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Bio 93, Introductory Biology, DNA to Organisms
Learning Goals Fall 2012
Section F: Adrienne Williams
Introduction to Bio 93
Lecture 1: Introduction, structural complexity
• Explain the concept of structural complexity in biology
Unit 1: The Dynamic Cell
Lecture 2: Single cell dynamics, membrane structure, ECM
• Draw and label a cell membrane with lipids, proteins and carbohydrates in the appropriate locations.
• Describe how lipid composition and temperature influence membrane fluidity.
• Interpret a graph that describes membrane composition and predict how this influences membrane fluidity.
• Predict how changes in membrane fluidity affect movement of cells and components in the cell membrane
Lecture 3: Membrane function, passive and active transport
• Distinguish between passive and facilitated diffusion, and active transport.
• Predict direction of water flow across a cell membrane under different conditions.
• Describe how ionic and molecular gradients are established and maintained across the plasma membrane.
• Predict what happens when these gradients change.
Lecture 4: Cytoskeleton and motor proteins
 Discuss the structural properties and localization of actin and microtubules.
 Describe the relationship between cytoskeletal elements and the motor proteins dynein, kinesin and myosin.
 Predict the consequences of disrupting specific cytoskeletal elements or motor proteins
Lecture 5: Cell organelles
 Draw and label a eukaryotic cell including the nucleus, sER, rER, golgi, lysosome, ribosomes.
 Describe the function of each organelle.
 Provide a basic outline of DNA to RNA to protein
 Describe the relationship between free and bound ribosomes and the proteins they synthesize.
 Predict the consequences of disrupting the function of specific organelles.
Lecture 6: Cell Communication
 Describe the difference between paracrine, synaptic, hormone and intracellular signaling.
 Describe how ligands outside the cell can influence biochemical processes inside the cell.
 Identify similarities and differences between major receptor types.
 Predict how changes in membrane structure will influence receptor signaling
Unit 2: Building the Cell
Lecture 7: Atoms, molecules, water
 Identify the key differences between covalent, ionic and hydrogen bonds.
 Describe how the bonds in water molecules make water a good solvent for other polar/charged molecules.
 Predict what happens to the tissue, and cell when there are changes in solute concentration of blood.
 Read a pH scale and predict how changes in free hydrogen ion concentration affects pH.
 Draw a diagram illustrating how biological buffers accept and release hydrogen ions to control pH.
 Apply water balance to disease states like cystic fibrosis
Lecture 8: Carbon, carbohydrates, lipids
 Recognize the 6 major functional groups important in biological molecules and describe their function.
 Draw a basic dehydration and hydrolysis reaction.
 Describe similarities and differences between carbohydrates and lipids.
 Relate functional groups and carbohydrates to polarity and interactions with water
 Apply the synthesis or digestion of carbon-based molecules to a disease state like Gaucher’s disease
Lecture 9: Proteins, nucleic acids
 Draw the basic structure of an amino acid and recognize the different types of R groups.
 Describe the levels of structure that shape a protein.
 Predict what will happen when proteins are denatured in a cell.
 Draw the basic structure of RNA and DNA including correct placement of sugar, base and phosphate linkers.
 Apply an error in protein structure with a disease state like sickle cell anemia
Unit 3: Powering the Cell
Lecture 10: ATP, enzymes
 Articulate the definitions of free energy and activation energy in biological systems.
 Distinguish between reactions that are endergonic and exergonic.
 Describe the activity of an enzyme in a biological reaction
 Draw the structure of ATP and highlight the bonds that are used to power biological reactions.
 Interpret a graph showing the activation energy of an enzyme.
Lecture 11: Cellular respiration
 Describe redox reactions using correct nomenclature, and explain why these are important in cellular energy.
 Draw a eukaryotic cell and indicate where reactions in cellular respiration take place
 Follow the major products and reactants through the three stages of cellular respiration.
 Illustrate the path of an electron from glucose to formation of a water molecule during cellular respiration
 Describe how ATP production continues in the absence of oxygen.
 Describe the difference between substrate-level and oxidative phosphorylation.
 Predict what happens when different stages are disrupted
Lecture 12: Photosynthesis
 Draw a chloroplast and indicate where the light and dark reactions take place.
 List the reactants and products of photosynthesis.
 Predict what happens when different stages of photosynthesis are disrupted.
 Connect the reactants and products of photosynthesis and cellular respiration together.
 Connect how previous concepts you have learned (bound vs free ribosomes or endergonic reactions for
instance) apply to the process of cellular respiration and photosynthesis.
Unit 4: Dividing the Cell
Lecture 13: The cell cycle and mitosis
 Label the different phases of a cell cycle, and describe the key cellular events that occur during each phase.
 Describe sister chromatids and ploidy before and after S phase
 Draw a cell with three chromosomes in the different phases of mitosis.
 Describe the mechanics of cytokinesis, and relate the structure of the spindle to cytoskeletal elements.
 Predict the consequences of disrupting the function of motor proteins or cytoskeletal elements on mitosis
Lecture 14: Meiosis
 Describe the difference between sister chromatids and homologous chromosomes
 Explain why mammalian gametes are haploid and somatic cells are diploid.
 Draw a cell with 3 pairs of homologous chromosomes going through meiosis.
 Identify how the process of meiosis increases genetic diversity within the offspring.
 Make a list of similarities and differences between mitosis and meiosis with at least 4 items in each column.
 Predict how disjunction errors will affect a gamete
Unit 5: Translating the Cell
Lecture 15: DNA structure
 Describe the structure of a double-stranded DNA molecule
 Predict the sequence of a complementary strand of DNA and the direction in which it will be polymerized.
 Explain the semiconservative nature of DNA replication
 Describe chromosomal mutations such as insertions, deletions and inversions
 Describe the basic components of a gene
Lecture 16: Transcription and translation
 Define promoters and transcription factors
 Recognize template and coding strands, mRNA and anticodons by their 3’ or 5’ directions
 Explain the steps of transcription initiation, elongation and termination
 Describe how RNA polymerase binds to DNA and forms an RNA transcript, including direction
 Draw the features of a primary transcript in the nucleus and a mature mRNA in the cytoplasm
 Explain how alternate splicing allows the 20,000 to produce a much larger number of proteins
 Describe a codon and read a codon table
 Draw a simplified tRNA bound to a ribosome and mRNA, and describe the formation of a polypeptide
 Predict the effects of point mutations and codon changes on protein primary structure
Lecture 17: Regulation of genes
 Explain how acetylation of histones and methylation of DNA affects transcription via chromatin modification
 Explain how transcription is regulated via transcription factors
 Show how RNA is processed by alternative splicing and intron removal via splicosomes
 Describe how miRNA neutralizes mRNA before translation
 Describe how proteins can be ubiquitinated and removed by proteasomes
 Predict how loss of gene regulation will affect cell systems, particularly mitosis
Lecture 21: Biotechnology
 Explain how restriction enzymes and gel electrophoresis enable comparison of gene fragments
 Describe Sanger DNA sequencing
 Describe updated “next generation” DNA sequencing and genomic research
 Explain purification of RNA for transcriptome research
 Explain the benefits of proteomic research and the basics of mass spectrometry
 Be able to describe similarities and differences between the techniques
 Be able to describe how the techniques were used in different research examples
Unit 6: The Inherited Cell
Lecture 18: Genes, alleles and Mendel
 Define the terms gene, allele, locus, genotype, phenotype.
 Describe the cell biology that generates a dominant or recessive phenotype using gene products and mutations
 Compare historic terms like P and F1 to current understandings of homozygous and heterozygous
 Predict results of single trait crosses using Punnett squares
 Describe when and how to perform a test cross.
Lecture 19: Beyond Mendel
 Describe how the phenotype of a heterozygote would differ in the case of complete dominance, incomplete
dominance, and co-dominance.
 Describe the cell biology that differs in complete dominance, incomplete dominance, and co-dominance
 Describe the cell biology of epistasis and understand the application in coat color of Labrador retrievers
 Explain the difference between pleiotropy and polygenic inheritance and the cell and organism.
Lecture 20: Sex Chromosomes and Inheritance (pg 286 – 300)
 Explain what is meant by the Law of Segregation using a monohybrid cross.
 Explain the Law of Independent assortment using a dihybrid cross as an example.
 Predict offspring frequencies for two or three trait crosses
 Use a pedigree to determine dominance and to predict the genotypes.
 Explain why X-linked phenotypes are more common in males
 Describe when, how, and why X-chromosome inactivation occurs in mammals.
 Calculate recombination frequencies and describe what they mean on physical chromosomes
Unit 7 Differentiating the Cell
Lecture 22: Early embryonic development
 Explain why different organisms are used in developmental studies
 Define maternal factors
 Explain the example of bicoid in Drosophila, and how it affects activation of different genes
 Articulate the history and roles of bicoid gene, mRNA and protein in development
 Describe fertilization, acrosome reaction and cortical reaction in the sea urchin
 Describe differences in blastula formation in organisms with and without yolk.
Lecture 23: Later embryonic development
 Define zygote, morula, blastula, gastrula and embryo
 Describe the roles of the cytoskeleton and cell motility during organogenesis
 Explain the stages of gastrulation in the frog, and define germ layers and their fates
 Define the terms induction, inducing agents, and organizers.
 Describe how inducing agents in the dorsal lip, notochord, and regions of the chick limb affect gene expression.
 Predict the effect of disorders in maternal factors or inducers
Unit 8 The Cell in Action
Lecture 24: Neurons and potentials
 Draw a neuron synapsing on another neuron and label the cell body, axon hillock, axon, synaptic terminals, preand post-synaptic cell.
 Identify the pump and channel in the neuronal membrane that are important for setting the resting potential
and predict how the potential changes if you alter the activity of one of these proteins.
 Diagram how opening and closing of voltage-gated channels and flow of ions down their concentration gradients
underlie the generation of an all-or-none action potential.
 Predict how blocking sodium and potassium channels affect action potentials.
Lecture 25: Synapses and muscle
 Draw a chemical synapse and label the important pre- and post-synaptic components.
 Describe how different neurotransmitter receptors produce excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic potentials
 Predict how summation of post-synaptic potentials affects membrane potential.
 Draw a motor neuron synapsing onto a muscle cell
 Describe the sliding filament model of actin myosin contraction
 Describe how the action potential of a motor neuron activates muscle contraction, and how calcium removal
ends the contraction
 Predict the effects of neurotoxins or disorders on synaptic transmission