Biology 201: Cellular Biology & Genetics FULL Course Syllabus (available on Blackboard), Fall 2010 Sections: 201.001 (5627) & 201.002 (5628)
Lecture & Lab: Prof. Charlotte Saylor Office: Smith Hall Room 267 Email:
[email protected] [email protected] Mailbox: Smith Hall, Room 341
Department of Biological Sciences
Drop In Office Hours: Monday 4:00 4:00 pm 5:00 pm Wednesday 4:00 pm 5:00 pm & Friday 11:00 am noon
Class Meeting Times & Rooms Combined Lecture: Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 9:00 am 9:50 am, Smith 356 Lab Section 001: Monday, 1:00 pm 3:45 pm, Smith 313 Lab Section 002: Wednesday, Wednesday , 1:00 pm 3:45 pm, Smith 313 Books & Supplies (Required)
Textbook:
Freeman, S. 2010. Biological Science, volume I , 4th edition, 2010 by Scott Freeman. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company. This book was selected because it clearly and concisely describes t he aspects of biology t hat will be covered in BIOL201.
Lab Manual:
Biology 201 Laboratory Laboratory Manual by Katherine Denniston and Larry Wimmers. The lab manual is available for purchase purchase from Copies Plus. (cost ~$14) ~$14) Please purchase the lab manual BEFORE your first lab meeting.
Note:
Copies Plus is located in Cook Library and is open Monday Thursday from 7:30 am 3:30 pm and on Fridays from 7:30 am noon. They accept cash, checks and One Cards but not credit cards.
Other:
4 x 6 index cards for lecture quizzes Binder (1 1 ½ inch) for the lab manual One NCS Test Sheet model 50/W & #2 pencils for the final exam
Important
Dates Fall 2010 Last day to drop/add (no record on your transcript): Thursday, September 2nd Last day to withdraw (W on transcript, transcript, not calculated in GPA): Monday, November 8th Unit Exams: Exam dates are included in the lecture l ecture schedule (pg. 9-10) of the full syllabus th Final Exam: Monday, December 13 , 8:00 10:00 am in Room 356 (Bring a #2 pencil)
Course Website B IOL I: CELL & GENET ICS (BIOL201001/002)-FA10 (1104BIOL201001_002) automatically be enrolled in the course If you are officially enrolled in this course, you should automatically website hosted on Blackboard (https://bbweb.towson.edu/ (https://bbweb.towson.edu/). ). To log into Blackboard and the the course website, you need your Towson User ID (your email user name) and your Towson password. If you are in the process of adding this class or were not automatically enrolled in the course website on Blackboard, please contact me as soon as possible to gain access to the site. Usage of the course website on Blackboard is integral and essential to success in th is course. Exam study guides and other important ma terials, resources, and announcements are posted on this site and will NOT be distributed in class. 1
Course Objectives
The following outline summarizes the objectives for BIOL.201. It is not meant as a specific study guide and does not include the details you need to know to accomplish the goals. The objectives summarize the "big ideas" that we will be covering in this course. I. Understand and apply
the scientific method to solving problems A. Recognize that the scientific method is simply a way of approaching a problem that begins with understanding a set of basic information. B. Learn to develop hypotheses and design controlled experiments to test them.
II. Develop a sufficient understanding of chemistry to predict p roperties of biological molecules.
A. Understand the structure of atoms B. Describe how and why atoms form chemical bonds with one another. C. Know the functional groups of organic (and biological) molecules and understand how functional groups determine properties of the molecules of which they are a part. D. Recognize carbohydrates, lipids, proteins (amino acids), and nucleic acids. E. Appreciate the properties of water that make it i ndispensable to life. III.
Know the structure of a "typical" plant, animal, and bacterial cell. A. Learn the names and functions of each of the structures (organelles) within a cell. B. Describe the way in which organelles work together to accomplish cellular functions.
IV. Develop a "feel" for the
principles of cellular energetics. A. Describe the way in which the first and second laws of thermodynamics control chemical reactions, in general, and metabolic reactions, in particular. B. Know the basic properties of enzymes and describe their function and regulation. C. Understand the role of enzymes in the processes of photosynthesis and in cellular energy harvesting pathways. D. Write an overview of the reactions that make up the metabolic pathways studied.
V. Integrate the processes of sexual reproduction (meiosis and f ertilization) with the ability to
predict the
frequencies of traits in the offspring. A. Describe mitosis and meiosis, step by step. B. Explain Mendel's laws of inheritance, gene linkage, and crossing-over. C. Use probability to calculate the results of genetic crosses. VI.
Understand the "Central Dogma of Molecular Biology": DNA RNA Protein. A. Know the structure of DNA and RNA. B. Describe the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation. C. Understand the basic characteristics of the genetic code. D. Describe mechanisms of regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes and general principles of gene regulation in eukaryotes.
It is our * goal to help you accomplish your objectives through classroom lecture, discussion, and laboratory experimentation. More than this, however, it is our goal to help you appreciate the elegance of biological systems, the limits of our understanding of biology, how we have come to our current understanding through 2
experimentation, how our understanding has changed over time due to new insights and experimental results, and how we can continue to learn more about biological systems through experimentation. It is also our goal to help you begin to appreciate the inter-relatedness of the scientific disciplines. We cannot study biology without an understanding of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. We hope you will begin to see the important interdependence of these disciplines so that chemistry, physics, and math courses become more than obstacles on the way to a degree in biology. Rather they should be viewed as important sources of knowledge to allow you to develop a more complete understanding of biological systems. We want you to appreciate that science is a process of investigating the natural world, not a collection of facts in a textbook. This requires active participation in the process. The laboratories that you will be participating in during this semester are going to involve testing various aspects of the models that we will be studying in lecture. Following discussion of the models and introduction to the types of techniques and equipment available, you will work in laboratory groups to design experiments to test aspects of the models. We will work through the semester to help you develop the following skills: y y y y y y
to work with others effectively in cooperative efforts to design well-controlled experiments to recognize the difference between data and results to analyze data using appropriate calculations and graphing capabilities to write an accurate, well-organized laboratory report to present your findings before an audience of your peers
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The our and we used throughout this section refer to the team of instructors and teaching assistants providing instruction in Biology 201.
Americans with Disabilities Act
If you are a qualified student with a disability seeking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to self-identify with Disability Student Services (DSS) in the Administration Building and present a letter to me from DSS. This should be done during the first week of class.
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Biology 201 Lecture Tips for Success Lecture Units (4-6 weeks each) Class sessions will include group problem-solving, discussions about assigned readings, and standard lectures. Many class sessions will include a quiz on t he content of t he previous class(es ) [since t he last quiz] and/or t he content of t he reading for t he day. Unit exams will be 50 minutes long and will include short answer and multiple choice questions as well as some longer essay responses.
At the beginning of each unit Print out the provided study materials study guides and/or worksheets Read through the study materials carefully and keep them in an accessible and VISIBLE location, so that 1. you do not forget about them and wait to the last minute. And, so that 2. you can make notes about information presented in class or lab related to these questions. During the unit Read the assigned text sections before each class. Do not highlight every line of the text. You should be reading for main ideas, key concepts and definitions. Complete any additional assignments/exercises assigned during lecture or lab. Take notes in class. Be an active participant in class discussion. Be willing to ask questions and volunteer to answer questions. Rewrite your notes and organize them as soon as possible after each class (within 24 hours). Try to fill in any missing pieces using the text. Study your notes before coming to the next class. If you have questions, write them down AND ask them. Use the additional materials available with your text The questions and problems available at the end of each chapter of your text The Mastering Biology website Before the exam Review the information presented in lecture. Review any pertinent material presented in lab. Save your study materials! The final exam is cumulative. A Note on Study Groups Study groups can be a valuable resource IF they are run effectively. Study groups are most beneficial to those students who are active participants and come prepared (having studied the material independently ahead of time). Use study groups to o Compare notes from lecture and fill in holes in your understanding Ask questions of each other o Work through study materials together o Practice explaining concepts to each other without use of books or notes (take time to teach o each other) This will take a lot of time, but that is what is needed to go beyond memorizing information. This approach will help you really learn and understand information, make connections to other material, and retain those pieces of information needed for success in your upper level biology coursework.
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Biology 201 Lab Tips for Success Lab Units (2-3 weeks each) In t he first t hree units, your team will design and conduct experiments to an swer a specific question(s) developed from t he presented unit problem (i.e. Vitamin C levels in cabbage ). For t hese t hree units, you will present your experimental design and findings to t he class. In addition, students (as individuals and later as teams) will summarize t heir experience and gained knowledge in t he form of a lab report. In t he second half of t he semester, t he laboratory sessions will reinforce t he lecture content t hrough formal presentations and analysis of pertinent issues in tec hnology and et hics, genetics problem solving sessions and preliminary exposure to D NA extraction and visualization techniques. Specific guidelines for t he lab reports, oral reports and activities are given in t he lab manual, will be distributed in class and/or will be posted on Blackboard.
At the beginning of each unit Read/skim through the ENTIRE lab unit and related appendices. This will help you understand what we will be doing in lab each week and how the weeks of the unit connect to one another. Reading ahead also allows you to use your lab time more effectively reducing the amount of work you need to complete outside of lab. Before each weeks lab Re-read the sections of the lab manual pertaining to that week. This time you should focus your reading and try to understand the details of what needs to be accomplished. You may find it helpful to outline the protocols/procedures for that week in your notebook. It is often easier to complete the lab in the allotted time when you come to class understanding what you are trying to accomplish. Ask questions as needed before you arrive. Complete any assigned reading or pre-lab activities listed in the lab manual, given orally in class, or posted on Blackboard Complete any work/assignments not completed the previous week. During lab Bring your lab manual, colored pencils/pens, and relevant materials from your pre-lab preparations. Take notes during lab discussions. Actively participate in your lab group and in class discussions. You may also want to bring a camera (stand alone or cell phone) to visually record results and methods for preparation of your lab reports. Additional advice Dont procrastinate. This semester you will be assigned to a lab group. Make sure that you arrange to complete your group work ahead of time. You will not have time to completely finish posters or reports in lab. Communicate. Each member of your group should have a clear understanding of what their responsibilities are and how their project component relates to the whole. It is your responsibility to let your instructor know if there is a problem with a group member meeting their obligations. It is not your responsibility to do another group members work for them. Enjoy yourself. Maintaining a positive attitude can only enhance your learning experience.
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Where can you go to get help? Professor Saylors office hours & review sessions If the office hour and review session times do not work with your schedule, request an appointment Tutors are available through the Academic Achievement Center, CK 524, 410-704-2291, http://www.towson.edu/aac/walkinschedule.html#LocationsSchedule Check this website for tutor availability in the FCSM Tutorial Services for Science and Math Courses (located in Smith 538). Help with study and testing skills can be obtained at the Academic Achievement Center, CK 524 Mastering Biology Website: Your textbook was packaged with a subscription to the publishers commercial web page. o These resources include study tools such as 3-D animations, videos, an electronic version of the text, chapter quizzes and optional assignments designed to improve and test your comprehension of the material. Each new book comes with instructions on how to use the site. If you have problems, you can o call their technical assistance, or ask one of your instructors. The web site can be found at www.masteringbio.com. To access the page you will need to enter the password found in the Access Kit that comes with your NEW textbook. Since this is a commercial page, please do not distribute these codes. Please note all activities and resources associated with this page are optional, so if you buy a used text and do not have access to the page you will not be missing required material. If you buy a used book and still want to use this site you can purchase a stand-alone registration for ~$35.00 at the site above. y y y
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COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 1. Lectures and Attendance Policy: Attendance in lecture is not required, but it is strongly recommended . While lecture generally follows the topics in the text, some details will be omitted and some additional information will be added. You will get a much better sense of the conceptual emphasis of each unit from the lecture than you can get by simply reading the text. Additionally, there will be unannounced quizzes during the semester (see below), which will account for 1/8 of your final grade. 2. Laboratory and Attendance Policy: Attendance in the laboratory is required . Biology is a laboratory science and it is essential to learn proper procedures for planning and carrying out experiments. You will be working in cooperative groups to design and carry out experiment. If you are absent, you are not fulfilling your responsibilities to your laboratory group. C oming to laboratory significantly late or leaving early without permission will be considered an absence. Missing lab sessions will significantly impact your grade. If one lab is missed without permission, your final course grade may be lowered by one letter grade. If two lab periods are missed, your final course grade may be lowered by two letter grades. If you miss three lab periods you will receive a failing grade for this course. Permission to miss a laboratory will only be given in case of a documented emergency or illness. 3. Excused Absences and Make-up Policy: Do not only communicate your absence over the phone, by email, or orally. To request that an absence be excused, access the Absence Form from the left menu bar on Blackboard. This form should be filled out before a planned absence or within 48 hours of an absence due to illness or other emergency. It is your responsibility to provide documentation for absences (i.e. a physicians note) after submitting the form. 6
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Missed Exams If you know in advance that you will miss a scheduled exam for a legitimate and documented reason, it is your responsibility to make arrangements for a make-up to be taken within 3 school days of the scheduled exam. If you have a family or medical emergency that causes you to unexpectedly miss an exam, you will need to present documentation, and a make-up exam will be scheduled within 3 school days of the scheduled exam, or later at my discretion. If you miss a scheduled make-up exam, there will be no opportunity to reschedule the make-up. Missed quizzes - Frequently, there will also be quizzes given during the first 10 minutes of class. There will be no opportunity to make up missed quizzes. Of the ~110 quiz points available this semester (~11 quizzes), only the best ten scores will be counted toward your final grade. Missed quizzes will earn 0 points. Multiple absences and repeated late arrival to class can and will negatively impact your grade.
4. Student Conduct: Free discussion, inquiry, and expression are encouraged in this class. Classroom behavior that interferes with either (a) the instructor's ability to conduct the class or (b) the ability of students to benefit from the instruction is not acceptable. Examples may include routinely entering class late or departing early; use of beepers, cellular telephones, or other electronic devices; repeatedly talking in class without being recognized; talking while others are speaking; or arguing i n a way that is perceived as "crossing the civility line." In the event of a situation where a student legitimately needs to carry a beeper/cellular telephone to class, prior notice and approval of the instructor is required. Classroom behavior that is determined to be inappropriate and cannot be resolved by the student and the faculty member may be referred for administrative or disciplinary review and the student will be barred from attending class. 5.
Academic Honesty: This course is governed by the Towson University Code of Conduct, which disallows "all forms of dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarizing, knowingly furnishing false information" and "intentional disruption of teaching (http://www.towson.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs).
Plagiarism (word for word copying of material without quotation marks and source citation, or rephrased use of information from a source without citation) and close paraphrasing (regardless of length) from any source including the textbook and lab manual, is a form of academic dishonesty because it represents theft of another person's idea(s) and way of expressing them. Accordingly, any documented instance of academic dishonesty (including plagiarism) during this class [1] will result in a grade of zero on the assignment/activity in question, [2] may lead to a failing grade for the entire course, and [3] will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Civility Education (formally the Office of Judicial Affairs) as required by Towson University revised Student Academic Integrity Policy (effective Fall 2002). Report of a second violation of this policy by a student can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
"Asking questions is one of the
fundamental keys of learning. It is always better to ask a question than pretend you understand." - C atherine Pulsifer 7
GRADED ASS IGNMENTS & GRADE CALCULAT ION
The maximum number of points in this class is 800 as described below. Final letter grades will be determined by the percentage of points accumulated relative to the total number of p oints available with the following noted exceptions: 1. Each missed laboratory session will lower your final course grade by 10% (= 1 letter grade). 2. If you miss three (or more) laboratory sessions, you final course grade will be F regardless of your percent average. 3. In order to earn a C or better in Biology 201, you must earn a C (70%) or better in both the lecture and laboratory components of the course. Students earning less than 70% of the lecture or lab points will earn no higher than a D+ as their final course grade. Student letter grades will be assigned as follows: A 92 - 100% B80 81.9% A90 - 91.9% C+ 78 79.9% B+ 88 89.9% C 70 - 77.9% B 82 - 87.9% D+ 68 69.9% Item
Unit Exams 1-3 Final Exam Quizzes 11 total, 10 counted
Points 300 total (100 each) 200 total
100 total
[lowest score dropped]
Lab Written Reports 1-3 Lab Oral Report
D F
60 - 67.9% < 60%
Description Exams will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. See Excused Absence and Make up Policy section (page 6-7) for information regarding absences on the day of the exam.
A cumulative exam on all material covered during the semester including the nontested material for the final course lectures. The format of the exam will be modeled after the format of the Unit exams. During many classes (randomly selected from all classes except those with an exam), there will be a short quiz worth 10 points. Each quiz will test information from previous classes as well as material prepared for that days class (i.e. assigned reading). There will be 11 quizzes available during the semester. Only ten of these will be counted toward your final grade. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. See Excused Absence and Make up Policy section (page 6-7) for information regarding absences on the day of the quiz.
150 total (50 each)
Student written lab reports will be evaluated for both individual contribution and the lab groups cohesive presentation. See Additional Information on Graded Assignments (page 11) for more information.
50 total
Student oral lab reports will be evaluated for both individual contribution and the lab groups cohesive presentation. See Additional Information on Graded Assignments (page 11) for more information.
In the case of school closing or other event, the total number of course points may be reduced. In that case your course grade will be calculated as the total number of points obtained out of the reduced number of points available.
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Date
Course Lecture Outline and Calendar Lecture Subject
8/25, 8/27
Unit 1: Introduction to Biology and the Molecules of Life
Introduction to Biology (Chapter 1) 8/30, 9/1, 9/3
Water & Carbon: The Chemical Basis of Life (Chapter 2) Introduction to Biological Molecules (intro to chapters 3 6) Quiz 1
9/8, 9/10
Protein Structure and Function (Chapter 3) Nucleic Acids and the RNA World (Chapter 4) Quiz 2
9/13, 9/15, 9/17
Carbohydrates (Chapter 5) Lipids (Chapter 6, Section 6.1 and 6.2) Quiz 3
9/20, 9/22, 9/24
9/20 Exam 1, Chapters 1-6 Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function
Lipids (Cell Membranes, Chapter 6, Sections 6.3 and 6.4) Start Cell Structure (Chapter 7) 9/27, 9/29, 10/1
Complete Cell Structure (Chapter 7) Cell-to-Cell Interactions (Chapter 8) Quiz 4
10/4, 10/6, 10/8
Introduction to Metabolism (Review chapter 3 & Intro to chapters 9 10) Cellular Respiration and Fermentation (Chapter 9) Quiz 5
10/11, 10/13, 10/15
Photosynthesis (Chapter 10) Summary of Metabolism Pathway Comparison (Chapters 9 10) Quiz 6
10/18, 10/20, 10/22
10/18 Exam 2, Chapters 7-10 Unit 3: Introduction to Cell Division and Genetics
The Cell Cycle (Chapter 11) 10/25, 10/27, 10/29
Meiosis (Chapter 12) Mendel and the Gene (Chapter 13) Quiz 7
11/1, 11/3, 11/5
DNA and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair (Chapter 14) Quiz 8
11/8, 11/10, 11/12
How Genes Work (Chapter 15) Quiz 9
11/15, 11/17, 11/19
Transcription and Translations (Chapter 16) Quiz 10
11/22
11/22 Exam 3, Chapters 11 15
continued on the next page
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11/29, 12/1, 12/3
Final Course Material: Control of Gene Expression
Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria (Chapter 17) Control of Expression in Eukaryotes (Chp 18) Quiz 11 12/6, 12/8
Complete Course Material (select topics from chapters 19 & 20 may be included as time permits)
12/13
Final Exam 8:00 am 10:00 am (Cumulative, including material covered after Exam 3) Laboratory Outline and Schedule
Week Of
Laboratory Activities
8/23
No labs this week
8/30
Plan and present ascorbic acid experiment for discussion and modification; prepare and submit written protocol.
9/6
No labs this week
9/13
Carry out ascorbic acid experiments; analyze data using the computer; organize group effort to prepare presentation (~10 min each)
9/20
Presentation of ascorbic acid experiments and class feedback. Plan and present osmosis experiment for discussion and modification; prepare and submit written protocol.
9/27
Hand in ascorbic acid lab report. Carry out osmosis and diffusion experiments, analyze data using the computer; organize group effort to prepare presentation (15 min each).
10/4
Presentation and discussion of experimental results of osmosis and diffusion lab. Plan and present designs for enzyme experiments for discussion and modification; prepare and submit written protocol.
10/11
Hand in osmosis lab report. Carry out enzyme experiments. Analyze data.
10/18
Presentation and discussion of experimental results of enzyme lab. Assign Oral Report subjects
10/25
Hand in enzyme lab reports. Genetics Problems
11/1
Genetics Problems
11/8
Oral Report Presentations
11/15
Genotype-to-phenotype: transformation
11/22
No labs this week
11/29
Genotype to phenotype: physical analysis of DNA
12/6
No labs this week 10
Additional Information on Graded Assignments Written Lab Reports - You will be writing three laboratory reports this semester. Reports should be formatted at follows: - Typed in a standard 12 point font like Times New Roman or Calibri - With 1 inch margins on all sides - And organized as follows: Introduction a brief description of the phenomenon being investigated and the question(s) Materials and Methods a brief description of the protocol carried out for each experiment Results a concise description of the results of each experiment. This section should contain a graphical representation of obtained data AND a written explanation of the presented results Discussion interpretation and discussion of the obtained results. This section should also include experimental problems encountered as well as suggestions for improvement and additional experiments. Bibliography Sources of information used in preparation of any section of the report. Contributions The role of each student in carrying out experiments and in preparing the report - It is expected that reports will have been spell checked before submission and proofread for grammatical errors and misspellings not caught by your word processing program. - An excellent guide to scientific writing entitled "A short guide to writing about Biology" by Pechenik will be available on reserve. Chapters 1-5 and 8 should be particularly helpful. y y y
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Lab Report 1 will be prepared individually (the experiments will be conducted as a group). Each student should submit a hard copy in lab the day it is due (you may print out this report two pages per sheet). Lab Reports 2 and 3 will be prepared as groups with each student taking primary responsibility for one section (or more if a group has fewer than four members). Group lab reports will be graded such that each students grade is composed on an individual score (75% of the total grade) and a group score (25% of the total grade). It is highly recommended that groups work closely together to proofread and critique each others work before submitting the final report. Reports 2 and 3 will be submitted electronically through Blackboard before lab on the day they are due. Late lab reports will be accepted, but will receive a reduction of 2 5% off the final grade for each day the report is late. Reports received after the start of lab on the day they are due will be considered late and will receive a grade reduction of 25%.
Oral Lab Reports Each group will work collectively on a single assigned subject. Each report will cover the biology, applications, dangers and ethical concerns of that subject. Key components of the report include: Length: The oral reports should be between 20 and 25 minutes. Participation: All group members must participate in the presentation in roughly equal parts. Visual Aids: The use of visual aids is required. Overheads or PowerPoint is acceptable. Physical demonstrations (models etc.) are also acceptable. Grading: The final grade will for the assignment will be based 75% on the individual effort and 25% on the group effort. Topic Assignment: Topics will be assigned during the semester randomly by lottery. y y y
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