This course considers important experiments and observations (e.g., the basic principles of genetics, the origin of species, the discovery of penicillin, DNA as genetic material, the conditioned reflex, etc.) that will serve to acquaint students with the excitement of conducting research in biology, while familiarizing them with some of the major advances in this science. The course is designed for students who do not intend to major in biology.
The prime objectives of this course are to provide honors students with a basic understanding of the structural and functional properties and interrelationships of the molecules that are common to all living systems, and to elucidate the fundamental principles upon which all life if predicated. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours per week.
This course, offered jointly between the Department of Agronomy and the T.H.Morgan School of Biological Sciences, is intended to convey fundamental insights into how higher plants as experimental systems have provided a sound understanding of important areas of current biological and biochemical thought. A laboratory component is included to supplement the lecture materials. Lecture, three hours; lab, two hours per week.
Microorganisms: their physiology, morphology, fine structure, genetics and metabolism in relationship to bacterial growth and division. Lecture, two hours; laboratory, four hours.
Biologists working in the laboratory perform many essential biochemical tasks to prep and run molecular analyses on their specimens and samples. Similarly, biologists working on data they collected, or on aggregated data collected by many researchers, just perform essential tasks such as cleaning, reshaping, and transforming their data so that they can explore and visualize it.
Radioisotope techniques and their application in the biological and medical sciences. Radiation safety, calibration and use of radiation detectors, counting statistics, uptake and assay methods, and applications. Laboratory, five hours per week.
An introductory and comparative survey of invertebrate and vertebrate endocrine organs and neuroendocrine mechanisms with emphasis on the evolution, chemistry, actions and functions of hormones.
Analysis of fresh-water systems, with special emphasis on aquatic ecology. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours per week.
A survey of the physiology, morphology, life histories, taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of the various groups comprising the algae, with the main emphasis upon the freshwater algae. Lecture, two hours; laboratory, four hours.
This course introduces students to major topics in behavioral ecology and comparative neurobiology with an emphasis on inter-relationships between these fields. Topics to be covered vary each semester, but typically include: the optimality approach to understanding behavior, predator-prey behavior, mating and social behavior, behavioral genetics, neural circuits and behavior, sensory biology, neural development, and neural plasticity.
