I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Concepts of Biology

2. Course Prefix & Number:
BIOL 1411

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 2

Lab Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

This course is a one-semester survey of the fundamental concepts of biology. Topics covered may include: cell structure and function; understanding how living things grow, reproduce, acquire, and use energy, and respond to their environments; plants; animals; behavior; evolution; ecology; or biotechnology. Two hours lecture and a two hour lab weekly. This course is intended for non-science majors. MnTC Goal 3

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

St. Cloud State University, BIOL 102 The Living World, 3 credits
Bemidji State University, BIOL 1120 General Biology, 3 credits
Winona State University, BIOL 118 General Biology, 4 credits

III. Course Purpose

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
Goal 3 – Natural Sciences

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Complete lab exercises requiring sequential steps (examples: extraction of chlorophyll from leaves, analysis of chmcal composition of unknown chemicals
Utilize appropriate technology	Demonstrate basic technical skills; effectively use and maintain laboratory equipment (examples: use a microscope, use spectrophotometer to analyze chemcial composition)
Work as a team member to achieve shared goals	Participate sufficiently to achieve defined experimental goals and results (example: perform work as part of laboratory experimentation and present aquired data to the class)

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate and apply an understanding of the scientific method.  MnTC Goal 3
• Formulate and test hypotheses by performing laboratory, simulation, or field experiments in at least two of the natural science disciplines.  One of these experimental components should develop, in greater depth, students' laboratory experience in the collection of data, its statistical and graphical analysis, and an appreciation of its sources of error and uncertainty.  MnTC Goal 3
• Communicate their experimental findings, analyses, and interpretations both orally and in writing.  MnTC Goal 3
• Evaluate societal issues from a natural science perspective, ask questions about the evidence presented, and make informed judgments about science-related topics and policies.  MnTC Goal 3
• Demonstrate and apply an understanding of the cell theory.  MnTC Goal 3
• Recognize and give examples of the organisms and their characteristics in the taxonomic kingdoms.  MnTC Goal 3
• Describe and discuss the scientific process and patterns of evolution.  MnTC Goal 3
• Compare and contrast the similarieties and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.  MnTC Goal 3
• Identify and give examples of the different Mendelian genetic inheritance patterns.  MnTC Goal 3

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Introduction to the Concepts of Biology
• Define and describe the levels of biological organization
• Explain the importance Diversity of species
• Describe the goals and limits of scientific investigations
• Explain hypothesis-based science
• Define a hypothesis, and compare inductive and deductive reasoning
• Define a control, and describe an example
• Explain why an understanding of biology is essential to our lives
2. How Cells are Assembled; How Cell Work
• Define a cell.  Explain the components of cells
• Describe the function of the cell components:  nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi bodies, mitochondria, chloroplasts, cytoskeleton, cilia, flagella, pseudopods, cell walls
• Explain the limitations of cell size
• Define cell theory and describe the development of the cell theory
• Explain how membranes help organize the chemical activities of a cell;  Define diffusion and describe the process of passive transport;  Explain Osmosis;  Compare the processes of facilitated diffusion and active transport
• Distinguish between exocytosis, endocytosis, phagocytosis, and pinocytosis
• Compare the structures of plant and animal cells.
• Distinguish between structures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
• Explain energy input and output of cells
3. How Cells Reproduce
• Explain the mechanisms of cell division, compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis
• Describe the stages of the cell cycle
• List the phases of mitosis, describe each phase, recognize each phase from microscope slides
• Demonstrate the stages of mitosis
• Compare cytokinesis in animals and plants
4. Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis
• Explain the mechanisms of meiosis, explain the pairing of chromosomes, distinguish between, distinguish between diploid and haploid cells, List the phases of Meiosis I and Meiosis II, recognize the phases of meiosis from diagrams and Internet images
• Demonstrate the stages of meiosis
• Explain the contributions to variation in traits
• Explain how crossing over contributes to genetic variation
5. Patterns of Inheritance; Chromosomes and Genetics
• Explain Mendel’s Inheritance Patterns
• Explain how Mendel’s law of segregation describes the inheritance of a characteristic
• Define a monohybrid cross and a Punnett Square
• Explain how Mendel’s law of independent assortment applies to a dihybrid cross
• Describe the inheritance patterns of incomplete dominance and multiple alleles.
• Distinguish between Phenotypes and Genotypes
• Distinguish between autosomes and sex chromosomes
• Construct a karyotype, explain how and why it is performed
• Distinguish between autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance
• Describe the patterns of X-linked inheritance
• Differentiate between Duplication, Inversion, Deletion, Translocation, and non-disjunction
• Describe the consequences of abnormal numbers of sex chromosomes and autosomes.
6. DNA Structure and Function;  Protein Synthesis
• Explain the function of DNA
• Discuss the history of DNA
• Explain the structure of DNA
• Construct a model of DNA
• Describe the process of DNA replication
• Explain the production, translation, and transcription of RNA
• Describe the structure and function of ribosomes
• Define mutations
7. Evolutionary Processes, Patterns, Rates, and Trends
• Define and understand how biogeography, comparative morphology, radiometric dating, and fossils are used to explain evolution
• Understand the geologic time calendar
• Describe the process of natural selection.  Explain the historical significance of Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle
• Define and understand the concepts of Adaptation, Gene Pool, Mutations and Allelic Drift
8. Survey of the Prokaryotes and Viruses
• Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells (Shapes, sizes, growth, reproduction, classification)
• Describe and distinguish Bacteria, Archaea, Viruses, Viroids, Prions
• List Diseases and match them to their respective pathogen
9. Survey of the Protists and Fungi
• Describe the characteristics of protists
• Distinguish Flagellated Protozoans, Euglenoids, Amoeboid Protozoans, Ciliated Protozoans.
• Understand the biological significance of Apicomplexans
• Distinguish Dinoflagellates, brown algae, red algae, green algae, slime molds
• Know what causes Algal Blooms and cite their ecological significance.
• Describe the characteristics of Fungi
• Evaluate Fungal Diversity
• Describe and distinguish Lichens and Mycorrhizae
10. Survey of the Animal Kingdom
• Overview of the Kingdom/General Characteristics and Body Plans
• Invertebrates
• Poriferans/Sponges
• Cnidarians/Jellyfish
• Platyhelminthes/Flatworms
• Annelids/Earthworms
• Mollusks/Clams and Snails
• Nematodes/Roundworms
• Eropods/Crustaceans/Arachnids/Insects
• Echinoderms/Starfish
• Vertebrates
• Characteristics of Chordates
• Jawless Fishes/Agnathans
• Cartilaginous Fishes/Chondrichthes
• Bony Fishes
• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Birds
• Mammalian Tissues and Organ Systems
• Describe and distinguish Epithelial, Connective, Muscle and Nervous Tissues
• Overview of the Major Organ Systems
• Describe and give examples of Homeostasis
11. Survey of the Plant Kingdom
• Plant Evolution
• Overview of the general structures of plants: Roots, Stems, and Leaves; pollen and seeds
• Describe and distinguish Bryophytes/Non-Vascular Plants; Vascular Plants/Lycophytes/Horsetails/Ferns; Seed Bearing Plants: Gymnosperms/Naked Seeded Plants; Angiosperms/Flowering Plants
• Plant Tissues: Nutrition and Transport
• Distinguish Monocots and Dicots with respect to shoot, leaf, and root structure
• Describe Woody plants
• Discuss Properties of Soil
• Know how roots control water uptake
• Describe water transport through plants; discuss the role of the(plant)cuticle and stomata
• Define transpiration/cohesion
• Plant Reproduction
• Describe the structure and role of Flowers and Pollinators
• Understand the concepts of Pollination and Fertilization
• Discuss seed formation and seed dispersal mechanisms

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions

1. Scientific Method
• Formulate hypothesis
• Design/Conduct an Experiment
• Gather Data
• Formulate Conclusion(s) and summarize
2. Cell Structure and Function
• Identify cell structures using models, diagrams and/or other resources
• Conduct experiments on diffusion, osmosis, and filtration
3. Cell Division – Mitosis
• Understand the process of mitosis using models, diagrams and/or other resources
• View the stages of (whitefish) mitosis using microscopy
• Simulate mitosis with pop beads
4. Cell Division – Meiosis
• Understand the process of meiosis using models, diagrams and/or other resources
• Simulate meiosis with pop beads: with and without crossing over
• Relate the formation of gametes to fertilization and the characteristics of the offspring.