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Upon completion of this course, student will:
1. Apply the steps in the scientific method of hypotheses, experiments,
data collection and theories, as well as the use of statistics.
2. Recognize and name the major levels of biological organization from
atoms and cells to ecosystems and biomes.
3. Relate abiotic factors to the distribution of world biomes.
4. Explain how ecosystems are structured through energy flow, material
cycles (i.e., water, carbon and nitrogen), and various trophic levels.
5. Evaluate species interactions to distinguish mutualism, predation,
parasitism, herbivory, commensalism, and competition, including
coevolution.
6. Describe how population density, dispersal, and growth are limited by
environmental and intrinsic factors and apply these concepts to human
populations.
7. Examine successional change in communities and the underlying causes.
8. Compare and contrast the nutrient acquisition, gas exchange, and
internal transport mechanisms of plants and animals.
9. Differentiate the identifying characteristics and representatives of
the major Domains and Kingdoms of organisms.
10. Summarize the structure of atoms, molecules, biological polymers and
their significance to cell structure and function, anatomy,
physiology, genetics and evolution.
11. Compare and contrast the cell structures, ultrastructures, membranes,
and membrane transport and the functions of these structures and
interactions found in prokaryotic, eukaryotic, plant and animal cells.
12. Synthesize knowledge of enzyme reactions with cellular functions,
metabolism, photosynthesis, cell respiration and organismal function.
13. Compare and contrast methods of cellular reproduction (mitosis,
meiosis and binary fission) and their significance.
14. Explain how DNA codes for proteins, how the code is translated by
the cell, and the relationship to scientific traits and inheritance.
15. Synthesize knowledge of the mechanisms of evolution, adaptation, and
speciation.
16. Relate the principles of genetics to the processes of evolution.
17. Describe the values, themes, methods and history of the discipline
and identify realistic career objectives related to a course of study
in the major.
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1. Methods and philosophies of science
a. Steps in scientific method to laboratory experiments
b. Statistics in hypothesis testing
c. Hypothesis and theories
2. Biological Hierarchy: Discuss levels of biological organization from
atoms and cells to the biosphere
3. Introduction to the Biosphere and major world biomes
4. Ecology of Ecosystems: Nutrient cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen),
energy flow, trophic structure
5. Populations
a. Structure (density, dispersion, age structure)
b. Function (exponential, logistic growth)
c. Human populations
d. Population fluctuations
e. Factors affecting carrying capacity
f. Density dependent/density independent
g. Limiting factors
6. Ecology of Communities: Interspecific species interactions,
coevolution, succession
7. Types of Nutrition
a. Autotrophic and heterotrophic
b. Surface to volume ratio
c. Macromolecules, vitamins, and minerals
8. Comparative Physiology of
a. Microorganisms, plants, animals
b. Positive and negative feedback loops
9. Plant Structure and Function
a. Root, stem and leaf anatomy
b. Nutrition, gas exchange, transport (transpiration and phloem sap)
c. Plant reproduction
10. Comparative Animal Structure and Function of Different Animal Taxa:
Nutrition and digestion, gas exchange, transport
11. Classification of Living Things
a. Prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes
b. Domain system, eukaryotic kingdoms
12. Diversity of Eukaryotic Kingdoms
a. Distinguishing characteristics
b. Specialization of structure and function
c. Ecology and evolution
13. Atomic Structures
a. Chemical bonding (ionic, covalent, hydrogen bonds)
b. pH
14. Properties of Water
a. Polarity and hydrogen bonding, cohesion and adhesion
b. States of matter
c. Osmosis and diffusion
15. Macromolecule Structure and Function
a. Dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis
b. Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
16. Cell structure and ultrastructure
a. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure
b. Cell organelles and their functions
c. Cell cytoskeleton and movement
d. Endosymbiotic hypothesis
17. Cell membrane structure and transport
a. Phospholipids bilayer
b. Membrane proteins
c. Passive and active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis
18. Enzymes
a. Structure and function
b. Positive and negative feedback loops
c. Effect of substrate concentration, pH and temperature
19. Metabolic Pathways
a. Photosynthesis
1) Properties of light and photopigments
2) Substrate, products, and location of Light Dependent and Light
Independent Reactions
b. Respiration
1) Role of ATP
2) Substrate, products, and location of Glycolysis, Krebs Cycle and
Electron Transport Chain
3) Aerobic vs. anaerobic respiration
20. Cellular Reproduction
a. Mitosis
b. Meiosis including sources of genetic variation
21. Molecular Genetics
a. DNA replication
b. Protein synthesis, genetic code
c. Mutations and mutagens
d. Changes in chromosome number and chromosome structure
22. Transmission Genetics
a. Mendelian: monohybrid crosses
b. Post Mendelian Genetics: partial dominance, blood type (multiple
alleles), polygenic inheritance, autosomal linkage, sex linkage
c. Effects of environment on genetic expression
23. Contributions to Evolutionary Theory
a. Lamarck
b. Darwin and Natural Selection
24. Evidence for Evolution
a. Comparative anatomy and physiology
b. Molecular biology
25. Mechanisms of Evolution
a. Natural Selection, types of selection, gene flow
b. Genetic drift: bottlenecks, founders effect, small population,
inbreeding
26. Biological Species Concept and Reproductive Isolation Mechanisms
27. Speciation and Adaptive Radiation
28. Use and care of compound and dissecting microscopes
29. Orientation to the values, themes, methods and history of the
discipline and identification of realistic career objectives related
to a course of study in the major.