Introductory Biology I-BISC207: Syllabus and Study Guide

Introductory Biology I-BISC207

Course Overview

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of biology, focusing on the structure and function of cells, genetics, molecular biology, and the chemical basis of life. It is designed for students planning to pursue upper-level biology courses and related fields.

Instructor Information and Introduction

• Instructor Name: Professor Olabisi

• Email: [e-mail]

• Office Location: Room 234 Wolf Hall, The Green

• Office Hours: Mondays 1-2 PM

• Contact Instructions: Email is the preferred form of contact; allow 24-48 hours for response, especially on weekends and after work hours.

Course Description

Course Catalog Description

• Focus: Basic principles of biology, including the structure and function of cells, signaling, signal transduction pathways, energy transformations, and classical Mendelian genetics.

• Emphasis: Understanding the flow of information from DNA to RNA to protein, and the chemical basis of life.

• Preparation: This course is a prerequisite for upper-level biology courses.

Prerequisites

• CHEM103 (non-integrated) or CHEM107 (integrated) or CHEM111.

Course Delivery

• Classes meet face-to-face in a classroom setting.

• Learning is supported by discussion sessions, including flipped classes, active and team-based learning.

• Online resources and assignments are available through the Canvas learning management system.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the basic principles of the chemical basis of life, including the structure and function of biological molecules.

• Recognize the characteristics of living organisms and identify the criteria that set apart prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

• Describe the cell as the smallest and most basic unit of a living organism and relate to cell theory.

• Integrate the role of chemical bonds and structure in structure-function relationships in various groups of molecules and the role of water as the basis of building blocks.

• Know the role of energy transformations and enzymes in metabolic processes that are essential for the survival of living cells.

• Compare cellular respiration and photosynthesis and know the steps, purpose, and product of each process.

• Describe the importance of the cell cycle in regulation of cell division and its relationship to cellular signaling.

• Recognize that DNA is the genetic material in living organisms and encodes information that determines phenotypic traits.

• Explain the basis of Mendelian genetics and the significance of genetic variation.

• Define gene expression and outline the steps of transcription and translation, explaining the effect of different gene mutations.

Learning Resources

• Course Management System: Canvas will be used for communication, announcements, assignments, quizzes, and grades.

• Required Textbook: Biological Science by Freeman (8th Edition), with eText access and Mastering Biology homework platform as required.

• Technology: Students are expected to use Canvas and other university-supported platforms for course activities and content delivery.

Learning Assessments

• Homework Assignments: Online assignments, worksheets, and Mastering Biology homework. Assignments are due on Sundays unless otherwise noted. Late assignments have a 5% penalty per day.

• Quizzes: Announced in advance and administered on the Canvas platform. No make-up for quizzes; lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

• Exams: Two 1-hour exams and a cumulative final exam. Exams are scheduled in the course calendar. Exams must be completed within the scheduled window and in the required location.

• In-class Participation: Participation in class and completion of EV worksheets for extra credit.

Final Grade Breakdown

Course Component	Percentage of total
Quizzes	12.5%
Assignments/homework	10%
Exam 1	20%
Exam 2	20%
Final Exam	25%
In class participation/poll EV worksheets	12.5%
Total	100%

Course Calendar

The following is a tentative schedule of topics and assessments. Adjustments may be made as the course progresses.

Week	Date	Topics (with book chapter reference)	Notes
1	Aug 27	Course introduction. Living organisms, Key biology themes (Ch 1.1). The chemical basis of life: chemical bonds, polarity, water (Ch 2.1-2.2)	No school Sept 1 Labor Day
2	Sept 3	Organic molecules, Carbon, Functional groups (Ch 2.2-2.5). Protein structure and function (Ch 3.1-3.3). Carbohydrates (Ch 4.1-4.3)	Quiz 1 Mon 9/8 (Ch 1, 2)
3	Sept 10	Lipids, membranes and transport (Ch 6.1-6.4)	Exam 1: Chapters 1-5 Thursday Sept 18th (Ch 1-4)
4	Sept 17	Inside the cell: organelles structure/function (Ch 7.1-7.3). Enzymes (Ch 8.1-8.3)	Quiz 2 Mon 9/15 (Ch 6, 7)
5	Sept 24	The cell cycle, and Mitosis and Cancer (Ch 12.2-12.4)	Quiz 3 Mon 9/29 (Ch 8, 10)
6	Oct 1	Mendelian genetics (Ch 14.1-14.3)	Quiz 5 Mon 10/13 (Ch 11, 13)
7	Oct 14	Human genetics, extensions of Mendel (Ch 14.5-14.6)	Quiz 6 Mon 10/20 (Ch 13, 14)
8	Oct 21	Exam 2: Thurs Oct 30 (Ch 7, 12, 13, 14)	Exam 2 Thurs Oct 30
9	Nov 4	DNA structure and function, DNA synthesis (Ch15.1-15.5)	Quiz 7 Mon 11/10 (Ch 15, 16)
10	Nov 11	DNA and the gene, Transcription, RNA processing (Ch 16.1-16.3, 17.1-17.3)	Quiz 8 Mon 11/17 (Ch 16, 17)
11	Nov 18	Gene expression: Translation and effect of mutations on protein structure (Ch 16.4, 17.3-17.5) Gene expression and biotechnology	Thanksgiving Break: No classes this week! Nov 24-28
12	Dec 2	Cellular respiration and fermentation (Ch 9.1-9.4). Photosynthesis (MB Chapter 10)	Quiz 10 - reading day (Dec 10); Last day of classes 12/9
13	Dec 9	Cumulative Final Exam (Date TBD)

Grading Scale

• A: 100% - 93%; A-: 92% - 90%

• B+: 89% - 87%; B: 86% - 83%; B-: 82% - 80%

• C+: 79% - 77%; C: 76% - 73%; C-: 72% - 70%

• D+: 69% - 67%; D: 66% - 63%; D-: 62% - 60%

• F: 59% or below

Policies

Course-Specific Policies

• While some students prefer to occasionally "attend" classes, full participation is greatly encouraged and will be monitored through EV responses for extra credit (up to 7.5% of the course marks scheduled).

Academic Honesty

• All students are expected to adhere to the university's academic honesty policy. Plagiarism or any form of cheating will not be tolerated.

Additional Learning Resources

• Students can get help from an Oral Communication Consultant (OCC) for group and individual assignments.

• For note-taking, time management, or study strategies, contact the Office of Academic Enrichment.

• Student research support, help identifying primary resources, or information about citing sources is available through the library.