This course will introduce you to the major ecological processes, the principal flora and fauna and their evolutionary adaptations, and diverse ecosystems that constitute major tropical, coastal and mountainous regions of Central and South America. Additionally, the issues surrounding the conservation of biodiversity in these areas will be examined and discussed. The course is divided into three parts.

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.

Five hours lecture/lab each week Exploration of broad themes in the natural sciences through a biological perspective. This course is intended for elementary education majors and emphasizes how the concepts introduced in the course can be incorporated into the classroom. Major concepts addressed include ecosystems, evolution, characterization of life and life forms, overview of human systems, cell biology, and the scientific process. This course will not be applied to a biology major or minor. Offered every spring. NS

Anatomy and Physiology is the study of the structure and function of the body. This course will provide an understanding of the human body from individual cells to tissues and organs to whole organism. This course will introduce the cell as the basic unit of life, tissue structure, and organ systems including integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. Restricted to nursing, nutrition, and communication disorders and sciences students only. Offered every fall and spring.

Designed for new students intending a course of study in biology and neuroscience, and/or one of the health science pre-professional programs such as pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-physical therapy, or pre-pharmacy. The emphasis will be on development of effective learning skills and techniques to have success in college courses and in pursuit of science-related careers.