Biology for Majors 1224

Tulsa Community College

Metro Campus

Course Title and Number: Biology 1224 – Biology for Majors

Day(s) and Time(s): Lecture- MC 315 7:00-9:50pm T

Lab – MC 628 7:00-9:50 pm R

Instructor: Prof Judyth Gulden

Office hours: by appointment

TO CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR / TO CONTACT THE DIVISION OFFICE
Phone: 918 289 0744 / Division Name: Metro Science & Mathematics
Email: / Division Associate Dean: Dr. Connie Hebert
Office: MC 620
Phone: 918 595 7334

PREREQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE

There are no college prerequisites for this course. This course is intended for science majors.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course includes an in-depth study of fundamental biological concepts including metabolism, homeostasis, heredity, evolution and ecology at the sub-cellular, cellular and organismic levels. It provides the foundation for other advanced courses in the biological sciences. Lecture: 3 hours. Laboratory: 3 hours.

COURSE PURPOSE

I.Learning Objectives

  • Define and recognize introductorybiological terminology, principles, and theories.
  • Describe and discuss the hierarchical nature of life from the molecular level through to organisms and their ecological interrelationships within their environments.
  • Identify the scientificapplication of biological principles in the modern world.
  • Describe and discuss genetic mechanisms and their interactions with an ever-changing internal and external environment.
  • Define and recognize fundamental metabolic, reproductive and evolutionary processes.

II.Student Learning Outcomes

The following are specific learning outcomes for the student taking this class:

  • Describe and use laboratory safety guidelines relating to working with chemicals, microorganisms, body fluids and/or dissection.
  • Synthesize information, think critically and solve critical thinking problems; write clear, well organized answers to assignments that demonstrate synthesis.
  • Work well independently and show self-direction and motivation
  • Understand and follow directions properly
  • Show proficiency in taking exams, by responding to questions quickly and accurately, effectively handling the pressure of a timed exam.
  • Assess personal needs in regard to study time and methods, and accept personal responsibility for the learning process.
  • Apply principles of scientific inquiry, differentiate a theory from a hypothesis, and differentiate fact from opinion in regard to biological sciences.
  • Assess and describe aspects of sustainability, including economic, societal and environmental factors, especially in relation to biological systems.

TEXTBOOKS, SOFTWARE, & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

All materials can be purchased at the bookstore. However, there are some additional options listed below.

Required Textbook:

Understanding Biology by Mason, K., Johnson, G, Losos, J. and Singer,S.

ISBN-13 9780073532295


Connect for Understanding Biology (LearnSmart) – This is bundled with new textbooks purchased at the bookstore or may be purchased when you register online (see below).

When you are ready to register go to course tools -> McGraw Hill Higher Education and register with a code, purchase with a debit card or purchase with a credit card. By entering through the course in Blackboard you will be connected to the course assignments.

Lab Manual – Vodopovich and Moore Custom Edition

Chemistry for Biology Students - Author: George Sackheim Publisher: Benjamin/Cummings

Microscope slides, cover slips, dissection kit and safety glasses for some labs; lab coat/jacket or apron; and, calculator with scientific functions (does not need to be a graphing calculator; a $19 scientific calculator is all you need)

Lab Notebook – do not purchase until after first class at which time information about requirements will be provided by the Instructor.

INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT

  • Prof Gulden is available by phone, text, email or you can schedule an appointment. You are encouraged to call the Instructor to discuss the material or any other items concerning the course.
  • Email will be checked daily, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm CST.
  • Please note that if you send an email after those hours, it may not be addressed until the following business day (Monday-Friday). This includes requests concerning exams or online assignments. When you email please put your name, course and section number in the subject line of the email. This helps the instructor identify emails that need immediate attention. For example:

Guldenbio1224section21032098

ATTENDANCE AND LATE POLICY

Attendance Policy and Late Arrivals The likelihood of succeeding in this course without your attendance is minimal. If you exceed more than 2 unplanned absences from classes without contacting the instructor prior to the scheduled class you may be dropped from the class at the instructor’s discretion. For late arrivals see Inappropriate Behavior in the Classroom below.

TEACHING METHODS

Lecture, videos, interactive and lab exercises, seminars, research activities, fieldtrips, and occasional guest speakers. The course material will be divided into units representing closely related topics. Lecture will introduce the major concepts. Each student is responsible for learning all assigned materials regardless of whether they are presented through lecture or laboratory exercises. Lecture notes will be posted on blackboard.

Once each week students will participate in a Hands-On experience in the laboratory. Prior to any class meeting, it is each student's responsibility to have read the appropriate assigned material.

EVALUATION TECHNIQUES

There will not be separate lab exams. Laboratory topics including applied activities will be included in lecture exams. A laboratory practical will be part of the overall comprehensive final exam at the end of the semester.

Letter grades will be determined on the following basis

Grading Scale / Assignment Categories
90-100%
1224-1360 / A / Tests [5@100 pts each – drop lowest score] / 400 pts
80-89%
1088-1223 / B / Final Exam [comprehensive] / 150 pts
70-79%
952-1087 / C / Major Project [100pts] / 100 pts
60-69%
816-951 / D / Lab Assignments [12@30 pts] / 360 pts
below 60%
below 815 / F / Lab Notebook [2@25 pts] / 50 pts
Participation [15@5 pts] / 75 pts
Biology Connects [15@15pts] / 225pts
Total Points / 1360 pts

Make up policy:

  • Lecture exams may not be made up.
  • In the event that an exam is missed, the score on the next exam will be doubled. If the next exam is the final exam the score of the previous exam will be doubled and substituted for the missed exam.
  • Only one exam may be made up during the semester. The student must inform the instructor BEFORE the date of the exam or quiz if they are going to miss it. This may be done by email or phone. If this is not done prior to the date of the exam or quiz then the student will receive a zero and may not take advantage of the makeup policy.

Assignment Presentation:

  • All assignments are to be typed unless otherwise instructed.
  • There are computers with word processing software available to any TCC student with a current ID. These are located in the General User Microcomputer Lab on all campuses.
  • All graphs must be generated using graphing software (e.g. excel).
  • NO HANDWRITTEN WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED.
  • All work must be in a format that is supported by Microsoft Office unless directed otherwise by the instructor.
  • When work is to be submitted through Blackboard only one file per submission is permitted and may not be a jpg, odt, or wps file.
  • The IT helpdesk and Computer Lab Services are available to provide support to students and help them with technology related questions. You can call Client Services at 918-595-2000 or email .
  • Exams and assignments will not be returned to students. A student may make an appointment to look over their exams/assignment at any time before finals weeks. You may also make copies of your assignments prior to turning them in.

Late Laboratory and Short Assignments:

  • Due dates are provided for all assignments.
  • Late assignments will only be accepted up until the following class period. At that time, the assignment will lose 50% of the score.
  • You may turn in assignments early.

OTHER POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS

  • Announcements pertaining to course activities will be made at the beginning of lecture and posted on Blackboard. The student is responsible for obtaining all information made available during the meeting periods from other students if they do not attend. All handouts, when possible, will be posted on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to acquire them. Laboratory exercises, class presentations and fieldtrips cannot be made up.
  • Last day to withdraw: Make sure you note the date. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure they withdraw. AW will not be given in lieu of forgetting to withdraw in time.
  • Cellular Phones and Pagers Turn them off during lecture and laboratory! If for some reason you expect an emergency situation to arise, please turn off the ringer and take the call outside of class. Please be respectful of other students. Cell phones MUST NOT ring or be answered during laboratories or exams!
  • Internet Accessibility: All TCC students have access to computers and the Internet in the General User Computer Labs on all four campuses. Public libraries are an additional location.
  • Inappropriate Behavior in the Classroom – Increasingly many students display inconsiderate behavior towards the instructor and other students. This will not be tolerated. Initially the instructor will speak to the student individually. If a change in behavior is not observed, the student will be dropped from the class. Such behavior includes disruptive late arrivals (repeated arrivals more than 7 minutes after a session begins without prior notification is considered disruptive), excessive talking during lecture, repeated leaving and returning to the room during lecture, repeated cell phone interruptions, and rudeness towards the instructor.
  • Changes in this Syllabus The policies and statements contained in this syllabus may be altered, added to, or deleted at any time by the instructor of the class. This will be done by typed supplements or amendments given to the student and/or posted on blackboard.
  • Course Withdrawal: The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed 3/4 the duration of any class. Contact the Counseling Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course ('W' grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Check the TCC Academic Calendar for deadlines. Students who stop participating in the course and fail to withdraw may receive a course grade of “F,” which may have financial aid consequences for the student.
  • Communications:
  • Email communications: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex: ). All communications to you about TCC and course assignments will be sent to your MyTCC email address; and you must use MyTCC email to send email to, and receive email from, the instructor regarding this course.
  1. Inclement Weather: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency situations arise, TCC always gives cancellation notices to radio and television stations. This information is also posted on the TCC website (
  • General Education Goals: General Education courses at TCC ensure that our graduates gain skills, knowledge, and abilities that comprise a common foundation for their higher education and a backdrop for their work and personal lives. TCC’s General Education goals are: Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technological Proficiency.
  • Classroom Etiquette: Open and mutually respectful communication of varied opinions, beliefs, and perspectives during classroom or online discussion encourages the free exchange of ideas that is essential to higher learning and to the ability to learn from each other. Use of any electronic device (including computers, ipads and smartphones) is at the discretion of the instructor.
  • Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of others about one’s own work or about the work of another. Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not condoned or tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community College system. Tulsa Community College adopts a policy delegating certain forms of authority for disciplinary action to the faculty. Such disciplinary actions delegated to the faculty include, but are not limited to, the dismissal of disrespectful or disorderly students from classes. In the case of academic dishonesty a faculty member may:
  • require the student to redo an assignment or test, or require the student to complete a substitute assignment or test;
  • Record a "zero" for the assignment or test in question;
  • Recommend to the student that the student withdraw from the class, or administratively withdraw the student from the class;
  • Record a grade of "F" for the student at the end of the semester.
  • Faculty may request that disciplinary action be taken against a student at the administrative level by submitting such request to the Dean of Student Services.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they understand the meaning of plagiarism, how to avoid it and the consequences of any acts of plagiarism. Not understanding how to properly cite materials or use citation format does not provide an excuse for academic dishonesty.

DISABILITY RESOURCES

It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community College to create inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying students in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are available. To request accommodations, contact the Education Access Center (EAC) at or call (918) 595-7115 (Voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text (918) 809-1864.

Blackboard is an accessible learning management system. Blackboard’s accessibility information can be found at .

Institutional Statement

Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC Catalog, the TCC Student Policies & Resources Handbook, and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information may be viewed on the TCC website:

FALL 2013 SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS

CLASS / Lecture & Exams / Laboratory & Assignments / ADDITIONAL READINGS, Other Items
Aug 19/21 /
  • Syllabus
  • Chapter 1 - The Science of Biology
  • Chapter 2 – The Nature of Molecules
  • Slides – Chapter 1 & 2
/
  • Lab format & information
  • Intro to lab and safety
  • Lab Notebooks
  • Scientific Method
  • Lab 1 –The Process of Science & Measurements(Exercise 1 & 2; HO dimensional analysis)
  • Biology Connects 1
/
  • Chem for Bio Students (CB) – 1,2,3, 4 Atoms, symbols, molecules
  • Participation
  • Glencoe Virtual Labs Atoms and Molecules
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Aug 26th at 7pm CST

Aug 26/28 /
  • Chapter3 –Chemical Building Blocks of Life
  • Chapter 3slides
  • Writing Labs
/
  • Library Session
  • Lab 2 - Microscopy (Exercise 3) & Cell Structure and Function (Exercise 4 – Virtual Lab (VL))Virtual Slides
  • Biology Connects 2
/
  • CB- Functional Groups, 12,13,14,15
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Sept 2nd at 7pm CST
  • Virtual Microscope Tour

Sept 2/4 /
  • Exam 1 – Chapters 1-3; Lab 1-2 (Tuesday)
  • Chapter 4 – Cell Structure
  • Slides Chapter 4
/
  • Lab 3 –Solutions, Acids and Bases (Exercise 5) & Osmosis and Diffusion (Exercise 9)
  • Biology Connects 3
/
  • CB 8, 9, 16, 17, 18
  • Virtual Osmosis and Diffusion Lab
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Sept 9th at 7pm CST

Sept 9/11 /
  • Chapter 5 – Cell Membranes
  • Chapter 5 slides
/
  • Lab 4 – Gel Electrophoresis Virtual Lab(VL) & Spectrophotometry Sample problem and exercise (VL)
  • Spec Lab Questions (print quiz results to be handed in) (Exercise 8)
  • Assign Major Project
  • Biology Connects 4
/
  • More information on specs
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Sept 16th at 7pm CST

Sept 16/18 /
  • Chapter 6 Energy & Metabolism
  • Chapter 6 slides
/
  • Lab 5 – Cell Membranes (Exercise 10)
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Sept 23rdat 7pm CST

Sept 23/25 /
  • Exam 2 – Chapters 4-6; Lab 3,4, & 5 (Thursday)
  • Chapter 7 – How Cells Harvest Energy
  • Chapter 7 slides
/
  • Lab 6 – Enzymes (Exercise 11)
  • Biology Connects 5
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be
  • submitted by Sept 30th at 7pm CST

Sept 30/ Oct 2 /
  • Chapter 8 - Photosynthesis
  • Chapter 8 slides
/
  • Lab 7 – Photosynthesis (Exercise 13)
  • Biology Connects 6
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Oct 7th at 7pm CST

Oct 7/9 /
  • Chapter 9 – Cell Communication
  • Chapter 10 – How Cells Divide
  • Chapters9 & 10 slides
/
  • Lab 8 – Meiosis & Mitosis; (Exercises 14,15)
  • LB Genetics of Organisms
  • Biology Connects 7
/
  • Virtual Lab Onion Root Mitosis
  • Lab Notebooks to be handed in for grading
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Oct 14th at 7pm CST

Oct 14/16 /
  • Exam 3 – Chapters 7-10; Lab 6,7, 8 (Thursday)
  • Chapter 11 – Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis
  • Chapter 12 – Patterns of Inheritance
  • Chapter 11 & 12 slides
/
  • Lab 9 - Mendelian Genetics (Exercise 17)
  • Biology Connects 8
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Oct 21st at 7pm CST

Oct 21/23 /
  • Chapter 13 – The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
  • Chapter 14 – DNA: The Genetic Material
  • Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
  • Chapter 13,14, & 15 slides
/
  • Lab10 – DNA Extraction (Handout)
  • Race for the Double Helix
  • Biology Connects 9
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Oct 28th at 7pm CST

Oct 28/30 /
  • Chapter 16 – Control of Gene Expression
  • Chapter 17 – Biotechnology
  • Chapter 16 & 17 slides
/
  • Major Project Work
  • Biology Connects 10
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Nov 4 at 7pm CST

Nov 4/6 /
  • Exam 4 – Chapters 11-17; Lab 9-11 (Thursday)
  • Chapter 18 – Genomics
  • Chapter 19 – Genes Within Populations
  • Chapter 18 & 19 slides
/
  • Major Project Work
  • Lab 11 – Peppered Moth (see instructions with the lab; to be completed independently)
  • LearnSmart 9
  • Biology Connects 11
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Nov 11at 7pm CST

Nov 11/13 /
  • Chapter 20 – Evidence for Evolution
  • Chapter 21 – The Origin of the Species
  • Chapter 20 & 21 slides
/
  • Major Project Work
  • National Geographic Tree of Life Film
  • Biology Connects 12
/
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Nov 18 at 7pm CST

Nov 18/20 /
  • Chapter 22 - Systematics and Phylogeny
  • Chapter 37 – Behavioral Biology
  • Chapter 22 & 37 slides
/
  • HHMI Lecture – Evolution Lecture Series
  • Lab 11 - Stickleback Lab (see instructions with the lab; to be completed independently)
  • Biology Connects 13
/
  • Participation
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Nov 25 at 7pm CST

Nov 25/27 /
  • Chapter 38 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
  • Chapter 38 slides
Thanksgiving Break – No Thursday Lab and Lecture scheduled /
  • Biology Connects 14
/
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Dec 2 at 7pm CST

Dec 2/3 / Chapter 39 – Community Ecology
Chapter 40 – The Living World
Chapter 39 & 40 slides /
  • Lab 12 –Pollution: The effects of chemical, thermal, and acid pollution (Exercise 23)
  • Biology Connects 15
  • Major Project Reports Due
/
  • Virtual Biodiversity Lab
  • All items, including labs must be submitted by Dec 5 at 5 pm

Dec 8-14 / FINALS & SEMESTER ENDS INCLUDES ALL CHAPTERS / FINAL EXAM – Includes all chapters and laboratory work assigned

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