PREREQUISITE: Placement into MAT101 or higher; Students receiving credit for BIO101 and/or BIO102 cannot receive credit for BIO100

COREQUISITE:  ENG101 - English Composition or equivalent

 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:

This course uses an Open Education Resource (OER) which is free. You can access the textbook at the following URL. https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e

 REQUIRED MATERIALS:  

Safety glasses are required for all on-campus sections.

All lab sections require a bound lab notebook.

 

As the result of instructional activities, students will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast the structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

• Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
• Compare and contrast plant and animal cell structures and their functions

2. Demonstrate the proper use of compound and dissecting microscopes.
3. Explain the structure and function of the four major classes of biological molecules.
4. Describe cell membrane structure and function in active, passive, and membrane assisted transport

5. Describe how the physical and chemical environment affects enzyme activity.
6. Explain the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration and their relationship to each other.

• Describe how plants modify their environment (photosynthesis)
• Describe the process of cellular respiration
• Explain the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration
• Describe the process of chemiosmotic phosphorylation

7. Explain how genetic information is stored in DNA and translated into protein.

• Compare and contrast the molecular structures of DNA and RNA
• Describe DNA synthesis.
• Describe transcription and translation.
• Describe the structure of chromosomes.

8. Describe the mechanics of mitosis and meiosis and the relationship of these processes to  reproduction and  function.

• Describe the beginning and ending products of mitosis, including the relationship of this process to growth, repair, and chromosome number

• Identify and describe the stages for the cell cycle
• Describe the beginning and ending products of meiosis, including the relationship of this process to reproduction, heredity, variation, and reduction of chromosome number.

9. Describe the mechanism of operation of the following kinds of receptors: G-protein linked, tyrosine kinase, ion channel.
10. Explain the role of cAMP, phosphodiesterase, protein kinases, and protein phosphates in signal transduction.
11. Apply genetic principles to simple Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance problems and concepts.

• Apply genetic principles to simple inheritance problems/concepts including monohybrid and dihybrid crosses

• Describe non-Mendelian inheritance including incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, pleiotrophy, epistasis, genomic imprinting, polygenetic inheritance

• Compare and contrast the relationship between mutations and genetic disorders
• Use pedigrees/karyotypes to examine the inheritance of genetic disorders.

12. Explain advantages and disadvantages of using genetic engineering techniques today in plants, humans and other animals and the ethical issues related to biotechnology.

 LAB OBJECTIVES:

The laboratory experience will reinforce biological concepts and laboratory skills. Students will:

• Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
• Investigate plant pigments and photosynthetic processes in plants.
• Compare and contrast cellular respiration and photosynthetic processes using a variety of organisms.
• Investigate environmental effects on enzyme catalysis.
• Investigate mitotic and meiotic cellular processes.
• Explore DNA biotechnology, its real world applications, and the use of electrophoresis and recombinant DNA technology to investigate these applications.
• Analyze data from genetic crosses to investigate independent assortment of two genes.
• Investigate genes to determine autosomal or sex-linked inheritance.
• Demonstrate understanding of operating and using a variety of instrumentation normally expected to be used in a biology laboratory setting including:

Horizontal Gel Electrophoresis

Compound Microscopes

Micropipets

Vernier software or comparable data collection software

Spectrophotometers

• Use lab documentation to record all data and scientific information in a bound notebook.

• Problem solve using the process of scientific inquiry during laboratory experimentation including:

• Developing hypotheses based on the observation of natural phenomena.
• Designing an experiment based on a testable hypothesis.
• Conducting an experiment using an appropriate experimental design.
• Recording and organizing data resulting from quantitative measurement using tables and graphs.
• Performing appropriate statistical analyses on the data.
• Summarizing the data using graphs, tables, and descriptive statistics.
• Communicating through writing the results of a scientific investigation using scientific arguments and explanations.

LAB ACTIVITIES:

  A complete list of proposed laboratory activities must be submitted with the course syllabus.

SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

1. understand the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including:
   1. observation
   2. hypothesis development
   3. measurement and data collection
   4. experimentation
   5. evaluation of evidence
   6. employment of mathematical analysis
2. apply scientific data, concepts and models in one of the natural sciences

 GENERAL TOPICS OUTLINE:

1. Introduction to the Study of Life
2. What is Science?
3. Chemistry
4. Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
5. Cells
6. Membranes
7. Energy and Enzymes
8. Photosynthesis
9. Cellular Respiration
10. Mitosis
11. Cancer
12. Meiosis
13. Cell Communication
14. Genetics
15. Human Genetics
16. DNA
17. Protein Synthesis: Transcription and Translation
18. Control of Gene Expression
19. Biotechnology

Feel free to contact a member of the Science Department or the Science Department Chair.