146 Biology for Elementary Science
This course
focuses on the biological concepts and principles
that are to be taught in New York state
elementary schools. Topics include reproduction,
organisms and populations, genetics, evolutionary
processes, adaptation, behavior, ecology, and
the impact of humans on the natural environment.
The course provides students with a solid
framework of understandings upon which they
can build a science curriculum for their
elementary classroom. The course introduces
scientific inquiry and discusses the nature of
science while students conduct both field and
laboratory research. (MaKinster, Fall, offered
alternate years, does not count toward major)
161 Exercise and Performance
This course
provides a detailed coverage of the physiological
responses to exercise, using both human and
animal models. It also emphasizes the how the
biological design of cardiovascular, muscular, and
skeletal systems limit exercise capacity in different
situations. It covers the cellular and biochemical
events associated with muscular contraction and
fatigue, as well as the role that genes play in
determining performance. Topics include muscle
contractility, cardiovascular limitations, muscle
fatigue, nutritional control of exercise, hormonal
responses, and training effects. Prerequisites:
none. (Ryan, offered annually)
Typical readings: McArdle et al., Essentials of
Exercise Physiology; and articles from Scientific
American, The American Journal of Sports
Medicine, and other journals
162 Dangerous Diseases
This course explores the cell
biology, molecular biology and physiology behind
some of humanities’ most tenacious infectious
diseases such as SARS, Ebola, Hantaan virus, and
HIV. Understanding the ecology and evolution of
infectious diseases allows assessment of the
possibility that a deadly infection could cause
another deadly global outbreak. Finally, students
explore how scientists combat infectious diseases
and whether or not the human genome project and
the ability to sequence the genomes of disease
causing organisms offer a new mechanisms to fight
deadly diseases. Prerequisites: none. (Carle, offered
annually)
Typical readings: Chapters from Biological
Science by Scott Freeman, and selected articles
from Discover, The New York Times, and
Scientific American
163 Animal Minds: The Nature and Nurture of Animal Behavior
The “mind” of an animal is known
to humans only by the behaviors we are able
observe, and questions about animal behavior can
be asked only by methods of scientific inquiry.
Behavior is not simply a matter of the “brain” that
produces it, rather an animal’s behavior, and the
brain itself, is the result of evolutionary forces and
complex interactions among ecological, genetic,
developmental, and physiological processes. This
course explores various biological perspectives that
attempt to understand the forces that shape
individual and group behavior in animals. Topics
may include communication, sexual behavior and
mating, predator-prey interactions, migration and
navigation, biological clocks, and animal
intelligence. Prerequisites: none. (Deutschlander,
offered alternate years)
Typical readings: Goodenough et al.,
Perspectives on Animal Behavior, Alcock, Animal
Behavior, primary papers on animal behavior
164 A Biotech World: Origins and Implications of Recombinant DNA Technology
With increasing
knowledge of DNA structure and function, scientists
have acquired powerful tools for tinkering with the
genetic makeup of living organisms. To date, our
ability to manipulate DNA has had a significant
impact in areas such as agriculture, human health
and the environment. This course introduces the
basic scientific principles behind recombinant DNA
technology and its potential applications. Students
also address the environmental, ethical, and social
issues that surround the use of this technology in our
changing world. Prerequisites: none. (Kenyon, offered
annually)
Typical readings: Bougaize et al., Biotechnology:
Demystifying the Concepts; and selected readings
165 Tropical Biology
While tropical forests
account for only 7 percent of earth’s land surface,
they support at least half of all the world’s
species. Why are the tropics so much more
diverse than other regions of the world? How did
this incredible diversity evolve? What led to the
seemingly bizarre appearances and behaviors we
observe in many tropical organisms? These are
just some of the questions students explore in
this course. Throughout the semester students
draw upon many important concepts in the fields
of ecology, evolution, genetics, botany, zoology,
and physiology. Prerequisites: none. (Newell,
offered annually)
166 Alien Invaders: Biology of Exotic Species
The
introduction of exotic or non-native species into
environments poses a major risk to native species,
especially in the United States. For example,
Wilcove et al. (1998) report that of the almost 2,000
species threatened with extinction in the U.S., 49
percent are in this predicament as a result of the
introduction of exotic species. This course explores
the biology and ecology of invasive, exotic species in
order to better understand how they are able to
successfully invade, what affects they have on native
species, and what might be done to control these
species which pose such a significant threat to other
species around the globe. As these are complex
questions, students touch on a range of major
concepts important in the study of biology and
biological systems, including evolution, taxonomy,
physiology, structural-functional relationships, and
ecology. Prerequisites: none. (Staff, offered annually)
212 Biostatistics
This course is required for the
major and is a prerequisite for all other 200-level
biology courses. The treatments presented in this
class are applied in nature and require, as
background, only an elementary knowledge of
algebra and the desire to learn. Subjects
discussed include probability as a mathematical
system, various probability distributions and their
parameters, combinatorics, parameter estimation,
confidence intervals, t-tests, various chi-square applications, one- and two-way analysis of
variance, correlation, and simple linear
regression. The laboratory component of the
course includes an introduction to statistical
computing on Macintosh computers utilizing
statistical packages. Prerequisite: BIOL 160-level
course, or permission of instructor. (Glover,
Droney, offered each semester)
Typical readings: Glover and Mitchell, An
Introduction to Biostatistics
220 General Genetics
This course serves as an
introduction to both traditional transmission
genetics and modern molecular genetics. The major
topics considered are the structure of genetic
material, its replication, its transmission, and its
expression. Special emphasis is placed on classical
principles of transmission genetics, and on the
central features of gene action, i.e., transcription
and translation. The course, involving lectures and
laboratory experience with both animal and plant
systems, is recommended for all biology majors.
With laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 160-level
course. (Glover, Kenyon, offered each semester)
Typical readings: Klug and Cummings, Concepts
of Genetics; readings from the scientific literature
224 Functional Vertebrate Anatomy
This course
introduces students to the vertebrate body plan
and the comparative anatomy of the skeletal,
muscular, circulatory, respiratory, and nervous
systems of various vertebrates. There is an
enormous diversity in vertebrate structure, and the
emphasis is toward understanding how anatomical
structures function. Attention is also given to the
evolution and development of these structures.
With laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 160-level
course. (Ryan, offered annually)
Typical readings: Kardong, Vertebrates
225 Ecology
This course is an introduction to
ecological theories as they apply to individuals,
populations, communities, and ecosystems. Topics
covered include physiological ecology, population
dynamics, competition, predation, community
structure, diversity, and the movement of
materials and energy through ecosystems. The
laboratory is designed to provide experience with
sampling techniques and an introduction to the
methods of experimental ecology. With
laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL160-level course,
BIOL 212. (Newell, offered annually)
Typical readings: Krohne, General Ecology,
and scientific journal articles
228 The Biology of Plants
The diversity of plants
is enormous, ranging from microscopic phytoplankton
to trees more than 300 feet tall. Using an
evolutionary approach, students study this great
diversity and follow the development of plants from
the earliest photosynthetic single-celled organisms
to complex flowering plants. Plant structure and function are discussed in relation to the environment
in which plants live. Studies of plant
anatomy, physiology, and ecology focus on
flowering plants. Throughout the course, human
uses of plants and plant products are highlighted.
The laboratory provides hands-on experience with
the plant groups discussed in lecture and an
opportunity to experimentally test many of the
concepts presented. With laboratory. Prerequisites:
BIOL 160-level course. (Newell, offered annually)
Typical readings: Stern et al., Introductory
Plant Biology; Pollan, The Botany of Desire
232 Cell Biology
An introduction to the fundamental
principles that guide the functions of organelles
within the cell. Students analyze published
experimental data centered around current topics in
cell biology such as HIV and cancer. Laboratories
include experiments using current cell biology
techniques. With laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL
160-level course. (Carle, offered annually)
Typical readings: Alberts et al., Essential Cell
Biology; selected articles
233 General Physiology
An introduction to the
major physiological processes of animals, from the
level of cells and tissues to the whole organism. A
comparative examination of animals emphasizes
basic physiological processes and demonstrate how
animals with different selective pressures “solve
problems” related to integrating the separate yet
coordinate organ systems of their bodies. Students
examine relationships between structure and
function, mechanisms of regulation, control and
integration, metabolism, and adaptation to the
environment. Laboratory exercises reinforce lecture
topics and emphasize an investigative approach to
the measurement of physiological processes. With
laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 160-level course,
BIOL 212. (Deutschlander, offered annually)
Typical readings: Randall et al., Animal
Physiology; articles from the scientific literature
235 Molecular Biology
This course is designed to
provide a broad understanding of molecular
biology while focusing on current research within
the field. Topics covered include eukaryotic
genome structure and organization, biotechnology,
and control of gene expression using examples
from both plant and animal systems. Laboratory
exercises emphasize current molecular biology
techniques focusing on one experimental system.
With laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 160-level
course. (Kenyon, offered occasionally)
Typical readings: Weaver, Molecular Biology;
selected articles
236 Evolution
Evolution is often referred to as
the great unifying principle of all the biological
sciences. In this course, both micro-evolutionary
process and macro-evolutionary patterns are
discussed. Micro-evolution involves studying current evolutionary processes (such as natural
selection, sexual selection, and genetic drift)
using techniques from population, quantitative,
and molecular genetics. Additional topics
include levels of selection, adaptation, and
ecological factors important for evolutionary
change. Evolutionary processes also are central to
the understanding of past events and, therefore,
topics such as biological diversity, speciation,
phylogeny, and extinction are also discussed.
With laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 212, BIOL
220. (Droney, offered annually)
Typical readings: Freeman and Herron,
Evolutionary Analysis; selected articles
238 Aquatic Biology
Aquatic Biology provides a
working knowledge of the general biology and
ecology of aquatic systems and of the organisms
that make up aquatic communities. Topics
include the biota of streams and rivers, flood
plains, wetlands, ponds, and lakes. Students use
field and laboratory techniques to study water
quality issues, community composition, and
ecological interactions among aquatic organisms.
With laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 160-level
course. (Staff, offered annually)
Typical readings: Dodds, Freshwater Ecology,
and readings from scientific journals
301 Molecular Microbiology
This course gives an
overview of the cell biology, genetics, and
molecular biology of microorganisms. The first
part of the course concentrates on understanding
the unique cellular and molecular biology of
bacteria. The second part of the course covers
microbial diversity and how our understanding of
microbial diversity and ecology have led to the
use of microorganisms in biotechnology. For the
last section the course, students discuss hostparasite
relationships and immunology. Prerequisites:
BIOL 212, BIOL 220. (Carle, offered
occasionally)
Typical readings: Brock, Madigan, Martinko,
and Parker, Biology of Microorganisms; and
selected journal articles
315 Advanced Topics in Biology
An in-depth
study of topics of current research interest.
Examples of courses include Darwinian Medicine;
Aquatic Ecology; Biochemistry for Biologists;
Behavioral Neurobiology. Prerequisites: BIOL
212, BIOL 220. (Staff, offered annually)
316 Conservation Biology
Conservation Biology
is a relatively new discipline in biology which
addresses the alarming loss of biological diversity
around the globe. The basic goals of the discipline
are to understand the causes and consequences of
this loss while also developing practical
approaches to prevent extinction and preserve
biodiversity on a global basis. The discipline combines a variety of other disciplines including
population ecology and genetics, community and
ecosystem ecology, and other non-biological
disciplines including economics, and resource and
land management. The course combines lecture
and laboratory and a considerable amount of class
time is dedicated to the discussion of current
literature in the field. Prerequisites: BIOL 212,
BIOL 220. (Staff, offered alternate years)
Typical readings: R. Primack, Essentials of
Conservation Biology; readings from the scientific
literature
327 Behavioral Ecology
The specific behaviors
employed by organisms to solve the “problems”
associated with survival and reproduction have
been shaped through time by evolutionary forces.
Thus, to understand why individuals behave as
they do, we must understand the nature of the
complex interactions between individual and the
environment, including social interactions with
other individuals of the same species, in the past
and present. This evolutionary approach to
understanding behavior is the focus of the
discipline of behavioral ecology. Emphasis is
placed on why organisms within populations of
species vary in behavior, in addition to the more
traditional approach of relating ecology and
behavior across species. Topics may include social
behavior and mate choice, animal and plant
signaling, foraging tactics, and the genetics of
behavior. Prerequisites: BIOL 212, BIOL 220.
(Droney, offered alternate years)
Typical readings: Krebs and Davies,
Introduction to Behavioral Ecology; readings from
the scientific literature
339 Physiological Ecology
Physiological ecology is
the study of interactions between organisms and
their environment, with an emphasis on the
physiological attributes of organisms that influence
their performance in a given environment. It is also
concerned with the evolution of physiological,
anatomical, and biochemical characteristics of
organisms, and examines the relationship of these
characteristics to fitness. This course focuses on the
physiological ecology of plants and provides an
introduction to current research questions and
methods. Prerequisite: BIOL 212, BIOL 220.
(Newell, offered alternate years)
Typical readings: Larcher, Physiological Plant
Ecology; and readings from current scientific
literature
340 Neurobiology
In this course students
examine concepts and experimental models in
cellular and systems neurobiology in order to
gain a better understanding of how the nervous
system is integrated to produce simple and
complex behaviors. After a consideration of how
individual neurons function, students examine (1) how parts of the nervous system are
specialized to sense and perceive the environment,
(2) how commands are initiated and
modified to produce smooth, well-controlled
movements, (3) how more complex functions of
the nervous system (such as emotions, language,
homeostasis, etc.) are produced by neural
networks, and (4) how neural plasticity and
learning allow nervous systems to be modified by
experience. Because neurobiology is an
inherently comparative field, students examine
neural processes that demonstrate basic concepts
inherent to neurological systems both in
invertebrates and vertebrates (including
humans). Laboratories include some computer
simulations of neuronal physiology and “wet lab”
experiments designed to introduce students to
techniques for investigation of the neural basis of
behavior. Prerequisites: BIOL 212, BIOL 220.
(Deutschlander, offered alternate years)
Typical readings: Purves, Neurosciences;
Carew, Behavioral Neurobiology; selected reviews
and readings from the scientific literature
341 Developmental Biology
This course
examines animal development from gamete
formation through organ development. Emphasis
is placed on current questions and research
methods. Typical lecture topics include
fertilization, axis formation, limb development,
and cell-cell interactions. Laboratory exercises
allow students to investigate normal developmental
processes as well as factors that interfere
or disrupt them. Prerequisites: BIOL 212, BIOL
220. (Kenyon, offered alternate years)
Typical readings: Gilbert, S., Developmental
Biology; current research articles
450 Independent Study
Attendance at all
biology seminars, generally held on alternate
Friday afternoons, is required of all students
conducting independent study. Prerequisite:
permission of the instructor.
460 Biology Seminar
The biology seminar is
intended as a capstone experience that integrates
knowledge learned in previous biology courses.
Seminar topics are selected by the faculty and
announced in advance in the registration
handbook. Past topics have included Sex,
Evolution and Behavior; Genomics; Biology of
Cancer. Seminars are a detailed exploration of a
current topic in biology. Prerequisite: open only
to senior biology majors, except with permission
of the instructor. (Offered each semester)
Typical readings: Current journal articles
from the scientific literature
495 Honors
Attendance at all biology seminars
held throughout the semester is required of all
students doing Honors. Prerequisite: permission
of the instructor.
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