Fundamentals of Biology II BIO2000, T/F 7:30-‐8:55am DAC 407
Instructor:
Dr. Brent A. Berger Office: 257 SAH 718-‐990-‐6790 bergerb@stjohns.edu Office Hours: Monday and Thursday 2:00-‐3:30pm, 257 SAH The purpose of office hours is to discuss questions, concerns, or comments you have about the course. You are welcome to talk to me before or after class, or set up an appointment to meet at another time. If you plan on attending office hours, please send me an email ahead of time. General Course Overview Fundamentals of Biology II is an introductory biology course designed to familiarize students with basic biology vocabulary and knowledge of core biological principles, including: the chemistry of life, structure/function of cells, energy transfer in living systems, Mendelian and chromosomal basis of heredity, DNA replication and repair, gene expression, virus and biotechnology. Student Learning Goals During this course, you will focus on major concepts and questions related to cell and molecular biology. After taking this course, you will be able to: 1. Identify and classify chemical bonds utilized in biology 2. Compare and contrast the structure/functions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells 3. Define the major classes of biological molecules and describe their function in cellular activity 4. Detail the structure and function of the cell membrane, including transport mechanisms 5. Describe key concepts in cell metabolism, including free energy, ATP, and enzymes. 6. Compare and contrast cellular respiration pathways and photosynthetic pathways 7. Describe the cell cycle and its regulation 8. Specify the similarities and differences between mitosis and meiosis 9. Describe Mendelian genetics and chromosomal basis of inheritance 10. Define the molecular basis of inheritance: replication and repair 11. Specify the flow of genetic information 12. Outline the genetics of viruses and bacteria 13. Detail how eukaryotic genomes work and evolve 14. Describe how biotechnology has increased our understanding and capability to manipulate genomes 1
Course Communications St. John’s Central We will use “St. John’s Central” (https://cpprod.stjohns.edu/cp/home/displaylogin) to communicate course information, readings and news updates. To access the site, go to the St. John’s Central website and login with your St. John’s user name and password. Click on the My Courses tab and find FUND OF BIO II:CELL/MOLECULAR. Most materials will be posted in the “Files” section of the website, which can be accessed through the Course Tools. You are expected to check this website for information about the course on a regular basis. MasteringBiology We will be using the online MasteringBiology portal throughout the semester as a tool for familiarizing you with course material, preparing you for lecture, and exposing you to additional tools that may come in handy when preparing for exams. Each chapter that we cover has a corresponding set of questions that must be answered before coming to class. Questions are only available for a set period of time (e.g. from the time class ends on Friday morning until the time class begins on Tuesday morning) and should take around 30 mins to answer. To access the course content, enter BBERGER2000 as the course ID. Once accessed, enter your X number to begin each assignment.
Class Format Lecture 7:30-‐8:55am Each lecture will focus on a key topic in cell and molecular biology. The goal of lecture is to introduce you to and help you gain awareness of the questions, methods and pursuits of research ongoing in the field today. In addition, we will be reviewing several articles throughout the semester for discussion that are all relevant to the topic of the day/week. Attendance policy The design of this course will expose you to a breadth of topics in cell and molecular biology. Much of what you learn will come from your discussions with your classmates, as well as engaging with the course instructor and guest speakers. You will not benefit if you do not attend class. Therefore, a part of your grade (~10%) is based solely on your classroom attendance. Homework Assignments All assignments are due as discussed in lecture and designated on the MasteringBiology calendar. Late assignments will not be accepted. Modifications to this policy are left to the discretion of the instructor.
Exams There will be four exams for this class (designated Midterm Exam I, Midterm Exam II, Midterm Exam III, and Final Exam). All exams will be taken during the regularly scheduled time. At the end of the semester, three of the four exams will be factored into your overall point total. Academic integrity is expected during all exams. 2
Academic Integrity Academic integrity is of utmost importance. Academic misconduct is a serious offense and will be addressed using the strongest possible academic penalties for this behavior. For information regarding the penalties for academic misconduct, please see:
Be sure to do your own work, cite sources of information that are not your own, and do not cheat on exams, assignments, or projects. Part of learning is using others’ ideas to shape your own, but if an idea is not originally yours, it needs to be cited. If you have any questions please contact the teaching fellow in charge of your discussion section.
Grading Attendance, Participation, and Assignments 48% (250 pts) Attendance in lecture (50 pts)
Breakdown
0-‐1 unexcused absences-‐ 50 pts
2-‐3 unexcused absences-‐ 40 pts
4-‐6 unexcused absences-‐ 30 pts
7-‐9 unexcused absences-‐ 20 pts
10 or more unexcused absences-‐ 0pts Assignments Due By Class and Participation (225 pts) This includes having readings and MasteringBiology assignments done prior to class and participating in discussions. Exams 52% (300 pts) Midterm Exam I (100 pts) Midterm Exam II (100 pts) Midterm Exam III (100 pts) Final Exam (100 pts) Grade Scale A A-‐ B+ B B-‐ C+ C C-‐ D+ D F
92.0-‐100 89.5-‐91.9 84.5-‐89.4 82.0-‐84.4 79.5-‐81.9 74.5-‐79.4 72.0-‐74.4 69.5-‐71.9 64.5-‐69.4 59.5-‐64.4 Less than 59.5
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Respect All are welcome in this course regardless of age, race, gender, background, political affiliation, or sexual orientation. I want you to feel comfortable in sharing your thoughts, comments, and questions. Your ideas, and those of your classmates, have value; as such, they should be offered and received respectfully. This understanding is central to academics and fosters thought-‐provoking, enriching discussions. If you ever feel you are not being respected by anyone that is a part of this class, please contact your instructor by email, letter, or in person. Accommodation We recognize that not everyone is equally able in terms of vision, mobility, hearing, or learning. If you need to request an accommodation to aid your participation in the class, please feel free to contact Dr. Berger. Text: Biology. (Campbell, Reece, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, Jackson. Benjamin Cummings Pearson Education Ninth Edition, 2011) Recommendation: Attend lectures and read one chapter ahead!! Materials not in the text or handouts may be discussed, and you will be responsible for these materials on exams. In addition, not all chapters will be covered to the same extent. Print the day’s Powerpoint presentation ahead of time and bring it to the class (3 slides per page recommended). Note: The schedule is only approximate: the topics will be covered in the outlined sequence, however, the coverage of some topics will start earlier or later, and the coverage of some topics will conclude during the subsequent class. The goal is to use the class time effectively.
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23 lectures 4 exams Date 5 Sept Lecture 1
Course Schedule
Topic Chapters Introduction, atoms, molecules and chemical 2,3,4 bonds Large biological molecules* 5 Tour of the cell, features and function I* 6 Tour of the cell, features and function II 6 Biological membranes, form and function* 7 Membrane transport 7 Metabolism and enzymes* (+) 8 Midterm Exam I (5 Sept– 30 Sept) 2-‐8 Respiration and photosynthesis* 9,10 Respiration and photosynthesis* 9,10 Cell communication & signaling pathways* 11 (6) Cell communication & signaling pathways (+) 11 (6) The cell cycle* 12 Nucleic acid structure and DNA replication* 16 From gene to protein I* 17 From gene to protein II 17 Midterm Exam II (3 Oct – 28 Oct) 9-‐12,16,17 Regulation of gene expression* 18 Regulation of gene expression 18 Chromosomes and Meiosis* 13 Genetics and inheritance * 14,15 Viruses: Structure and replication* (+) 19 Molecular and Cell Biology Techniques* 20 Molecular and Cell Biology Techniques 20 NO CLASSES – Thanksgiving Recess Midterm Exam III (4 Nov – 25 Nov) 13-‐15, 18-‐20 REVIEW CLASS NO CLASS – Monday Classes FINAL EXAM (TBD) ALL Chapters
