Organizational scheme:
I.
Content Bucket—these are the four competency areas that define
the four semester biology sequence
A. Concepts—these are the main unit headers for each competency
1. Topics: list or description of the concept content
a. Example Outcomes (aka Learning Objectives)—these are not part of the core
document but are available as suggestions for faculty developing new courses.
b. Example Outcomes
c. Example Outcomes
I.
Cell Biology
A. Biological Molecules
1. Structure and Properties of proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids
a. Types of each category
b. Monomer/polymer
c. Structural modifications
d. Synthesis
e. Cellular destinations of biomolecules
2. Molecular interactions
3. Functions of each group of biologic molecules
4. Assembly of complex macromolecules
B. Metabolism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Laws of Thermodynamics
Aerobic, anaerobic respiration and fermentation
Photosynthesis
Role of enzymes in cellular processes
Cellular regulation of metabolic processes
C. Cell Types
1. Prokaryotes
2. Eukaryotes
a. Animal, plant and fungi
3. Achaea
4. Microscopic appearance of cells
D. Structure of Cellular Components
1. Cytoplasm
2. Cellular organelles
a. Membrane bound
b. Non-membrane bound
3. Cytoskeleton
4. Extracellular matrix
5. Microscopic appearance of cellular structures
E. Function of Cellular Components
1.
2.
3.
4.
Transport across membranes
Intracellular membrane transport
Functions of cellular organelles
Functions of cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix
F. Cellular Communication
1.
2.
3.
4.
Receptor pathways
Types of cellular signaling
Cellular junctions
Cellular adhesions
G. Cell Cycle
1. Stages of cell cycle
2. Regulation of the cell cycle
3. Cellular differentiation
a. Stem cells
H. Apoptosis
1. Extrinsic and intrinsic pathways
I. Lab Skills
1. Microscopy
2. Sterile/Aseptic Techniques
3. Centrifugation
II.
Organismal and Evolution
Areas that may overlap with Ecology but may have relevant components: Ecological interactions, Population
biology, Ecosystem biology
A. Describe Evolution by Natural Selection as the engine of organismal diversity
1.
2.
3.
4.
Explain the history and misconceptions surrounding Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection
Define characteristics of populations that allow natural selection (variation, etc.)
Explain the Hardy-Weinberg Principal and associated “agents of evolutionary change”
Describe mechanisms of reproductive isolation
B. Explain the classification of organisms
C. Describe diversity (including, as applicable: life cycles, structure/anatomy,
adaptations, physiology, co-evolution, etc., etc.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
D. Lab
Define the Domains
Distinguish between Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
Explain endosymbiotic acquisition of mitochondria and chloroplasts
Describe Protists
Explain paraphyly and ramifications (i.e. Supergroups)
Define the Kingdoms
Compare and contrast Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia
III. Genetics
A. Nature of Genetic Information
DNA is the genetic material of virtually all different types of organisms, storing the information necessary
for an organism’s self-replication with high (but not perfect) fidelity. Occasional errors in DNA structure
and replication result in genetic variation. An organism’s entire complement of nuclear DNA, its
genome, is organized into cellular structures called chromosomes, of which genes are segments whose
information is transformed into biochemical action. Different cells and tissues are produced through
differential gene activity.
Example topics/learning outcomes
a. Compare and contrast DNA and RNA molecules.
b. Define the concept of a “gene” and compare and contrast eukaryotic and prokaryotic
genes and chromosomal organization.
c. Differentiate between a gene and an allele, and recognize that genes may have
many alleles.
d. Discuss how eukaryotic DNA is packaged in the chromosomes in terms of histones,
nucleosomes, and chromatin.
e. Explain the meaning of ploidy (haploid, diploid, aneuploid etc.) and how it relates to
the number of homologues of each chromosome.
f. Draw a simple line diagram showing a segment of DNA from a gene and its RNA
transcript, and indicate which DNA strand is the template, the direction of
transcription, and the polarities of all DNA and RNA strands.
g. Describe the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation.
h. Understand that genetic information flows from DNA to mRNA to protein, but that
there are important exceptions.
B. Gene Expression
Gene expression is the transformation of information into biochemical work. Genes code for functional
proteins or RNAs which carry out or regulate the processes required for life. Traits (including disease)
result from the expression of one or more genes working within complex regulatory, homeostatic, and
spatiotemporal networks. The activities of genes, modified by environmental inputs, regulate all
developmental processes.
Example topics/learning outcomes
a. Example Topics/learning objectives
b. Discuss how genes and the environment interact to produce a specific phenotype.
c. Discuss the roles of types of RNA other than mRNA in expressing genetic
information.
d. Know that the signals a cell receives depend on its microenvironment, and may
change through time. As a result, different types of cells express different genes,
even though they contain the same DNA.
e. Discuss the potential roles of DNA modification, histone modification, and non-coding
RNA in epigenetic inheritance.
f. Explain that organisms inherit genetic and epigenetic information that influences the
location, timing, and intensity of gene expression.
C. Inheritance
Meiosis and mitosis are the mechanisms by which an organism’s genome is passed on among cells and
to the next generation. Meiosis is the central process of sexual reproduction, preserving and remixing
genetic information in the form of germ cells. Fertilization results in genetically complete and unique
progeny. Through random assortment and crossing over, meiosis generates variation across
populations. Mendelian patterns of inheritance are a direct product of the mechanisms of meiosis.
Genetic linkage is caused by physical proximity of genes to one another on a chromosome.
Example topics/learning outcomes
a. Example topic/learning objectives
b. Compare and contrast somatic and germline cells.
c. Compare and explain the inheritance of germline and somatic mutations and
epigenetic states.
d. Describe, using diagrams, the sequence of events involving DNA in meiosis from
chromosome duplication through chromosome segregation.
e. Explain how meiosis is different from mitosis.
f. Distinguish between sister chromatids and homologous chromosomes and explain
the significance of that difference for synapsis and crossing over.
g. Discuss the cause and importance of aneuploidy.
h. Calculate the probability of a particular gamete being produced from an individual,
assuming independent segregation.
i. Calculate the probability of a particular genotype, given independent segregation and
random union of gametes between two individuals using Punnett squares and other
approaches.
j. Contrast the mechanisms of inheritance of nuclear and non-nuclear genetic
information.
k. Be able to draw and analyze pedigrees, including the ability to recognize dominant,
recessive, autosomal, X-linked, and cytoplasmic modes of inheritance
l. Explain why the terms “dominant” and “recessive” are context dependent and may
differ at the cellular or organismal levels.
m. Understand the purpose of test crosses, back crosses, and complementation tests.
n. Understand the biochemical and genetic mechanisms behind epistasis, pleiotropy,
and quantitative traits.
o. Perform a chi-square test.
p. Calculate gene linkage and genetic map distances from the frequencies of progeny
with recombinant phenotypes.
q. Explain how genetic distance is different from physical distance.
D. Variation
Even though DNA inheritance is high-fidelity, multiple molecular mechanisms, including DNA damage
and errors in replication, lead to the generation of random mutations. These mutations create new
alleles that can be inherited via mitosis, meiosis, or cell division, which form the basis of natural selection
and evolution.
Example topics/learning outcomes
a. Describe molecular mechanisms, including DNA damage and replication errors, that
lead to random mutations.
b. Understand that these mutations create new alleles that can be inherited via mitosis,
meiosis, or cell division.
c. Understand the role of mobile DNA in driving evolution or gene changes.
d. Know that all living organisms share a common ancestor.
e. Explain that species evolve over time, and new species can arise, when allele
frequencies change due to mutation, natural selection, gene flow, and genetic drift.
f. Describe the mechanisms by which variation arises and is fixed (or lost) in a
population over time.
g. Model how random mating yields predicted genotype frequencies in Hardy-Weinberg
Equilibrium (HWE), and how non-random mating affects allele and genotype
frequencies.
h. Explain perturbations to and deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibria and what
they mean for the evolution of species.
i. Explain how natural selection and genetic drift can affect the elimination,
maintenance or increase in frequency of various types of alleles (e.g. dominant,
recessive, deleterious, beneficial) in a population.
j. Explain the benefits and limitations of using model organisms, such as yeast,
nematode worms, and fruit flies, to study human genes and human genetic diseases.
E. Lab
Students should be able to apply investigative laboratory skills relevant to basic genetics, including the
production and analysis of genetic crosses, the microscopic study of chromosomes, electrophoresis,
DNA isolation, the handling and genetic analysis of microbes, basic recombinant DNA techniques such
as restriction digests and bacterial transformation, and the use of computers to access information from
online databases, in data analysis and in the simulation of biological systems.
IV. Ecology
A. The Nature of Ecology

Explain the development of ecology as a subdiscipline in the field of biology and its role in
investigating and providing insight into current problems faced by society.
B. Evolutionary Ecology

Explain the role that ecological interactions play in producing evolutionary change (e.g.,
adaptation and natural selection).
C. Physical Environment

Describe the key elements of the physical environment (climate, water, and soil) that shape
the lives of organisms.
D. Physiological Ecology and Life History

Describe the physical, biological, and behavioral factors that influence an organism’s ability
to grow and reproduce in its habitat.

Explain the factors that influence the development of an organism’s life history.
E. Population Ecology

Explain and apply principles and mechanisms of population growth and population
regulation,
o Properties of population
o Population growth
o Life history
o Intraspecific regulation
o Species interactions and population dynamics
F. Community Ecology

Describe the principle interactions that operate in communities and their implications on
biodiversity
o Interspecific competition
o Predation
o Symbioses
o Community structure and dynamics
G. Ecosystem Ecology

Explain energy flow through food webs with regard to primary, secondary productivity, and
decomposition.
o Ecosystem energetics
o Decomposition and nutrient cycling
o Biogeochemical cycles
o Ecosystem survey
H. Societal Implications and Applications

Social, economic, ethical, and cultural issues
I. Lab


Work as a part of a team in field and laboratory investigations of ecological phenomena.
Formulate testable hypotheses, collect and analyze ecological data, and express quantitative
conclusions.
V.
Skills (cross-cutting)
A. Scientific Method
Science is a process of trial and error by which we hope to improve our understanding of the natural
world incrementally, by making predictions, testing them, and improving their accuracy. The Scientific
Method includes the ability to propose testable hypotheses and carry out experiments to test them, and
relies on standardized international systems of measurement.
B. Data Interpretation and Statistical Analysis
Students should be able to analyze simple data sets using appropriate descriptive and inferential
statistics.
C. Navigating and Reading the Scientific Literature
Students should be able to use public literature databases to find appropriate published material, and
should be able to read, understand, and evaluate the validity and importance of the scientific literature
and to integrate new concepts into their existing knowledge frameworks.
D. Scientific Communication
Students should be able to communicate their own and others data and analysis in oral and written
format, using computers where necessary to visualize data or to create clear and compelling papers,
posters, or presentations.
E. Science and Society/Civic Engagement
Students should be able to analyze scientific studies in light of their ecological, social, economic, ethical,
and cultural implications.
F. Collaboration
G. Interdisciplinary nature of science
H. Microscopy