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Basic Concepts in Biology (Honors)


Course Description

Exploration of environmental issues that relate to concepts in the evolution of antibiotic resistance, global cycling of nutrients, pathogenic organisms and their effect on human health, and genetic continuity. Students engage in service and outreach in order to engage in questions of social responsibility, social justice, and civic life.


Athena Title

Basic Concepts in Biology Hon


Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in BIOL 1103, BIOL 1103E, BIOL 2103S, PBIO 1210


Prerequisite

Permission of Honors


Semester Course Offered

Offered fall and spring


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Course Objectives

Energy and food macromolecules—Proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Metabolic pathways and enzymes. Examples of changes in global biodiversity, description of a threatened population of animals and identified threats, supporting evidence for the theory of natural selection and genetically modified organisms. Immunity—Cellular Basis of Life, Antibiotics, and Evolution of Resistance, Evolution and Natural Selection, viral life cycles, charting viral genetic sequences to make inferences about disease transmission and accumulation of mutations over time, functions of the major cell types in the immune system, “herd immunity” and how it protects a community, evaluate research studies that serve as the basis for viral therapies or vaccine development. Viral evolution in the context of disease (HIV and Ebola). Innate and adaptive immunity. Global—Cycling of carbon and nitrogen, carbon and energy transformation, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, climate change, and Slow Carbon Cycle, carbon pools, flux, human impacts, Biofuels, Nitrogen cycling, eutrophication, Coral reef health, modeling plastic pollution, Carbon footprint calculation. Terrestrial ecosystems and climate change—Characteristics of ecosystems, how energy moves through trophic levels in an ecosystem, ways in which organisms use energy, biological magnification, characteristics of the boreal forest ecosystem and carbon reservoirs, governmental and personal changes that meaningfully impact climate change. Students engage in and reflect on service and outreach in order to apply these concepts in community-based settings and engage in questions of social responsibility, social justice, and civic life.


Topical Outline

Cellular Basis of Life Antibiotics Evolution of Resistance Evolution Natural Selection Microbiomes Sewage Chemicals in Water Effects on Human Health DNA Structure Function Genetic Identification using DNA Biological Molecules Harvesting Energy for Life Global Nutrient Cycling Soil Life Basics of Genetic Testing


General Education Core

CORE II: Life Sciences

Syllabus