This course introduces science majors to the structure and behavior of biological 
systems and will examine how these systems maintain stable environments, facilitate 
the transfer of energy and matter, and help organisms respond to changes in the 
environment at different levels of organization (cellular, organismal, and ecological). 

Students will develop an ability to 1) develop, evaluate, and use models 
(representations) of biological processes or systems, 2) analyze and interpret data and 
figures, 3) use available evidence to support or refute a claim, and 4) use quantitative 
reasoning to answer questions in the context of biological systems.

Environmental Awareness:
Human activity has and continues to dramatically alter the natural environment. This course will examine how chemical pollution can alter biochemical and physiological pathways, how climate change alters nutrient and energy flows through ecosystems, and how biological communities do and will respond to global warming and other human disruptions (e.g., forest fires, logging, overfishing). Examples and case studies that explore these topics and how different biological systems respond to these pressures will be embedded throughout the course.

Additional Information Required for the Syllabus:
Parts of this course require an understanding of basic chemical principles. Students are 
expected to, at minimum, have successfully completed high school Chemistry before 
taking this course.

This course will examine biological systems at four levels of organization: 

•	Macromolecular structure and function
•	Cellular structure and function
•	Multicellular structure and function (i.e., physiology)
•	Ecosystem structure and function

An emphasis will be placed on how these systems are organized and behave, how they 
capture and transfer energy, and how these systems respond to the changes in their 
environment.