COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Spring 2007
BIOLOGY 110 - Survey of Biology
(4 credits)
Mason, David
Open to all students
Lecture, discussion, and demonstration dealing with such topics as the origin of life, sexual reproduction, diversity, adaptation, heredity, environment, and infectious diseases as they relate to humans.
BIOLOGY 130 - The Botanical World
(4 credits)
deLanglade , Ronald
Open to all students
Course Goals: This section of The Botanical World will focus on the natural world as related to higher plants. The prime goal is to give the students the necessary framework to understand the botanical world around them.
The course will cover the basic aspects of the science of botany, general plant structure, growth and development and reproduction as related to plants. Where appropriate the importance to man/society of the various topics will be discussed.
Assessment: Knowledge of botanical life will be gained through four written exams, a collection of lay press articles with summaries. Students will also grow plants in the greenhouse or make a leaf collection.
BIOLOGY 142 - Ecological Biology and Environmental Issues
(4 credits)
Hobbs, Horton
Open to all students
This is an introductory course for non-majors with emphasis on environmental biology. This is a lecture-discussion course with no laboratory and a research paper and oral presentation are required. Much of the semester will be spent examining the structure and function of natural ecosystems; the latter part of the course will focus on the impacts of humans on these ecosystems.
BIOLOGY 180 - Concepts of Biology
(5 credits)
Collier, Matthew and
Yoder, Jay
Open to all students planning to major in Biology
A survey of concepts common to most areas of the biological sciences. Topics including the scientific method, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, energy flow, flowering plant and animal biology, and the evolution of diversity will be covered. Prerequisite (with BIOL 170) to all other major courses.
BIOLOGY 215 – Genetics
(5 credits)
Collier, Matthew
This course will examine the scope and significance of modern genetic principles. Lecture and lab topics will include molecular and Mendelian genetics, protein synthesis, recombinant DNA, genetic engineering, effects of stressors upon genetic systems, human genetics, and population genetics. Particular attention will be paid to learning how to apply basic genetic principles to biological problems and to developing analytical skills.
BIOLOGY 220 – Neurobiology
(5 credits)
Pederson, Cathy
This course introduces biology majors and minors to the intricacies of the nervous system. The course begins with the basics of neuronal communication and then moves to the organization of the nervous system (particularly the brain) into various systems as well as the visual, auditory, and motor systems. Laboratories will focus on the anatomy and current understanding of the mammalian brain. To this end, laboratories will include dissection of mammalian brains, interpretation of MRIs and an independent project.
BIOLOGY 233 - Ornithology
(5 credits)
Ritzenthaler, John
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
Students will investigate the biology, ecology, and identification of birds. We will combine lecture, laboratory, and field experiences to understand taxonomy, structure, behavior, and identification by sight and song. The 400-plus species of birds recorded in Ohio will serve as our basis for our study of the incredible diversity of birds throughout the world. Several Saturday field trips as well as early morning bird walks are required.
BIOLOGY 235 - Morphology of Vascular Plants
(5 credits)
deLanglade, Ronald
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
This course is intended to acquaint the student with the structure and life histories of the major groups of vascular plants. We generally meet two or three times per week for lecture and laboratory. In addition, there is one laboratory period per week. There are generally three or four lecture exams and one or two lab practicals.
BIOLOGY 237 - Microbiology
(5 credits)
Yoder, Jay
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
Basic principles of bacteriology and virology, stressing structure, metabolism, classification, and application.
BIOLOGY 239 - Biology of Marine Invertebrates
(5 credits)
Reinsel, Kathleen and
Welch, Jim
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
Over 90% of the world’s animals are invertebrates, and virtually all invertebrate groups have marine representatives. This course will focus on the major invertebrate taxa, examining their distinguishing characteristics in addition to their physiology, ecology, and natural history. In lab, we will observe living specimens of many invertebrates, examine and describe the internal and external anatomy of some of them, and experiment with a few. Live specimens will be used whenever possible--we will collect many of these during an optional field trip associated with this course (Biology 258: Extended Field Studies - Marine Invertebrates).
BIOL 250. Introduction to Bioinformatics
(2 credits)
Staff
Pre-requisites: none
Bioinformatics has emerged as a major element for education and research in biological systems. This course will provide an introduction to bioinformatics and computational biology tools, applications and resources in present day use. Illustrative examples from current research will be used throughout the course. With a goal of fostering an understanding of tools in use at the intersection of biology and computation, the course will be topically balanced and suited to biologists, computer and computational scientists and biochemists. Course coverage will include basics for data representation, genomics, proteomics, sequence searching and comparison, data analysis and visualization, data security and use of predictive applications and simulations.
BIOLOGY 255 - Biological Literacy
(4 credits)
Hobbs, Horton
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
A study of common sources, methods, and techniques used in scientific writing and in presenting biological literature. There will be a strong emphasis on bibliographic sources as well as written and oral presentations of biological material.
BIOLOGY 258 - Extended Field Studies - Marine Invertebrates
( 1 credit)
Reinsel, Kathleen and
Welch, Jim
Prerequisite: Must take concurrently with Biology 239
A 5-day field trip (Friday, April 13th – Wednesday, April 18th) to the Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, N.C. Students will participate in field trips to marine habitats to observe and collect invertebrates for study and experimentation at Wittenberg.
BIOLOGY 258 - Extended Field Studies - Ecology
(1 credit)
Lewis, Timothy
Prerequisite: Must take concurrently with Biology 346
Four-day winter field trip to northern lower Michigan to study the ecology of the area.
BIOLOGY 312 - The Cell
(5 credits)
Goodman, Margaret
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and Chemistry 162
The Cell focuses on the structure of the cell and the molecular processes involved in directing and maintaining normal cellular function. These include biosynthesis of macromolecules and organelles within the cell and signaling pathways. In the last two weeks of the semester, these concepts are applied to specific cell types such as neurons, muscle cells, and cells of the immune system.
BIOLOGY 324 - Animal Physiology
(5 credits)
Gribbins, Kevin
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180 and Chemistry 162
This course focuses on the function of the tissues, organs, and organ systems of multicellular organisms. We will survey membrane function, respiration, circulation, digestion, locomotion, osmoregulation, excretion, nervous function, endocrine function, and reproduction. The topics covered will be placed in an evolutionary and ecological framework and will focus on how different animals adapt and survive within their specialized niches.
BIOLOGY 328 - Electron Microscopy
(5 credits)
Mason, David
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
The goal of this course is to have students study the structure and function of cells and tissues at both the light and electron microscopic levels.
Students are evaluated on their understanding of cell and tissue structure and function by three examinations employing slides and micrographs. The results of their projects are incorporated into a formal paper and presentation which are evaluated and included as part of their final grade.
This is a lecture-discussion course format, including slide presentations of cells and tissues, and "hand's on" laboratory experience with light and electron microscopes.
Text: Bloom and Fawcett, Histology; Mason, Laboratory Manual of Electron Microscopy.
BIOLOGY 346 - Ecology
(5 credits)
Lewis, Timothy
Prerequisites: A Biology group 2, 3, or 4 course and Math Placement 22
Ecology as a body of scientific knowledge includes many subjects, both within and beyond biology. This course will focus on four levels of ecological inquiry: ecology of the individual organism, ecology of populations, ecology of communities, and ecology of ecosystems. We will draw heavily on ethology, physiology, genetics, and evolution to understand the interactions of organisms and groups of organisms.
The goal of this course is to examine the basic subject material of ecology, providing a foundation on which a student can pursue terrestrial ecology of limnology at Wittenberg, or advanced courses in graduate school. Another goal of this course is to introduce the student to the ecological literature and to ecological field techniques and analytical methods. There will be four exams, a research report, lab reports, and a lab exam. The final will not be a comprehensive exam.
Labs will be outside, rain, snow, or sunshine. Only lightning will keep us inside. At least one lab will be well into the evening, perhaps as late at 9 p.m. There will be an optional four-day trip to northern Lower Michigan with an approximate cost of $30.
BIOLOGY 406 - Senior Capstone
(4 credits)
Goodman, Margaret and
Welch, Jim
Prerequisite: Must have senior status
The capstone course uses a topic-driven approach to promote synthesis of biological concepts and emphasize the inter-relatedness of different disciplines within biology. These concepts range from the molecular level through organismal biology to populations and ecosystems. The course will rely heavily on the primary literature with emphasis on the process of scientific discovery. In this course students develop skills in presenting scientific material in both oral and written form. This writing-intensive course is required of all biology majors and is to be taken during the senior year.
