Course Description
This course introduces the concepts and applications of the biological sciences for non-science majors. It also explores cell structure, reproduction, genetics and genetic engineering, evolution, and the environment.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to discuss, define, and/or identify
- The methods of science
- Cell structure and function
- Homeostasis, energy production and use
- Reproduction, inheritance, and disease
- Evolution
- The plant world
- The animal world
- Ecosystems
Week 1
Lecture: Course Introduction
Outcomes
- Describe how science is actually done
- Apply the scientific method
- Define life and the hierarchy of living things
- Demonstrate the ability to critically review published information
- Describe cell structure and function
- Identify the basic structure and function of the cell membrane
- Describe the concept of selective permeability
- Describe transport processes
- Understand the need for energy (if necessary) for transport processes
- The molecules transported by each mechanism in the various transport processes
- Differentiate between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells
- Differentiate between viruses, archaea, protists, and bacteria
- Differentiate between living and nonliving (viruses and prions) entities
- Describe the following characteristic of life
- Life is composed of cells
Week 2
Lecture: Life is Homeostatic
Outcomes
- Describe homeostasis
- Predict how a molecule will interact with water given its general shape and atomic makeup
- List the four major classes of molecules found in cells and describe their function
- Recognize the corresponding monomer for each polymer in the four major classes of molecules found in cells
- Describe the response system of the body
- Describe the transmission of a nervous signal
- Describe the characteristics of the autonomic nervous system
- Differentiate between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
- Identify the structures of the brain and describe the major function of each structure
- Explain the function of hormones and how they work
- Explain how hormone secretion is controlled
- Demonstrate the ability to critically review published information
- Describe the following two characteristics of life
- Life is composed of cells
- Life is homeostatic
Week 3
Lecture: Life Acquires and Uses Materials and Energy
Outcomes
- Explain the laws of thermodynamics
- Describe the role of enzymes
- Explain why organisms need energy and how it is obtained
- Investigate and discuss energy storage in humans
- Explain the function of ATP
- Explain the relationship between ATP and glucose metabolism
- Describe the basic steps of glycolysis
- Differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism
- Explain how energy flows through an ecosystem
- Describe the following three characteristics of life
- Life is composed of cells
- Life is homeostatic
- Life acquires and uses materials and energy
Week 4
Lecture: Life Responds
Outcomes
- Describe response systems of living organisms, including the
- Nervous system
- Endocrine system
- Immune system
- Describe how the nervous and endocrine systems work together
- Describe the role of the human immune system as it pertains to a response system
- Identify the cells of the immune and their functions in fighting disease
- Describe common diseases of the immune system, including autoimmune diseases, allergies, and AIDS
- Describe how vaccines activate the immune system
- Describe the following four characteristics of life
- Life is composed of cells
- Life is homeostatic
- Life acquires and uses materials and energy
- Life responds
Week 5
Lecture: Life Is Based on Inherited Information
Outcomes
- Identify the relationship between
- Genotype and phenotype
- DNA and proteins
- Genes and chromosomes
- Genes and alleles
- Differentiate between
- Dominant and recessive alleles
- Homozygous and heterozygous genotypes
- Determine the genotypes of offspring in a monohybrid cross using the Punnett square
- Describe the different types of inheritance
- Describe the major features of the Watson-Crick model of DNA
- Describe the major steps of DNA replication
- Identify different mutations and describe how they are caused
- Describe the steps of protein synthesis
- Describe the major techniques used in biotechnology
- Describe the major uses of biotechnology
- Apply the scientific method
- Design an original experiment
- Write a lab report
- Describe the inherited information on which life is based
- Describe the following five characteristics of life
- Life is composed of cells
- Life is homeostatic
- Life acquires and uses materials and energy
- Life responds
- Life is based on inherited information
Week 6
Lecture: Life Reproduces
Outcomes
- Describe cellular reproduction
- Identify the steps of the cell cycle and describe what occurs in each phase
- Describe the major event of mitosis, meiosis, and cytokinesis, and what occurs at each stage
- Differentiate between mitosis and meiosis
- Describe the purpose of the meiosis-specific event, crossing-over
- Differentiate between spermatozoa and ova formation in humans
- Describe organismal reproduction strategies
- Describe the consequences of abnormal reproductive processes
- Describe the biological definition of sexual reproduction
- Critically review published information
- Describe the following six characteristics of life
- Life is composed of cells
- Life is homeostatic
- Life acquires and uses materials and energy
- Life responds
- Life is based on inherited information
- Life reproduces
Week 7
Lecture: Life is Organized and Complex
Outcomes
- Describe the complexity of life and all that it entails
- Describe the various ways in which life is organized
- Describe the basic characteristics of viruses, bacteria, archaea, and protists and differentiate between them
- Describe the basic characteristics of fungi, plants, and animals and differentiate between them
- Differentiate between bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms
- Differentiate between the animal phyla
- Identify the important features that define a mammal
- Define ecology and its levels
- Describe the flow of energy through the ecosystem
- Differentiate between the different ecosystems
- Describe the relationship between the greenhouse effect and global warming
- Describe the causes and impact of global warming
- Describe the following seven characteristics of life
- Life is composed of cells
- Life is homeostatic
- Life acquires and uses materials and energy
- Life responds
- Life is based on inherited information
- Life reproduces
- Life is organized and complex
Week 8
Lecture: Life Evolves
Outcomes
- Describe the Theory of Evolution
- Describe the evidence for the Theory of Evolution
- Describe in detail eight characteristics of life
- Life is composed of cells
- Life is homeostatic
- Life acquires and uses materials and energy
- Life responds
- Life is based on inherited information
- Life reproduces
- Life is organized and complex
- Life has evolved and continues to evolve
- Reflect on and review the material covered
The course description, objectives and learning outcomes are subject to change without notice based on enhancements made to the course. November 2011
