Time:  Tuesday & Thursday, 11:00 – 12:20

Location: MAC 122

Instructor: Paul Kirchman
  MHC 175
  Office Phone 6-8676
  E-mail pkirchma@fau.edu

Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 4:00 – 5:30; Friday 9:00 – 12:00

Text: Life: The Science of Biology, Purves, Orians, Heller, and Sadava, sixth edition.
 

In this course you will learn the basic biological principle that will serve as a basis for further study.  Please try to read the chapters assigned in Life before the class meets. Your grade will be determined as follows:

Presentation      40 points
Test #1             80 points
Test #2             80 points
Test #3             100 points
Test #4             100 points
Final Exam        100 points
 

Policy for missed exams: Make up exams will not be given unless arrangements are made prior to the exam.

Attendance is not required, but is strongly encouraged.  There is a positive correlation between class attendance and exam grades.

Half of the Final Exam will be on chapters 18 and 19, the other half on 1 – 17.

Presentations - The presentations will be 10 - 15 minutes on one of the topics listed below, or another topic of biological concern that interests you (pending approval by me).  You will work in pairs to cover your topic.  These are fairly controversial topics, so please try to present both sides of the issue.  For example, one of you may want to present the benefits of gene therapy, while the other presents the risks.  In any case, please be prepared to answer questions from the class, and try to stimulate discussion.  You may use the overhead projector, the chalkboard, a computer, or anything else that helps you make your point(s).  Please let me know at least 24 hours ahead of time if you will need the computer with the projector so that I can request it.  Topic choices and presentation dates are on a first come basis and need to be in by Tuesday September 4th.
 

Topic suggestions

 The use of animals in research

Genetically modified food

Gene therapy

Fetal tissue research

The Human Genome Project

Cloning animals

Cloning Humans

Cross species transplants

Stem cell research

Sale of Human tissue

The use of artificial organs

Use of growth hormone on livestock

Growing crops organically vs. with pesticides

Preserving species/habitats vs. economic concerns

A topic of your choice (approval required)
 
 

Thursday 23 August       Class Introduction

Tuesday 28 August        Chapter 1 of Life: An Evolutionary Framework for Biology

Thursday 30 August       Chapter 2 of Life: Small Molecules: Structure and Behavior

Tuesday 4 September    Chapter 3 of Life: Macromolecules: Chemistry and Biology
                                      Presentation topics and dates due.

Thursday 6 September   Chapter 4 of Life: The Organization of Cells

Tuesday 11 September   Chapter 1-4 of Life; review for test

Thursday 13 September  Test # 1

Tuesday 18 September   Presentation 1
                                      Chapter 5 of Life: Cellular Membranes

Thursday 20 September  Presentation 2
                                      Chapter 6 of Life: Energy, Enzymes, and Metabolism

Tuesday 24 September   Presentation 3
                                      Chapter 7 of Life: Cellular Paths that Harvest Chemical nrg

Thursday 27 September  Presentation 4
                                      Chapter 8 of Life: Photosynthesis: Energy from the Sun

Tuesday 2 October        Chapter 5-8 of Life; review for test

Thursday 4 October       Test #2

Tuesday 9 October         Presentation 5
                                      Chapter 9 of Life: Chromosomes, Cell Cycle, Cell Division

Thursday 11 October      Presentation 6
                                      Chapter 10 of Life: Genetics: Mendel and Beyond

Tuesday 16 October       Presentation 7
                                      Chapter 11 of Life: DNA and its Role in Heredity

Thursday 18 October      Presentation 8
                                       Chapter 12 of Life: From DNA to Protein

Tuesday 23 October       Presentation 9
                                      Chapter 13 of Life: Genetics of Viruses and Prokaryotes

Thursday 25 October      Chapter 9-13 of Life; review for test

Tuesday 30 October        Test #3

Thursday 1 November     Presentation 10
                                       Chapter 14 of Life: The Eukaryotic Genome

Tuesday 6 November      Presentation 11
                                       Chapter 15 of Life: Cell Signaling and Communication

Thursday 8 November     Presentation 12
                                       Chapter 16 of Life: Development

Tuesday 13 November     Presentation 13
                                       Chapter 17 of Life: Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology

Thursday 15 November   Chapter 14-17 of Life; review for test

Tuesday 20 November     Test #4

Thursday 22 November     Thanksgiving

Tuesday 27 November     Presentation 14
                                        Chapter 18 of Life: Molecular Biology and Medicine

Thursday 29 November    Presentation 15
                                        Chapter 19 of Life: Natural Defenses Against Disease

Tuesday 4 December        Review for Final Exam

Thursday 6 December       Reading Day, No Classes.

Tuesday 11 December      Final Exam 10:30 – 1:00 PM