Syllabus - Estrella Mountain Community College

Course Syllabus, Vernal Semester 2010 C.E. (Last updated 16 April 2011 C.E.)
BIO181: General Biology for Majors I
Section Number 22767
19 January - 13 May 2011 C.E.
Lecture: MWF 12:00 - 12:50 MON202
Laboratory: W 08:00 - 10:40 MON126
Course Description:
This course treats principles of structure and function of living things at molecular, cellular, and (to a
far lesser extent) organismic levels of organization. Prerequisites: None. One year of high school
chemistry or one semester of college-level chemistry is strongly recommended.
Instructor Information:
Ty C.M. Hoffman, Ph.D.
bio181@cox.net
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Objectives:
1. Describe and apply the scientific method to solve problems in biological context.
2. Describe the characteristics of life.
3. Identify the basic parts of atoms and describe how they influence chemical
characteristics.
4. Analyze the relationships between the structure and functions of the four kinds of
organic molecules found in living things.
5. Identify the parts of a cell and describe their structure and functions.
6. Describe cellular transport, membrane structure and membrane functions.
7. Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
8. Describe the laws of thermodynamics, energy processes, and enzymes as they
relate to biology.
9. Describe the purpose and components of cellular respiration.
10. Describe the purpose and components of photosynthesis.
11. Describe the biological processes of mitosis, meiosis, DNA duplication, and protein
synthesis.
12. Compare Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics and use problem solving to predict
the outcome of genetic crosses.
13. Describe gene regulation and effectively analyze the various biotechnological
applications.
14. Describe the genetic basis of development.
15. Demonstrate knowledge of laboratory safety skills and procedures.
16. Practice principles of scientific method while conducting laboratory activities and
experiments.
17. Perform laboratory activities using relevant laboratory equipment, chemical reagents,
and supplies to observe biological specimens, to measure variables, and to design
and conduct experiments.
18. Operate light microscopes, prepare wet-mount slides, and use stains.
19. Exhibit ability to use pipettes and other volumetric measuring devices, chemical
glassware, balances, pH meters or test papers, spectrophotometers, and separation
techniques, such as chromatography an electrophoresis to perform activities relevant
to other course competencies.
20. Develop graphing skills manually and/or by using appropriate computer software.
21. Calculate and make molar and/or percent solutions of varying concentrations.
22. Analyze and report data generated during laboratory activities and experiment.

Course Website:
In addition to the required Blackboard site, this course will use an optional site accessible through
MyLabsPlus. More information about that appears on Blackboard.
Be sure to check Blackboard often. You are REQUIRED to check, even if nothing changes. The
website includes (or will include) various resources to help you succeed. It is also where official
announcements will be posted (whether I make those announcements in class or not). Failure to
notice an announcement posted on Blackboard will not be a valid excuse for not knowing about an
official announcement, so check the website frequently. Be sure to bookmark the following URL:
http://www.estrellamountain.edu/hoffman
At that site, you'll have access to most of the materials on Blackboard even when Blackboard fails.
Supporting Texts (See note about textbooks on the Blackboard website):
The textbook, though hefty, should be brought to lecture and laboratory periods, as it provides many
useful visual illustrations.
Attendance:
I expect you to attend every lecture. Doing so is important to earning a satisfactory grade. I do not
grant you any points simply for attending, but you might lose points for not attending. I also expect
you to appear in the classroom early enough so that you are completely ready to begin taking notes
at the scheduled beginning of class. Tardiness is rude and disruptive, and it can result in loss of
points as well. If you are unable to make it to class on time, then you have enrolled in the wrong
section. You MUST attend every laboratory meeting if you want to avoid loss of points.
My Absolutely Rigid Policy on Missing Lecture Examinations:
It's important for everyone to be aware of the policy regarding make-up lecture examinations. If you
fail to complete a scheduled lecture examination by the deadline for that examination, there will be no
official penalty for missing the examination. However, it is my strict policy that multiple-choice lecture
examinations may be taken only when they are scheduled to be taken (i.e., per the most recently
updated syllabus). This means that all make-up lecture examinations will consist of short-answer or
essay type questions. NO MAKE-UP LECTURE EXAMINATION WILL EVER BE A MULTIPLE-
CHOICE TEST. To ensure that you fully understand my policy, please re-read the previous sentence.
The material treated on a make-up examination will be the same material treated on the
corresponding multiple-choice version. In that sense, one can say that the make-up examinations are
therefore no more difficult. But for many students in my experience, scores on short-answer tests are
significantly lower than those on multiple-choice tests. This is because doing well on a short-answer
test requires that you truly know what you're talking about. Guessing is much less likely to net you a
correct answer. I'm telling you this, on the one hand, to make the official policy known. But even more
importantly, I'm telling you this to strenuously dissuade you from missing a lecture examination for
any but the most unavoidable of reasons. Doing well in this class REQUIRES that you make the class
a priority. Therefore, if you'd like to receive a good grade, you would do well to save excuses for the
other things that might coincide with the test dates, not vice-versa.
Disability Statement:
The college will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities.
Students should notify Student Services and their instructors of any special needs.

Schedule of Topics to be Treated:
Week Date Lecture Topic Laboratory Exercise
17 Jan. Observance of TRMLKJ Day (no meeting)
Laboratory Safety
01 19 Jan. Ch. 01: Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life
Metric System
21 Jan. Ch. 01: Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life
How Big is a ...?
24 Jan. Ch. 02: The Chemical Context of Life
Equipment
02 26 Jan. Ch. 02: The Chemical Context of Life
Measuring Liquids
28 Jan. Ch. 03: Water and the Fitness of the Environment
Scientific Method (salt water)
03
31 Jan.
02 Feb.
04 Feb.
Ch. 03: Water and the Fitness of the Environment
Ch. 04: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
Ch. 04: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
Molecular Modeling
Solvent Properties
07 Feb. Lecture Examination 1
04
09 Feb.
Ch. 05: The Structure and Function of Large Biological
Molecules
Organic Chemistry
11 Feb.
Ch. 05: The Structure and Function of Large Biological
Molecules
05
14 Feb.
16 Feb.
Ch. 05: The Structure and Function of Large Biological
Molecules / Ch. 06: A Tour of the Cell
Ch. 06: A Tour of the Cell
Membranes and Osmosis
18 Feb. Ch. 06: A Tour of the Cell
21 Feb. Observance of Presidents' Day (no meeting)
06 23 Feb. Ch. 07: Membrane Structure and Function
Microscopy
25 Feb. Ch. 07: Membrane Structure and Function
28 Feb. Lecture Examination 2
07 02 Mar. Ch. 08: An Introduction to Metabolism
Cell Structure
04 Mar. Ch. 08: An Introduction to Metabolism
08
07 Mar.
09 Mar.
Ch. 08: An Introduction to Metabolism / Ch. 09: Cellular
Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy
Ch. 09: Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy
Energy
Calorimetry
11 Mar. Ch. 09: Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy
14 Mar.
09 16 Mar.
18 Mar.
Vernal Hiatus (Diligent Study Time)
21 Mar. Ch. 10: Photosynthesis
10 23 Mar. Ch. 10: Photosynthesis
Enzymes
25 Mar. Review
11
28 Mar.
30 Mar.
01 Apr.
Lecture Examination 3
Ch. 12: The Cell Cycle
Ch. 12: The Cell Cycle
Cellular Respiration
Photosynthesis
12
13
14
04 Apr.
06 Apr.
08 Apr.
11 Apr.
13 Apr.
15 Apr.
18 Apr.
20 Apr.
Ch. 16: The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Ch. 16: The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Ch. 16: The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Ch. 17: From Gene to Protein
Ch. 17: From Gene to Protein
Ch. 17: From Gene to Protein
Ch. 17: From Gene to Protein
Lecture Examination 4
DNA Sessions:
• DNA and RNA Structure
• Geometry of Life Video
• Gene Expression Modeling Activity
• DNA Replication / Cell Cycle
• Sex Determination video
• Remembering the Romanovs
22 Apr. Ch. 13: Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles
15
25 Apr.
27 Apr.
29 Apr.
Ch. 13: Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles
Ch. 14: Mendel and the Gene Idea
Ch. 14: Mendel and the Gene Idea
Meiosis Modeling
Reebops
02 May Ch. 15: The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
16 04 May Ch. 15: The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
Laboratory Practicum
06 May Ch. 15: The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
FW Lecture Examination 5
Disclaimer:
Course content and point allocation may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group.
Point Distribution:
There will be five lecture examinations, each of which will be worth 120 points. The fifth of these will
treat only the material from the final fifth of the semester (i.e., it will not be a comprehensive final
examination). Each laboratory meeting will feature a pre-laboratory assignment (10 points) and a
post-laboratory quiz (20 points). You should expect a post-laboratory quiz to be given PROMPTLY at
the beginning of each laboratory meeting (11:00), starting with the second meeting. Tardiness will
cause you to lose quiz points or make you ineligible to take the quiz. If your schedule will not allow
you to get to the lecture room or laboratory on time, then you have chosen the wrong section for this
course, and you should immediately withdraw and reschedule. In addition, three laboratory reports

(20, 30, and 40 points) will be assigned. Specific instructions for writing each of these are found in the
laboratory manual. The final laboratory meeting will feature a laboratory examination worth 50 points.
Attendance, participation, etc. will count for up to 20 points.
Grades:
The minimum final scores for the respective letter grades are given below.
86% A
76% B
66% C
56% D
Laboratory:
You must be concurrently enrolled in Section 22769. Attending the laboratory meetings requires that
you bring goggles and wear closed-toed shoes. The laboratory manual will be provided (one time
only) as loose photocopies. You should bring a three-ring binder in which to keep the manual. Extra
copies will not be provided, but PDF's are available for printing on your own.
MCCD Policies and Procedures:
Estrella Mountain and all Maricopa Community Colleges are governed by the same policies
and procedures which include information about nondiscrimination, compliance with
regulations, health concerns, admissions, residency guidelines, financial assistance,
academic advising, assessment, articulation, registration, tuition and fees, refunds,
attendance, grading, records, and scholastic and disciplinary standards. These policies can
be found in the academic catalog and student handbook and it is each student’s responsibility
to be informed of this information.