2024-2025 Academic Year

Fall 2024

BIOL 132 Intro to Molecules/Genes/Cells
This introductory course approaches core biological themes from the molecular and cellular level, and is complementary to BIOL 131, Introduction to Organisms, Populations, and Ecosystems. Course content will be focused around a specific theme determined by the instructor, and will include biomolecule and cell structure and function; cell signaling and communication; chromosome and gene structure; DNA replication; transcription; and translation. The course will involve lecture, discussion, and readings from scientific literature. Laboratory exercises include both classic and modern approaches to cellular and molecular biology utilizing prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic organisms. The laboratory will stress the discovery approach in applying current techniques to biological experiments. Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. This is one of two courses required of all Biology majors before completing upper level coursework. It is complementary to BIOL 131 – Introduction to Organisms, Populations, and Ecosystems, and the courses may be taken in either order.

BIOL 313 Cell Biology w/Lab
An introduction to the structure and function of cells, with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of cellular processes. The course will involve discussion-oriented lectures and readings from the current literature. The laboratory will stress the discovery approach in applying state of the art techniques to cell biological experiments. Six hours classroom a week. Prerequisites: One 200-level BIOL course. For Neuroscience majors only, prerequisite is 132 and PSYC 125 and NRSC 200.

BIOL 412 Seminar
Through detailed study of the primary biological literature, students acquire an understanding of the methodology and philosophy of scientific research. Includes study of the formulation of hypotheses, the design of experiments or observations to test these hypotheses, and the interpretation of results. This course will normally require a major research-based presentation and/or paper and may also involve the conduct of research by students. This course satisfies the requirement for a research experience for the biology major. Prerequisites: one 200-level Biology course and one upper-level Biology course.

NRSC 560 Stu/Faculty Collaborative Rsch