100

BIOL 104 Anatomy & Physiology for Nurses I

Co-requisite: CHEM 100 or CHEM 101. This course is an introduction to the study of the structure and function of the human body. Designed for the nursing student, concepts of anatomy and physiology with an explanation of how the body is structurally organized from the chemical/cellular level through the tissue, organ, and system levels to the organism level are explored.

Credits

4.0

Offered

Fall Semester

BIOL 110-129 Biological Inquiry

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second Biology 110-129 course without permission from the Department.) These courses promote the student’s understanding and appreciation of biology, the scientific approach to problem solving and the importance of science in our society. Various topics will be offered each semester. Laboratory work is an integral part of each course.

Credits

4.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Lab

Offered

Either semester

BIOL 111 Secret Lives of Plants

This course will expand students’ botanical horizons. Students will learn that plant life is central to life on earth. This course will emphasize the structure and function of plants, how they grow and develop, the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration and the diversity of photosynthesizing organisms.

Credits

4.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Lab

Offered

Spring Semester

BIOL 112 Biology of Food & Nutrition

(4 credits/3 lecture and 3 laboratory hours) (Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 110-129 course without permission from the Department.) This course will examine core concepts in biology through the lens of food. We will explore questions such as: What is food and what is it made of? How do different types of organisms obtain food? Why do organisms need food and what do they do with it after they get it? We will also study biological processes in the context of food as it relates to Homo sapiens. Topics will include nutrition, food-borne disease, food preparation and preservation.

Credits

4.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 113 Newsstand Biology

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 110-129 course without permission from the Department.) Fundamental biological concepts will be studied in readings and discussions taken from current, "popular" scientific literature. The course will convey ways in which biology touches our lives as well as the excitement of scientific discovery.

Credits

4.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 114 Biodiversity: Past Present & Future

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 110-129 course without permission from the Department.) This course explores the broad history of biological diversity, from the origins of life through the evolution of dinosaurs to the disappearance of prehistoric mammals during the last Ice Age. Current issues addressed will include the scope of present-day biological diversity, its usefulness to humans and its importance to ecosystems. The course will emphasize the causes of extinction, its possible consequences and strategies to conserve and restore biological diversity for the future.

Credits

4.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 117 This Course Will Bug You

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 110-129 course without permission from the Department.) This course is designed to introduce the student to insects as a unique life form. The student should gain an appreciation for the diversity of form and function that exists in the insect world. We will develop an understanding of insects as organisms within the ecology of the earth, investigating how insects live, studying their life cycles and understanding how insects and humans interact. Insects will be used as models to explore the fundamental biological concepts of evolution, anatomy, physiology, genetics, behavior and ecology. Special topics will include: insects as vectors of disease, forensic entomology, invasive species and controlling insect pests. All students will be required to prepare an insect collection.

Credits

4.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 119 Biology of Marine Organisms

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 110-129 course without permission from the Department.) Earth's oceans occupy over 70 percent of its surface area. This course uses the marine environment as a basis to explore general biological ideas and concepts. Life on earth is believed to have originated in the sea, so the study of marine organisms teaches us much about all life on earth, not just that in the sea. The classification, anatomy, physiology, homeostasis and unique ecological adaptations of many marine plants and animals will be explored. Students will learn about life in estuaries, rocky intertidal areas, sandy beaches, and the open ocean. Lecture and laboratory material may be supplemented with discussion of current issues, slides, videos, literature searches and student presentations.

Credits

4.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 130-149 Biological Inquiry

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take any BIOL 130-149 course without permission from the department.) These courses promote the student’s understanding and appreciation of biology, the scientific approach to problem solving and the importance of science in our society. Various topics will be offered each semester.

Credits

3.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Non-Lab

Offered

Either semester

BIOL 134 The Biology of Cancer

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 130-149 course without permission from the Department.) Core concepts in biology will be examined by exploring the impact of cancer on the individual cell and the entire organism. In addition to an introductory textbook, readings and discussions will focus on how to obtain the scientific knowledge a citizen of the 21st century needs to be able to understand the human condition. Emphasis will be on cellular structure and function, energy metabolism and regulation of cell reproduction, as well as information concerning the scientific basis of some currently available treatments.

Credits

3.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Non-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 138 The Human Health Mosaic

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 130-149 course without permission from the Department.) Human health and longevity are predicted by a number of factors from family history to immediate environment. This course will introduce students to basic cell biology, physiology, genetics, nutrition, evolution and ecology with a focus on human health. Throughout the course, we will focus on how to be a careful, critical reader of popular science articles concerning human health factors. Students will also explore a number of specialty topics, such as the science of cigarette addiction.

Credits

3.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Non-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 140 Biology of Symbiosis

We will explore a diversity of partnerships between microbes and animals, plants and fungi, including corals, lichens, digestive (e.g. termites, cow/human guts) and bioluminescent symbioses, including impacts on food production, tourism, and general environmental health.

Credits

3.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Non-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 141 Thinking About Thinking

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 130-149 course without permission from the Department.) The course will explore the biology of the brain from an introductory perspective, learning about the senses, muscular responses, and cognition. Topics will include vision, emotions, memory, and the neurobiological aspects of language, exploring neuroscience from the scale of components of the individual cell, to the majestic and mysterious organ now contemplating itself.

Credits

3.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Non-Lab

Offered

Either Semester

BIOL 142 Biotechnology:The Future is Here

(Junior and senior biology majors cannot take a second BIOL 130-149 course without permission from the Department.) This course addresses selected scientific and technological advances in biomedical research and molecular biology such as recombinant DNA technology, mammalian cell culture and protein expression. Ethical, global, legal and economic issues resulting from the biotechnological industry will be discussed.

Credits

3.0

Core

Scientific Thought-Non-Lab

Offered

Either Semester