1 BIOLOGY 205 Spring 2008 Lecture Sections: MWRF 10 am SL110 MTWF 11 am SL110 Dr. Carol Trent [email protected]Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1:30-2:30 pm BI 408 If you need to see me outside of office hours, please contact me via email to set up a specific appointment time. Course Web Site http://fire.biol.wwu.edu/trent/trent/Biol205index.html *******This is not a Blackboard site NOTE: this is not a blackboard site This is cell biology The 20 th Century cell: black and white era
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BIOLOGY 205 Spring 2008 Lecture Sections: MWRF 10 am SL110 MTWF 11 am SL110 Dr. Carol Trent [email protected] Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1:30-2:30 pm BI 408 If you need to see me outside of office hours, please contact me via email to set up a specific appointment time. Course Web Site http://fire.biol.wwu.edu/trent/trent/Biol205index.html *******This is not a Blackboard site NOTE: this is not a blackboard site
Ah, This is more like it – the asthetics are a bit more inspiring
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But wait now we have: The 21st Century: The U-tube Cell! http://aimediaserver.com/studiodaily/harvard/harvard.swf http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technique/tprojects/6850.html
Course objectives Content Goals: 1. You should understand and be able to apply fundamental cell and molecular biology principles, especially the molecular basis for form and function of cells and the organization and transfer of genetic information. 2. You should learn how to perform a variety of lab techniques and begin to learn how to design experiments in cell and molecular biology. Process Goals: 1. You should develop your critical thinking skills by beginning to identify questions that can be addressed scientifically and by interpreting data and drawing conclusions from experiments. 2. You should develop your quantitative reasoning skills through data analysis. 3. You should develop your written and oral communication skills by describing and analyzing biological processes using precise scientific terminology.
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Required Textbook: Essential Cell Biology by Alberts et al. Second Edition Required Lab book: Biol 205 Lab Manual - Spring 2008 You must have a copy of the lab manual in your possession to attend the first lab, which is scheduled for the second week of classes. The laboratory schedule and required reading assignments are included in the lab manual. Required reading: Reading assignments will be posted with the lecture material.
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TERMINOLOGY: Essential to the mastery of biology is a thorough knowledge and understanding of the vocabulary of this science. New terms will be introduced and defined routinely in the lectures.
☞ You are required to know all terms defined in lecture.
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EVALUATION: A standard grading scale will be used. Quizzes 3 @ 20 pts each………………………........ 60 Exams: 2 @ 80 pts. ……....................................…...160 Final Exam: 1 @ 80 pts. each........................…....……80 Laboratory Points ……………………………………..80 Total Points: 380 ☞ No points are allocated specifically for class participation…………... BUT: if you have a borderline grade at the end of the quarter and were an active class participant, I will “bump” you up to the higher grade. EXAMS: • The format of the exams and quizzes will be discussed in
class and you will be given practice problems from previous quarters.
• To take an exam or a quiz at an alternative time, you must make arrangements with me BEFORE the scheduled exam period. In the event of an illness, you must have a note from a health professional indicating that you were too sick to take the exam during the scheduled period. The "self-described" illness form from the Student Health Center will not serve as a substitute.
• Requests for regrades of exams must be in writing and must be submitted within one week of the return date of the graded exam.
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The lecture topics and dates are subject to change, but the quiz and exam dates are fixed. LECTURE DATE COURSE TOPICS Week 1 April 1-4
Introduction to course Genomes, genome projects & model organisms Informational polymers: DNA, RNA and protein
Week 2 April 7-11 LAB: Exploring Protein Structure
Protein structure and function (CT will be off-campus) Guest lecturer for 10am section: Joann Otto Guest lecturers for 11am section: Yamini Dalal and Sandra Schulze
Energetics and redox reactions Glycolysis and the Krebs cycle Quiz #3 on Friday May 16
Week 8 May 19-23 LAB: DNA Sequence Analysis
Electron transport and chemiosmosis ATP synthase: a protein machine with moving parts The Chloroplast; Photosynthesis: dark and light reactions Exam #2 on Friday May 23
Week 9 May 27-30 (Monday holiday) LAB: Photosynthesis
Controlling biological processes: regulation of metabolic processes Signal transduction
Week 10 June 2-6 LAB: Lab Final Exam
Signal transduction and regulation of gene expression in euks Special Topics
Finals Week 10am SECTION: Final Exam on Thursday June 12 at 8:00 am 11am SECTION: Final Exam on Monday June 9 at 8:00 am
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Biology 205 Week 1: Reading Assignments in Alberts Chapter 1: Introduction to Cells • Focus on pp. 1-5, 27-35 • Browse through the rest of the chapter (cell
structure) which we’ll come back to in a couple of weeks
Chapter 2 Chemical Components of Cells Review basic chemistry in preparation for Week 2 lectures on protein stucture • We will be discussing the structure and function of
many molecules in the cell, as well as several major biochemical pathways.
• For these topics, you must have a working knowledge of basic chemistry that you should have acquired in CHEM 121 and high school.
• This material is reviewed in pp. 39-50, 68-69, and 78-79 in Alberts. Read these pages during the first week of class.
• Although we will not discuss this material in detail in class, I will assume you know it.
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Tips for success in Biol 205 by Joann Otto & Carol Trent In Biol 205, we examine a variety of processes that occur in cells. Often we will be discussing a topic over several days. Some students lose sight of the ‘forest for the trees’; in other words, they become lost in the details and how they relate to the big picture. Further, we cover a great deal of material, and students who wait until the last minute to study are overwhelmed. There are several strategies to learn the material in the course efficiently. These are outlined below:
1. Read the text to get the major ideas and terms related to a topic BEFORE lecture. The text contains far more material than can possibly be discussed in lecture so do not worry about the details. The figures in the text illustrate the major ideas and should be very useful. By doing this reading prior to class, you will come to lecture prepared to listen and learn and to take accurate notes. At a minimum, read the bold headings of sections and the definitions of words in bold, study the figures and legends, and read the section or chapter summary prior to coming to class.
2. Soon after lecture, check your notes to be sure they are clear to you. Then, knowing the parts of the reading that were emphasized in the lecture, reread the text more thoroughly and focus on the parts that were emphasized in lecture. You can use the text to clarify your notes and cross reference figures that help you understand lecture material. It is very useful to write a paragraph summarizing the main points of the lecture or to make a list of the main points. If you cannot list only 4-5 main points, you probably do not understand the material (the forest vs. the trees problem).
3. Be an efficient learner. In the few minutes before class starts, review your notes from the previous lecture. Often, our discussion of a topic will span several lectures and by reviewing the previous lecture, you will get your brain ready for the new one.
4. Form study groups. There are different strategies to make a study group successful but all require that all the participants have studied the material prior to meeting. Groups may want individuals basically to teach the others how a process works; teaching is the best way to learn something. Alternatively, participants can quiz each on the study questions
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provided by the instructor. Taking the questions as a mock exam (and grading each other) is an excellent way to learn the material.
5. Take advantage of office hours. I am very willing to help you.
6. When taking an exam, carefully read the questions. The, reread each question to be certain that you understand it. All of the above might seem to require a great deal of time. However, if you keep up as the quarter goes along, you will not be panic stricken the day before an exam. Further, keep in mind that, at the college level, you should be spending 3-4 hours studying for each hour you spend in lecture. As with any endeavor, you will get out of this class what you put into it.
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Becoming an Effective Learner for Biol 205 Adapted from A Miniature Guide for Students on How to Study and Learn a Discipline using Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools by Richard Paul and Linda Elder Effective Reading
1) Become an active reader. First read your textbook structurally. Examine the table of contents for a chapter and summarize in your own words the main points of the chapter. Then use close reading to learn about the specific ideas which supporting the main points. After each paragraph, summarize the essential idea behind the paragraph using key terms. Also be sure to examine each figure or diagram carefully and summarize their important points. Be sure to read the figure legend.
2) Learn to associate particular people with scientific discoveries – this helps to put scientific discoveries in a context. Summarize the importance of an investigator’s research and explain why it is relevant for this area of biology.
3) Consider that this class is training you to think like a biologist, and more specifically, like a molecular and cell biologist or biochemist or geneticist. You should pay close attention to key experiments that help define these sub-disciplines. Look for interconnections that unify these sub-disciplines.
Effective Listening
1) Read your textbook in advance of lecture. Oftentimes, lectures will use the textbook readings as background and will not make sense if you have not kept up with the assigned readings.
2) Test yourself before class by summarizing the main points of the previous class. If you cannot summarize main points, you have not learned them.
3) During class, actively listen. Ask questions to fill in missing pieces. Make interconnections with previous lectures or courses. Your lecturer loves questions as.
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4) Note-taking is important tool for becoming an active learner. So, detailed lecture notes (except for the figures not found in textbook) will typically not be posted on the web.
5) Test yourself soon after class by summarizing the main points of the class. Identify the key questions in the lecture.
Effective Learning 1) Learn how to identify what you do not understand, and, if
possible, why you do not understand it. 2) Test your understanding of biology by explaining what you have
learned to someone who is not taking Biol 205 – mom, dad and sibs are fair targets.
3) Always ask for clarification – by email, or questions in class or in office hours.
4) Understand the philosophy of testing. In general, our philosophy in testing for Biol 205 is to include on tests a mixture of factual recall, experimental analysis and applications of concepts to new situations. With this approach, students who try to memorize the textbook do very poorly. One way to prepare for the more challenging tests is to think about what would happen if one component involved in a process is not working.
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During the past few years, molecular geneticists and cell biologists have announced (usually with great fanfare and attention from the popular press) specific accomplishments with respect to the study of biology Biology in the Popular Press What topics appear regularly? What topics have interested you?
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Consider the following questions:
1. How does a living system differ from one that is not alive?
In other words: • What essential characteristics are found in
all living systems yet known? • What does a cell need to do to be alive?
2.What is the program or information center
that directs the living system?
3.How ancient are the lineages of various types of organisms?
