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AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT Faculty of Arts & Sciences Department of Biology Course: Marine Biology Textbook: Castro P., Huber M.E., 2003. Marine Biology (4th edition). McGraw-Hill. COURSE CONTENTS PART ONE: PRINCIPLES OF MARINE SCIENCE 1. The science of marine biology 2. The sea floor 3. Chemical and Physical features of seawater and the world ocean PART TWO: LIFE IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 4. Some basics of biology 5. The microbial world 6. Multicellular primary producers: Seaweeds and Plants 7. Marine animals without a backbone 8. Marine fishes 9. Marine reptiles, birds, and mammals Midterm Exam PART THREE: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS 10. An introduction to Ecology 11. Between the tides 12. Estuaries: Where rivers meet the sea 13. Life on the continental shelf 14. Coral reefs 15. Life near the surface 16. The ocean depths PART FOUR: HUMANS AND THE SEA 17. Resources from the sea 18. The impact of humans on the marine environment 19. The oceans and human affairs Final Exam LABORATORY & FIELD WORK Lab 1: Comparison of the biotic and abiotic factors between rock pools Lab 2: Fluctuation of the abiotic factors in a rock pool over 24 hours Lab 3: The construction of a biomass pyramid using a standing crop of algae Lab 4: An investigation of the homing instinct of limpets Lab 5: Beach seine fishery Lab 6: Identification and taxonomy Lab 7: Measurements and data collection (otoliths, scales, gonads, diet) Lab 8: Research project Lab 9: Presentation of the Research project Lab 10: Presentation of the Research project (continued) Lab 11: Exam Grading Midterm Exam = 100 points Final Exam = 100 points Lab. report (Lab 8) = 30 points Lab. presentation (Lab 9-10) = 30 points Lab. exam = 30 points General assessment and participation = 10 points Total = 300 points Biology 390AA Course Syllabus Form American University of Beirut Faculty of Arts and Sciences Biology Department Course Number and Title: Biol 390AA Special Topics: Nucleic Acid Structure and Function Instructor: Colin Smith, Ph.D. email: [email protected] Office: Biology 101A, ext 3887 Office hours: to be announced Fall 2003 Lecture time and place to be arranged as necessary to accommodate students, preferably am Tuesdays and Thursdays Proposed Catalog Description: Biol 390AA Special Topics: Nucleic Acid Structure and Function Credits: 3.00 This course covers the principles by which nucleic acid structures regulate gene expression and replication, with special attention to unusual roles and applications. Antiviral drugs, RNA catalysis, mRNA UTR elements, and the origin of life will be discussed. College: Arts & Sciences Department: Biology Texts: Blackburn and Gait, Chemistry and Biology of Nucleic Acids (on reserve) Bloomfield, Crothers, and Tinonco, Nucleic Acids Structures, Properties, and Functions (on reserve) For review and overview of gene expression, I recommend Lewin, Genes VII Published articles and other material will be distributed throughout the semester. General course overview: The diverse and important roles nucleic acids play in biological systems will be illustrated by examples from the literature. Emphasis will be on roles in which nucleic acids are not mere vessels of protein coding sequence, but rather in which their structures function in regulation and catalysis. Experimental methods will be discussed as appropriate, but not unduly emphasized. Each week will consist of at least one lecture and one group discussion or presentation of a research publication. Course objectives: The goals of this course are to give the student an understanding of how nucleic acids function in regulating gene expression, how nucleic acid technology can answer biological questions, what techniques are available to study nucleic acids, and some of their unusual biological roles. By the end of the course, students should be able to understand and evaluate the scientific relevance and experimental approach of any research publication concerning nucleic acids in a biological system. Grading: Evaluations will be based on performance on a mid-term exam, a final exam, a paper, and participation in discussion. Each of these four will contribute to a quarter the course grade. Tentative Lecture Topics: Review of Nucleic Acid Biology and Chemistry Interprocess Communication Nucleic Acid Chemisty Biophysical Chemistry of Nucleic Acids Interactions with Small Molecules Chemical Sequencing and Footprinting DNA topology Protein-DNA Interactions Polymerases DNA Replication DNA Repair and Recombination Genome Replication Transcription Prokaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Protein-RNA Interactions RNA Processing Natural Ribozymes Translation tRNA and the Genetic Code Ribosomal RNA Structure Regulation of Translation Viruses Selection-Amplification Origin of Life Antisense and RNA Interference