissues and organs at both the light and electron microscope level are surveyed. Histology by its nature is highly visual, therefore, lecture and laboratory work will be integrated into a unified format. Students are introduced to the basics of microscopy and microtechnique, and are responsible for tissue and organ recognition and critical interpretation. Students are given a comprehensive set of prepared slides for detailed study. Two lecture-laboratory hours per week in person two are online.

A combined lecture-laboratory course. This course is a comprehensive investigation of protozoan, helminth, and arthropod parasites with special emphasis to those of medical and veterinary importance. The techniques of parasitology are covered, including egg sedimentation, life cycle studies, animal necropsy, and the use of taxonomic keys. Students are given a comprehensive set of prepared slides for detailed study. 

A course in the comparative morphology of protochordates and vertebrates. The sequence of study includes protochordate origin, vertebrate origin, vertebrate diversity, early embryology, and the comparative morphology of vertebrate organ systems. The evolutionary and developmental history of vertebrates will be of major importance. 

A comprehensive study of the principal processes involved in vertebrate cells, tissues, and organ systems, including circulation, respiration, excretion, acid-base and fluid balances, digestion, reproduction, and muscle-nerve coordination and integration. Anatomy is studied as necessary to understand the functions of the different systems. Three lecture hours per week.

A study of the interactions between plants and animals and their environments. The effects of environmental factors on living systems are considered at the individual, population, and community levels. Three lecture hours per week.

A course designed to provide a general understanding of the structure and function of bacterial cell types along with the application of bacteriology to certain medical, food, environmental and industrial processes. Students will engage in collaborative projects employing various applications of microbiology principles and techniques.  

A lecture course on the functional anatomy of human cells and tissues, organization of the body, the integument, the skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system and sensory structures. The perspective of the course is on the relationship between structure and function, homeostasis and diseases as a result of homeostatic imbalances. Three lectures per week. 

A lecture course on the functional anatomy of the endocrine system, reproductive system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system and excretory system, including fluid and electrolyte balance and acid-base balance. The perspective of the course is on the relationship between structure and function, homeostasis and diseases as a result of homeostatic imbalances. Three lectures per week. 

Includes experimentation in cellular physiology, blood analysis and circulation, respiration, excretion, and neuro-muscular function. Some dissection of preserved and fresh animal organs is required as necessary to understand organ functions. Three laboratory hours per week. 

A series of laboratory exercises chosen to acquaint students with procedures used in studying bacteria, including aseptic technique, culturing methods and staining techniques. Students isolate strains from natural habitats and also carry out exercises associated with food and medical microbiology. Three laboratory hours per week. 

A vertebrate dissection course. A comparative systems approach is used in the detailed dissection of the lamprey, dogfish shark, mudpuppy, and cat. The course also includes the microscopic and gross examination of hemichordates and protochordates. Three laboratory hours per week. 

Laboratory studies of ecosystems to supplement lecture material presented in BIO-326 and illustrate some techniques involved in current ecological studies. Laboratory exercises will combine studies of plant, animal, and environmental interactions with experimental manipulations of selected ecosystems. Three laboratory or field trip hours per week. 

Students examine the functional anatomy of cells and tissues with light microscopy, the integument, the skeletal system, histology and development of bone, histology and anatomy of muscle, articulations and body movement, functional organization, anatomy and histology of the nervous system and sensory structure including integument, nose, tongue, ear and eye. Three laboratory hours per week.

Students examine the functional organization, anatomy and histology of the endocrine system, reproductive system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system and urinary system, including taking physiological recordings from several systems and interpreting the recordings. Three laboratory hours per week.

This course provides experience in the techniques required for research in the aquatic environment. Aspects of organism identification, habitat classification, water chemistry, and sampling techniques will be included. One three-hour field meeting per week. 

This course provides experience in the techniques required for research in the terrestrial environment. Aspects of organism identification, community classification, soil study, and sampling techniques will be included. One three-hour field meeting per week. 

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

An upper level seminar course that focuses on one of the major modern biological themes. One seminar hour per week.

This course is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and use of the techniques of scanning electron microscopy. The course is for students from a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to biology, chemistry, art, and human environmental science. Topics include history of SEM, electron optics (gun, lenses, probes, current), electron beam interactions (scattering and volume), image processing and optimization, critical point drying, and sputter coating. Designed as an instrumentation course it is necessary that students gain hands on knowledge of the SEM by completing a project. Each student will prepare a poster of their project results for presentation on the Day Celebrating Student Achievement. Three hours instruction per week.

A course designed to provide an understanding of the principles of classical, population, and molecular genetics and the relationship of these principles to human heredity, agriculture, evolution, and selected environmental problems. 

A study of the chemistry of biological systems including metabolic interrelationships, reaction rates, control mechanisms, and integration of these reactions within the structural framework of the cell. Three lectures per week. 

The second part of a 2-part course in Biochemistry, this advanced course is designed to prepare students for graduate study and careers in the fields of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. The course will present topics in modern Biochemistry including bio-molecular structure, enzyme catalysis, bioenergetics, biosynthesis of bio-molecules, and culminate with a discussion of special topics such as cellular signal transduction. Three lectures per week. 

A collection of laboratory exercises designed to provide practical exposure to some of the general principles and methodology of biochemistry. Techniques include photometry, polarimetry, electrophoresis, centrifugation, and various chromatographic techniques. Three laboratory hours per week. 

This course will cover the basic techniques used in molecular biology and biotechnology. The course has both lecture and laboratory components in which fundamental concepts and techniques will be presented and then practiced. Students will particpate in a semester-long molecular biology project. The laboratory skill introduced in this class would be useful for students interested in pursuing graduate studies or employment in research laboratories, and those interested in environmental or health issues. 

Collection of laboratory exercises designed to provide practical exposure to some of the general principles considered in BIO-431. Laboratory work will be based upon a number of organisms including bacteria, fungi, higher plants, fruit flies, and man. Three laboratory hours per week.

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

This capstone course for the Biology major is an opportunity for students to use the skills and knowledge developed throughout the curriculum to complete a research project. Findings of the semester long project will be presented to Biology faculty and students. Students will also develop a resume and explore potential job opportunities or graduate programs to consider after graduation. As part of this course, students will assemble their senior portfolios, which include a sample of projects and deliverables completed throughout the curriculum. All Biology majors should register for this course during their senior year.

A Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate seminar course in which students will conduct literature research on current health issues facing society. Students will present their findings in both an oral and written format.

This is a research and seminar course in which junior or senior level students who are members of the Honors and/or Teaching Fellows Programs conduct original laboratory, field, or library based research. Students are required to present their research orally and in written form. The project must meet Honors Program thesis requirements as well as expectations of the biology faculty.

Senior research is a research and seminar course in which junior and senior level students conduct original laboratory, field, or library based research. Students are required to present their research orally and in written form.