Syllabus for Modern Biology (03-121) Fall 2014 Critique is not some peripheral feature of science, but rather is core to its practice, and without [it], the construction of reliable knowledge would be impossible. - Jonathan Osborne, 2010 Course Description: This course is designed to be an introduction to biology for science and non-science majors. The course will teach students core principles of biology and will also expose students to current research topics and to the questions that biologists research. Students will be exposed to and begin to develop an appreciation for modern hypotheses of biological function and of the problems that contemporary biology seeks to address. They will also become conversant in the scientific techniques that facilitate our understanding of biological function. Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to: 1) Describe the core mechanisms that regulate biological systems, including: transcription, translation, cellular communication, genetics, and evolution. 2) Identify several fundamental questions that biologists seek to answer and explain their importance. 3) Describe some of the key experimental approaches that biologists use to address these questions. 4) Read a scientific publication, describe its core findings, discuss limitations, and propose future lines of investigation. 5) Discuss these findings in a broader societal context. Faculty aspirations: - Teach you about science being skeptical, pursuing questions, formulating hypotheses, designing experiments, carrying them out, and making sense of them. Sometimes good ideas are wrong and sometimes (really, always) trying to answer interesting questions only leads to more questions. - Excite you about biology and about science in general. - Prepare you to be critical scientific thinkers. Location: DH 2210 Class times: 1:30 2:20 pm, MWF Instructors: DJ Brasier, WEH 4624 (near the Gelfand Center); dbrasier@cmu.edu Linda Visomirski-Robic, DH 2108; lindav@andrew.cmu.edu Teaching Assistant: Tanvi Shashikant; tshashik@andrew.cmu.edu Office Hours: (don t be shy) After lectures MWF 2:30 3:00 (or later as needed) in DH 2313, or by appointment Textbook: Morris, J., et al. Biology: How Life Works, Volume 1: Cells, Genetics, and Evolution (note that we only use volume 1 of a 3 volume set that is separately available in paperback). Available at the CMU bookstore. Other relevant text: Biological Science, Freeman, 4 th or 5 th Edition: on reserve in Hunt, Sorrells, Mellon Libraries.
Technology in Modern Biology Course Website: The CMU Blackboard system will be used (www.cmu.edu/blackboard/). Refer to it for the lecture and exam schedules, lecture Powerpoints, assignments, times for review sessions, and other course announcements and information. Every student is required to have an iclicker device or iclicker>go app for the class. In-class activities. During many of the lectures, we will ask you to reflect on a topic we have been discussing. Following many of these discussions, we will then either as you to turn in a written answer or to each, individually answer a multiple choice clicker question. Technology use policy Unless you are using the clicker app on your phone to answer a question, the use of cell phones is strictly prohibited in class. Computers are permitted, but only if you are using them to take notes. Multi-tasking on computers (having multiple windows open including class materials) is prohibited. The first time the instructors or TA observe you violating the technology use policy, you will get a verbal and/or written warning. Further violations will cause you to be penalized points.
How to succeed in Modern Biology: - Read the assigned readings before class. The most important way to make sure you get valuable use out of class time is to walk in the door with some background and basis for understanding the material. You only get to have the lecture once, and the worst thing you can do is have that be your first exposure to the material. - Be prepared to discuss assigned scientific literature readings in class. Think about the major points of the paper and do your best to complete the assignments. Don t worry if you don t get it all the first time; that is what class time will be for. - Come with questions about the readings. It is vitally important to everyone s success in the class that we spend as much of the lecture time going over the most interesting and challenging concepts. If we spend most of the class discussing things that everyone understood from the reading and then only a small amount of time quickly covering the parts that made no sense, then you will struggle on those issues at the exams; worse, you may never learn them. - Ask questions in class. Whether these are for clarification, repetition, or because you re interested and want to know more, student questions make for a better learning environment for all. - Attend class and be attentive in class. Attending class is the most important thing that you can do to be successful in this class. Take notes during class. Discuss class with each other and with the instructor. - Speak up in class! Share your thoughts or questions about the material. We are all here to learn from each other. - Review/think about/talk about what was covered in class. In addition to simply showing up for class, spend time between lectures looking over your notes and thinking about what was discussed. This daily review of material is an immensely helpful way of preparing for the next lecture, having questions answered in a timely fashion and learning the material. You can do this alone or in groups with other students in the class. You should expect to spend on average 6 hours/week outside class preparing for lectures & exams and doing assignments (9 units means 3 hours/week in class plus 6 hours/week out of class). - Read (about biology). Lots of stuff gets written about biology. You can go to the library, look on- line, read the newspaper/magazines. Talk to me or the TAs to find other stuff that people have written about biology. All of this will make you a more sophisticated student and will help you to integrate the topics covered in the course. - Contact the instructors. Send e- mail any time. Come talk after class or make an appointment for help with any aspect of the course. - Success in this course is about more than your grade. We want you to learn to think scientifically. This will serve you well long after you stop caring about your transcript. Responsibilities The choice to take this course is entirely up to you. If you do choose to take the course, please do your best to be a good course citizen. This means you should make every effort to attend all classes on time and to be prepared to participate in class discussions and activities. In turn, we will make every effort to build a valuable learning experience for every student. If there is ever any way we can improve your learning, or if any topic doesn t capture your interest, we welcome feedback (either in class, outside of class, or anonymously). Finally, it is everyone s responsibility to be respectful of others during class.
Evaluation: 100 points 20% Highest scoring mid-term 100 points 20% Second-highest scoring mid-term 50 points 10% Lowest scoring mid-term 150 points 30% Final exam 50 points 10% Homeworks, warm ups, and in-class clickers/activities 50 points 10% Scientific literature projects Total = 500 points A = 450 or more points (90%) B = 400 or more points (80%) C = 350 or more points (70%) D = 300 or more points (60%) (These cutoffs may be slightly adjusted in the students favor, depending on class grade distribution) - Exams. There will be 3 in-class exams. These are not officially cumulative, but some of the material from the second and third mid-terms may assume a basic knowledge of the material from the first and second mid-terms. - Make up Exams. If a student has to miss an exam, we require documentation explaining the need before a make up exam can be rescheduled. Please let us know as early as possible. - Final exam. The final exam is cumulative and covers all the material from the course. - Homeworks. There will be homework assignments that require you to reflect on the material discussed in class and answer specific questions. - Warm ups. Prior to several of the class periods, you will be required to complete an assignment about the reading for material that we are going to cover that day. In some cases, these will be due at the start of class, in other cases they will be used as part of in-class iclicker activities. - Projects. There will be 3-5 projects in which you will have to read and analyze one or more pieces of scientific literature. Details will be announced as they come. The first will be given out the first day of class. Academic Integrity: - Cheating. Cheating of any sort will not be tolerated. For example, if quiz or exam answers are copied from another student, both students will receive zeros; if graded exams or quizzes are altered and resubmitted for a higher score, the revised score will be zero. In addition, these and other forms of cheating may also be referred to the Academic Review Board for more severe penalties. This warning has two purposes: 1) to dissuade a small number of students from even thinking about cheating; and 2) to persuade the large majority that they will get a fair grade based on their individual performance. - Exams. All exams are closed-notes, closed books, with no talking or other sharing of information. - Homeworks & Warm ups. For the homework and warm up activities, you are welcome (encouraged, actually) to discuss the questions with others. o However, you are required to write the answers entirely on your own. - In-class activities. We will give you instructions for each activity about working together. - Project. Requirements for each project will be given out as they are assigned. Students with Disabilities: If you wish to request an accommodation due to a documented disability, please inform your instructor and contact Disability Resources as soon as possible. They can be reached at access@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-2013.
Please check Blackboard regularly for required readings & course/schedule updates. Class# Date Topic Chapter/reading 1 Mon, 8-25 Evolutionary introduction (DJB) 1 2 Wed, 8-27 Atoms and Molecules (LVR) 2 3 Fri, 8-29 Biomolecules and the first cells (LVR) 2 4 Wed 9-3 Transcription (LVR) 3 5 Fri 9-5 Splicing and Processing (LVR) 3 6 Mon 9-8 Translation and Proteins (LVR) 4 7 Wed 9-10 Protein structure and function (LVR) 4 8 Fri 9-12 DNA synthesis (LVR) 12 9 Mon 9-15 DNA synthesis and manipulation (LVR) 12 10 Wed 9-17 Genomes (LVR) 13 11 Fri 9-19 Mitosis and cell division (LVR) 11 12 Mon 9-22 Meiosis and Cancer (LVR) 11 13 Wed 9-24 Exam 1 (through Mitosis & Cell division) 14 Fri 9-26 Mutation and DNA repair (LVR) 14 15 Mon 9-29 Genetic Variation (LVR) 15 16 Wed 10-1 Mendelian inheritance (LVR) 16 17 Fri 10-3 Mendelian inheritance continued (LVR) 16 18 Mon 10-6 Beyond Mendel (DJB) 17 19 Wed 10-8 Beyond Mendel (DJB) 17 20 Fri 10-10 Malaria and Evolution (DJB) 21 & Case 4 21 Mon 10-13 Genetic and Epigenetic regulation (DJB) 19 22 Wed 10-15 Genetic and Epigenetic regulation (DJB) 19 Fri 10-17 Break 23 Mon 10-20 Genes and Development (TS) 20 24 Wed 10-22 Exam 2 (Genomes through Genetic regul n) 25 Fri 10-24 Development (DJB) TBA 26 Mon 10-27 Development (DJB) TBA 27 Wed 10-29 Development (DJB) TBA 28 Fri 10-31 Complex traits (DJB) 18 29 Mon 11-3 Membranes and lipids (DJB) 5 30 Wed 11-5 Cell organization (DJB) 5 31 Fri 11-7 Cell form and function (DJB) 10 32 Mon 11-10 Membrane trafficking (DJB) 10 33 Wed 11-12 Trafficking (SB) TBA 34 Fri 11-14 Energetics of life (LVR) 6 & 7 35 Mon 11-17 Respiration (LVR) 7 36 Wed 11-19 Exam 3 (Development through trafficking) 37 Fri 11-21 Photosynthesis (DJB) 8 38 Mon 11-24 Cellular Communication (DJB) 9 39 Mon 12-1 Communication & GPCRs (DJB) TBA 40 Wed 12-3 Communication & GPCRs (DJB) TBA 41 Fri 12-5 Communication & GPCRs (DJB) TBA TBA FINAL EXAM (***CUMULATIVE***) Last year the final was at the very end of finals period. Don t book a flight home until it s announced!