Download Course Outline

NASHUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
COURSE OUTLINE FORM
Course Title: Honors Biology I
Course Prefix &
Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 3
No.:BIOL107N
Department: Science, Engineering Technology
Program: Life Science and Chemistry
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisites/ Co-requisites:
Successful completion (C or higher) of college preparatory Biology and Chemistry within the past five years
or be able to pass a biology entrance exam with C- or better.
Required Accuplacer Score: Reading 75 or above; Sentence Skills 70 or above; Mathematics 80 or
higher
Entrance Skills:
Excellent reading skills are mandatory for this course. Strong math abilities are also desirable. Creative problemsolving, ability to work in teams and a strong background in college-preparatory math and science will increase success.
Catalog Description:
BIOL107N Principles of Biology I
4 Credits
Introduces topics in more depth than BIOL105N, faster pace, higher expectation of application through projected-based
learning environment to implement new methodology and critical thinking in and out of the laboratory. Topics covered
include the chemical and physical basis of life, biochemistry, cell structure and function, genetics with emphasis on
replication, transcription, expression, structure as it links to function at cellular.
Prerequisite: Successful completion (C or higher) of college preparatory Biology and Chemistry within the past five years
or be able to pass a biology entrance exam with a ‘C’- or better.
This course fulfills a General Education Core Requirement: Science.
Course Competencies:
Competency (Knowledge and Skills)
Students will be able to:
Critical
Thinking Skills
Themes in the study of life
 Identify the common themes that unify all living things
 Recognize that evolution accounts for unity and diversity in life
 Describe biological inquiry as a process of formulating and testing hypotheses
based on observations
 Explain the scientific method
 Differentiate between theories and hypotheses
Analyze, criticize,
examine,
experiment,
question, compose,
design, formulate,
write, conclude,
explain, predict,
summarize
Chemical context of life and role of water
 Describe the concepts of matter and energy and the major forms of energy
 Demonstrate and understanding of the atoms and its structure
 Compare and contrast molecular bonds
 Recognize that chemical reactions make and break chemical bonds
 Describe the mechanisms by which water’s intramolecular and intermolecular
bonds contribute to water’s properties
Carbon and Macromolecules
 Describe and compare the building blocks, general structures, and biological
functions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
 Identify the role of dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis in the formation and
break down of organic molecules
Cell Structure and Function
 Describe how microscopes are used in the study of living organisms
 Describe the chemical composition of the plasma membrane and relate it to
membrane functions
 Describe and explain the form and function of organelles found within various
types of cells across the three domains of life
 Name the key components of the endomembrane system and describe its role in
regulating protein traffic and metabolism in the cell.
 Recognize that both the cytoskeleton and extracellular components support the
cell’s physical structure, communication, and functions
Membrane structure and function
 Describe the molecular basis of the fluid mosaic model
 Compare and contrast the mechanisms of active, passive, and bulk transport
 Describe the role of the plasma membrane in cell signaling
Metabolism
 Explain the role of ATP in cellular metabolism
 Explain enzyme activity, its effect on activation energy, and metabolic controls
 Explain how metabolic processes transform energy and matter
 Evaluate the spontaneity of a reaction based on its free energy changes
Respiration and Fermentation
 Describe how catabolic pathways yield energy by oxidizing organic fuels
 Describe the 3 stages of cellular respiration in the complete oxidation of
glucose
 Describe the interconnected nature of the reactants and products formed within
the complete oxidation of glucose
 Identify the conditions under which cells utilize aerobic and anaerobic
respiration and fermentation to produce ATP
 Describe how glycolysis and the citric acid cycle connect to many other
pathways
Photosynthesis
 Recognize that photosynthesis converts chemical energy to food
 Compare and contrast the light reactions and the Calvin cycle with a detailed
understanding of the net projects of each set of reactions
Analyze, compare,
contrast, diagram,
explain, relate, write,
justify
Breakdown,
distinguish, relate,
explain, choose,
describe, evaluate.
Identify, illustrate,
calculate, collect,
design, devise,
explain, generate,
plan, support,
interpret, predict.
Illustrate, model,
diagram, explain,
compare, contrast,
describe
Diagram, examine,
question, point out,
explain, conclude,
estimate, plan,
predict, summarize,
synthesize, support
Explain, plan,
predict, analyze,
conclude, generate,
relate, support,
justify
Explain, analyze,
plan, predict,
generate, analyze,
conclude, defend,
describe, create
The Cell Cycle
 Explain how normal cell division results in genetically identical cells
 Explain the cellular changes that occur through each phase of the cell cycle
 Explain how regulation is employed throughout the cell cycle
Meiosis and sexual life cycles
 Explain how genetic information is passed from parent to offspring
 Explain the cellular changes that occur through each phase of meiotic cell
division
 Recognize that fertilization and meiosis alternate throughout the sexual
reproduction
 Differentiate between diploid and haploid life cycles
 Describe how genetic variation is produced during sexual reproduction
Mendelian genetics and the chromosomal basis of inheritence
 Describe how Mendel used scientific inquiry to identify the two laws of
inheritance
 Describe Mendel’s law of segregation and law of independent assortment
 Predict the outcome of monohybrid and dihybrid crosses
 Recognize the complexity of inheritance patterns in living organisms as
compared to theoretical inheritance patterns
 Relate patterns of Mendelian genetics to the physical patterns of chromosomes
 Explain how sex-linked genes and linked genes affect patterns of inheritance
 Explain the chromosomal basis of genetic disorders
Molecular basis of inheritence
 State that DNA is the genetic material
 Describe the proteins associated with DNA replication and repair
 Describe chromosomal structure on a molecular level
Model, explain,
conclude, diagram,
relate
Protein synthesis
 Describe the process of protein manufacturing from gene to polypeptide,
including the steps of transcription, mRNA modification, and translation
 Evaluate the effects of chromosomal mutation upon gene expression
 Discuss the universality of the gene as the basis for life
Regulation of gene expression
 Describe how bacteria alter their gene expression with respect to environmental
changes
 Explain how eukaryotic gene expression is regulated and results in different cell
types in a multicellular organism
 Explain the chromosomal basis of cancer
Viruses
 Describe the physical structure of virus, prions, and viroids
 Describe the process of viral replication and the life cycle of a virus
Explain, analyze,
conclude, predict,
identify, question,
relate
Biotechnology
 Outline the steps involved in DNA cloning
 Differentiate between various techniques used in biotechnology
 Evaluate potential applications of current biotechnology methods
 Defend the use of cloning in treating environmental and human ailments
Explain, plan,
predict, analyze,
conclude, interpret,
support, set up, tell,
synthesize,
summarize
Diagram, arrange,
assemble, predict,
diagram,
differentiate,
compare, contrast,
model, question,
conclude, analyze
Analyze, explain,
model, diagram,
summarize, tell,
write, predict
Model, diagram,
explain, analyze,
support, tell, write
Plan, predict,
evaluate, conclude,
analyze, diagram,
explain, support,
write
Model, diagram,
explain
Genomes and evolution
 Explain how scientists use bioinformatics to analyze and sequence genomes
 Discuss the variations seen in genomes, including size, number of genes, and
gene density
 Recall that multicellular eukaryotes contain significant amounts of non-coding
DNA
 Explain how the genomic sequence is the molecular basis for evolution and that
duplication, rearrangement, and mutation are mechanisms for change
 Using Bioinformatics for problem solving.
Synthesize, analyze,
explain, compare,
contrast, defend,
develop, criticize
Course Outline:
Content Topic
Subtopics ( a., b., etc.)
Themes in the Study of Life
a.
b.
c.
d.
Scientific inquiry
Unifying nature of the themes of biology
Evolution as the core unifying theme
Applied Science to Workforce
The Chemistry of Life
a.
b.
c.
d.
The Chemical Context of Life
Water and Life
Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
The Structure and Function of Large
Biological Molecules
The Cell
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
A Tour of the Cell
Membrane Structure and Function
Metabolism
Cellular Respiration and Fermentation
Photosynthesis
Cell Communication
The Cell Cycle
Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles
Mendelian Genetics
The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritence
The Molecular Basis of Inheritence
From Gene to Protein
Regulation of Gene Expression
Viruses
Biotechnology
Bioinformatics
Genomes and Their Evolution
Genetics
Performance Evaluation
Formative Assessments
Summative Assessments
-Chapter Quizzes/Activities (in class)
-Mastering Biology (web-based quizzing)
-Project based labs (data collection, experimental
design, interpreting data, answering questions)
-Maintaining laboratory throughout the semester
-Draft submissions of research paper
-Weekly group presentation of lab inquiry/
design/results
-Entrance and Exit Exam (standardized, based on
national standards)
-3 Unit Exams, consisting of both objective and
subjective items
-1 comprehensive final exam
-1 formal research paper
-1 formal lab based-research project paper utilizing
bioinformatics within design
Method of Instruction:
Group project and team building labs and activities, lectures, class discussions and debates,
weekly laboratory inquiries design and performed by students, library research and
bioinformatics usage, field trips, guest speakers, regular self and team assessments.
Instructional Facilities:
A normal classroom is adequate for the lecture portion of this class. Lab facilities will also be
required.
Revision History:
Please include the dates of past revisions and if possible person(s) responsible
for the revision.
Outline formed: March 2013 updated from SCIN101 Biology for transfer purposes, increased rigor and
varied teaching paradigm- such a project-based inquiry methods.
Will this course be taught online? Yes____No__x_