Biology 100 Organismal Biology
Spring 2017 Syllabus
Contact Information: Mary Teleha
Office: A131, Science Center (SCTR)
Phone: 440-775-6239
email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon or by appointment
Lecture meeting time: M, W & F 10:00-10:50 a.m. in A155 Science Center
Course Description:
BIOL 100 Organismal Biology
Full course; Credits: 4 hours; Attributes: 4NS, QFR
This course provides prospective biology majors and others with an integrated introduction
to the biology of organisms, from the subcellular level, through the cellular, tissue, organ, and
whole organismal level. Students must register for both lecture and laboratory (lab will be held in
K103 or K119 at your assigned day/time).
Lab Instructors:
Jane Bennett
Science Center A137
440-775-8325
[email protected]
Office hours: Tues – Fri, 11:00 – 12:00
Keith Tarvin
Science Center A130
440-775-8306
[email protected]
Office hours: Mon 2:30-3:30, Wed 9:30-10:30
,
and Thu 3:00-4:30
Learning Objectives:
1. Apply physical and chemical principles to explain physiological processes
2. Appreciate the ways in which the structure of molecules, cells, and organs defines their function
3. Understand the basic ways that organisms obtain, store, and use energy and materials
4. Understand the major problems that organisms face and some of the primary solutions that have
evolved to address those problems
5. Use quantitative and formal reasoning to understand biological phenomena
6. Develop an understanding of the nature of science and of the process of scientific inquiry
Required Texts:
1. Brooker, R.J., Widmaier, E.P., Graham, L.E., and Stiling, P.D. 2017. Biology. 4th Edition. McGrawHill, New York, available as both a hard copy and e-text. The readings listed on the course calendar
are for the 4rth edition of this text. They may not correspond exactly to earlier editions, and earlier
editions may not cover exactly the same material.
2. Lab Manual. Manuals will be available for purchase. I will announce the details of how to
purchase a lab manual. You do not need to purchase a lab coat or goggles for this lab.
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Course Format:
Lecture: Lecture will be held in Room A155 in the Science center from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m.
each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. During lecture periods, material will be presented
introducing each of the major topics of the course. I will provide as many examples of the major
topics and concepts as possible during class but it is expected that students pre-read lecture
material to familiarize themselves with the major concepts and review lecture material after each
class as well. It is my suggestion that you attend every lecture session, take good notes, and rewrite your notes within a reasonable amount of time after lecture, using your textbook to look up
confusing concepts. My style of teaching is to use discussion and example whenever possible.
Please ask questions about anything that is confusing. I cannot claim to be the foremost authority
on all the subject matter we will cover, but I will do my best to provide clear answers to those
questions I am familiar with and look up answers to those I am not. I will make every effort to be
available to assist with questions or concerns. If you would like to meet with me, stop by during
office hours or contact me to set up an appointment.
Laboratory: Organismal Biology Lab meets once per week in K103 or K119. You must attend
the lab section for which you are registered. Because of seating limitations and other factors, you
cannot attend a lab in which you are not registered unless you first get permission from both the
instructors for your lab section and for the one you want to attend. Because of the complexities of
preparing the materials for laboratory exercises, you can only make up a lab within the same week
as the lab you miss, and this can only be done with prior approval by your lab instructor. Lab
assignments will be turned in to your lab instructor and your lab total will be factored in to account
for 25% of your overall grade for the course.
Grading: Your grade will be based on 4 semester mini-exam scores, 1 in-class/take home
assignment, 5 problem sets, a final exam including both new material comprising exam 5 and a
comprehensive portion, and your lab assignments. It is very important to stay current on the class
material. Any assignment not turned in as a result of missing class will not be accepted for full
credit, unless you and I have made arrangements for an extension. As a general policy, missed
exams cannot be made up either. The exams will cover material presented in lecture and assigned
readings, and will be given as indicated on the class schedule. Therefore, your attendance is
important to obtain all the necessary information. If you know that must miss an exam, please
inform me as early as possible (see me personally or send me an email). In the case of an
unexpected absence or emergency, make-up exams may be available only if I am notified of the
reason for your inability to take the exam, and I determine the reason to be acceptable. You have
24 hours from the exam start time to contact me. Requests to take make-up exams will not
necessarily be granted. Unless otherwise noted, assignments are due at the beginning of class. If an
assignment is turned in after class has begun, it will be considered late and will not be graded for
credit unless approved. I cannot stress the importance of your contacting me as soon as you miss an
assignment or exam. You must contact me through email or see me personally to make your
request for an extension or make-up exam by providing me a valid reason for missing the deadline.
Any assignment turned in late AND approved by me for late submission will be deducted points as
follows: 25% deduction up to 24 hours late and 50% deduction 24-48 hours late. NO assignments
will be accepted after 48 hours late, unless I have approved an extension.
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Point Breakdown
Course Points
5 mini-exams @50 points each
5 problem sets @ 25 points each
In-class/take home assignment
Final Exam (comprehensive)
Lab
Total
250 points
125 points
15 points
60 points
150 points*
600 points
% of Total Grade
41.5%
21%
2.5%
10%
25%
100%
*Your earned overall percentage in lab will be applied to 150 points.
Grading Scale:
98-100%
88-89.9%
78-79.9%
60-69.9%
< 60%
A+
B+
C+
D
F
92-97.9%
82-87.9%
72-77.9%
A
B
C
90-91.95
80-81.9%
70-71.9%
ABC-
Honor System: All students deserve a healthy learning environment and evaluations that are based
of their honest, independent efforts. Academic dishonesty violates these rights of students. As a
member of the Oberlin College community, I trust, rely on, and am bound by the honor system. As
such, I am required to report any and all violations of the honor code to the honor code committee.
I take violations very seriously, as should each of you. You must be familiar with Oberlin College’s
policy concerning the honor system. A link at the bottom of your Blackboard home page will take
you to a description of the college’s honor system. I will be sure to clarify for you what is and what
is not a violation of the honor system regarding assignments and exams for this course. It is your
responsibility to ask for clarification if you are unsure whether a particular action or specific type of
assistance is permitted or would be an honor code violation. After completing coursework, you will
be asked to write and sign or simply sign a statement that reads, “I affirm that I have adhered to the
honor code on this assignment.” Failure to comply with this request and the honor code may result
in failure on the assignment and possibly the class. This statement must be written on every
assignment turned in, according to policy. Assignments omitting this statement will not be graded
for credit. However, they will be returned to you so that you may add the honor code and your
signature and resubmit it for credit. This is your responsibility!
You will need to pledge the honor code on every assignment that you turn in.
Course Resources:
Materials on Blackboard: I will post PowerPoint slides for my lectures. Because my slides do not
contain all the information I will discuss in lecture, relying solely on PowerPoint slides for class
material is not something I would recommend: you will miss important information that you may be
tested over if you do not attend the lecture. I also will post this syllabus and class schedule, most of
the assignments, and any other course materials on Blackboard.
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Office Hours: My office hours are listed at the top of the first page of this syllabus. You are welcome
to meet with me during office hours without an appointment. If you are unable to make any of my
office hours, email me to set up a meeting at another time that works for us both. I will always do
my best to meet with you within a reasonable amount of time after your request, so please contact
me as soon as any problems arise, particularly if you are having trouble with course material. Please
do not wait until you feel too far behind or too lost. It is easy to get behind and much more difficult
to catch up!
OWL sessions (Oberlin Workshop and Learning Sessions) will be held twice weekly. OWLS leaders
are NOT tutors. Rather, they are your peers, specially trained to foster peer-based group learning
and student centered learning. Their approach as OWLS for this class will be to help you learn to
integrate course content and study skills. While OWLS attendance is voluntary and unreported, data
indicates that attending OWLS weekly can and often does have a great impact on your performance
in BIOL 100. Your OWLS leaders for this semester are Tara Santora ([email protected]) and
Bryton Smith ([email protected]). Please watch for an announcement in class of the OWLS
session schedule.
CLEAR Center for drop-in tutoring for help with quantitative aspects of the course: The Center for
Learning, Education and Research in the Sciences (CLEAR) is an interdepartmental resource
dedicated to helping students with quantitative material in their courses. The Quantitative Skills
Drop-In Tutoring Center offers drop-in evening hours where peer tutors can help you with
quantitative aspects of the course. The hours are Sundays-Thursdays 7–11:00 pm. You are welcome
to seek help from them as you work through material for this course. They will not give you
answers, but they will help you figure out how to come up with the answers on your own. They can
help you with graphs, spreadsheets, equations, and other components of the course that have a
quantitative aspect. You can find them in Science Library, room N174 or in Mudd 052; phone: 440–
775–6216; http://oberlin.edu/clear. For locations and hours for tutors for specific science courses,
you can find the CLEAR schedule here: http://new.oberlin.edu/office/clear/for-students/drop-intutoring/.
One-on-one Tutors: The College can provide you with a tutor for this course. Please consider this if
you feel you need additional assistance. We can arrange for a tutor through the Student Academic
Services office (Peters 118, 440–775-8464).
Class Deans are also a great resource for guidance, especially when unavoidable problems arise, so
find out who your dean is (if you don’t already know) and use this valuable resource if you find
yourself in need.
Attendance:
Your attendance in this course does not directly factor into your grade. However, your grade
will be indirectly affected if you do not attend lectures. As mentioned previously, PowerPoint slides
will not completely cover all the material we will discuss in class. Therefore, I expect you to attend
all lectures unless an emergency arises. If you must miss a class, it is a good idea to have a friend or
two willing to share notes with you. Missed assignments due to absence will only be considered for
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credit in extreme circumstances and with proper documentation of the reason for your absence.
Please let me know ahead of time if you know you must miss a class.
Classroom and Testing Accommodations:
Students requiring special accommodations for exams due to a documented disability
should first contact the Office of Disability Services. If you have not already, you should be in touch
with Jane Boomer, Coordinator for Students with Disabilities, Room G27, Peters Hall (440–775–
5588; [email protected]). All discussions between you and Ms. Boomer remain
confidential, and I will only receive information that describes the type of accommodation
recommended. After the necessary accommodations have been determined, the student is
responsible for presenting the written request for accommodations to me at the beginning of the
term. After receiving the written request, I will make every effort to meet the recommendation of
the Office of Disability Services.
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Lecture Schedule: The following is an outline for the lecture topics we will be covering this semester.
This is a guideline, and we may not follow the schedule exactly all the time. Changes to the schedule will
be announced in class and reflected in materials posted on Blackboard.
Dates
Lecture Topics and Assignments Due
1/30, 2/1 &
2/3
Introduction, Biomolecules
Proteins, Energy, and Enzymes
2/6, 2/8 &
2/10
2/13, 2/15 &
2/17
Cells, Membrane Structure and Function
4.2-4.5, 5.1, 5.2,
Digestion and Nutrition
45
Cellular Respiration
7.1-7.5
Plant tissues and Organs
35 and class notes
Problem Set 1 Due 2/17
Transport in Plants and Water Potential
38
Photosynthesis
8.1-8.4
Mini-exam 1 2/22 (Introduction-Cellular
Respiration)
Plant Nutrition (In-class or Take-home
37
assignment-bring textbook)
Plant Hormones, Behavior, and Defense
36
Mechanisms
Animal Hormones
50
Homeostasis, Osmoregulation & Excretion
40.3, 49.1, 49.2
Problem Set 2 Due 3/8
Excretory Systems and the Mammal Kidney
49.2-49.3
Mini-exam 2 3/15 (Plant Tissues-Plant
Hormones, Behavior, and Defense)
Spring Break 3/18-3/26
Circulatory Systems
47.1-47.5
Respiratory Systems
48.1-48.5
2/20, 2/22 &
2/24
2/27, 3/1 &
3/3
3/6, 3/8 &
3/10
3/13. 3/15 &
3/17
3/27, 3/29 &
3/31
4/3, 4/5 &
4/7
4/10, 4/12 &
4/14
4/17, 4/19 &
4/21
4/24, 4/26 &
4/28
5/1, 5/3 &
5/5
5/10 7-9 p.m.
Textbook
Reference
3.2-3.5, 3.7
3.6, 6.1-6.2
Lab Topic
Attend any lab Tu-Fri
1:30-4:20 p.m. K103
Bring a Laptop
Attend your assigned lab.
Bring a Laptop
Chemical Digestion I
Chemical Digestion II
Water Potential and Plant
Histology
Animal Anatomy I
Animal Anatomy II
Animal Anatomy and
Histology Lab Practical
Test
Mutant Hunt I and
Meiosis
Cell Cycle and Mitosis
15.1-15.2
Meiosis, Gametogenesis, and Consequences
of being Diploid
15.3-15.4
Problem Set 3 Due 4/5
Mini-exam 3 4/10 (Animal Hormones39.1, Fig. 29.7, Fig. Mutant Hunt II,
Respiratory Systems)
29.12, Fig. 30.14
Angiosperm
Plant Life Cycles
39.1-39.4 and class Reproduction, and Fern
Angiosperm Reproduction
notes
Life Cycle
Angiosperm Reproduction
39.1-39.4 and class No lab this week but you
Gene Expression and Mutation
notes
MUST measure your
Problem Set 4 Due 4/21
11.2, 12.1-12.4
plants
Neuron Structure and Function
41.1-41.4
Mutant Hunt III and Fern
Mini-exam 4 4/26 (Cell Cycle-Angiosperm
Observations
Reproduction)
Muscle Structure and Function
44.1-44.2
Osmoregulation in
Animal Immune Systems
53
Paramecium and Fern
Problem Set 5 Due Friday May 5
Fertilization
Final Exam (Gene Expression and Mutation through End Plus Cumulative Portion)
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