Applied Biology

A one-credit hour course to supplement the General Biology (BIOL 1104) course for biology majors. The focus of this course is to expand on topics discussed during the lecture/laboratory portions of BIOL 1104 and to discuss current topics of interest to biology students. The format of the course is reading and discussion. Each participant will be responsible for being a discussion leader at least once during the semester. The discussion leader's role is to introduce the topic, provide background information about the subject, and encourage the group to offer comments and ask questions. Topics for discussion may be directly related to lecture material or may originate from current media sources, as long as that topic was already introduced in the BIOL 1104 class lecture or lab and the students have some familiarity with the subjects.

This course is the study of the gross and microscopic anatomy of various human systems, emphasizing how structure facilitates function. The areas emphasized are basic anatomical and directional terminology, fundamental concepts and principles of cell biology, histology, the integumentary system, the nervous system and special senses, the skeletal system, and the muscular system.

This course will provide a firm foundation on the principles of modern molecular and cellular biology. The first half of the course will focus on the molecular structure and function of DNA, RNA and proteins and the tenets of the central dogma of molecular biology. The second half of the course will focus on the fundamental processes that enable cells to grow, move, and communicate as well as introduce the processes underlying tissue formation and cell death. During recitation the students will read and analyze primary journal articles, create a short oral presentation on a topic and submit a short "News and Views" article written for a general audience.