Three hours of lecture/three hours of lab per week. This course will provide a broad, integrated overview of plant biology. The general areas covered are: (1) plant diversity, the basic biology and evolution of the major plant families (2) structure, function, and development from the cell-molecular level to the whole organism of vascular plants (3) ecology of plants including: adaptations to their environment, plant-animal interactions, and ethnobotany. Prerequisite: C or higher in BIOL 251.

Six hours of lecture/discussion/lab per week. This course introduces the principles of conservation biology with an emphasis on ecological processes operating at population, community and ecosystem levels of organization. Threats to biological diversity, ranging from species introductions to habitat destruction will be discussed along with conservation solutions ranging from the design of protected areas through conservation legislation.

Four hours lecture/discussion per week The course provides an overview of musculoskeletal anatomy, the mechanical properties and structural behavior of biological tissues, and biodynamics. Specific course topics will include structure and function relationships in tissues and organs; application of stress and strain analysis to biological tissues; analysis of forces in human function and movement; energy and power in human activity; introduction to modeling viscoelasticity of tissues. Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in 104 or 160, PHYS 250 and 270 or 260 and 270.

Six hours of lecture/discussion/lab per week. This course focuses on the mechanisms and evolution of animal behavior, including proximate and ultimate explanations of behavior. Topics studied include foraging; antipredator defenses; mating systems and sexual selection; social behavior; communication; parental care; kin selection and recognition; learning; and territoriality. Laboratory exercises will complement topics in lectures and emphasize the observation, statistical analysis and interpretation of behavior in a variety of animal species.

Three hours of lecture/three hours of lab per week. This course covers essential concepts of human physiology and is intended for students who have a general interest in human biology and/or the health-related professions. It includes fundamental concepts of molecular, cellular, and systems physiology leading to a greater understanding of how the human body functions and maintains homeostasis.

Three hours of lecture/four hours of lab per week. This course will explore the roles of essential biological molecules and seeks to analyze the structures, properties, and functions of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids while providing a biological application of general and organic chemistry principles. Students will explore the structure of proteins, their function, their binding properties and the methodologies for the purification and characterization of proteins.

An opportunity for students to be exposed to major ecosystems in North or Central America. There will be on-campus seminars to support this experience discussing the uniqueness of the general ecology and culture of the area. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor. Prerequisite: eight credits of BIOL, CHEM, ENVS, ESCI or PHYS; permission of instructor.

Three hours of lecture/three hours of lab per week. The structure and function of animal, plant, and prokaryotic cells with an emphasis on DNA/RNA structure and function, control of gene expression, cell signaling, cell cycle, cell organelles and cell division. Laboratory is a multi-week project based on gene cloning and expression. Prerequisite: C or higher in 160, 161; grade of C or higher in four semester hours of CHEM or concurrent. OC

Six hours of lecture/lab/field work per week. Emphasis is on the study of relationships between organisms and their environment and the investigation of mechanisms that drive organic evolution. Offered every spring. Prerequisites: grade of C or higher in 160 or ENVS 101, 161; grade of C or higher in MATH 130 or 230 or concurrent. Restricted to students with sophomore standing or higher. WCII

Courses on topics of interest to biology students offered on the basis of need, interest, or timeliness. Prerequisites as determined by the instructor. Restricted to students with freshman or sophomore standing. May be repeated for credit. For specific section description, click to the Section Details in VitNet.