BIOLOGY 130 – The Botanical World
(4 Credits)
Kwit, Charles
Open to all students
Course Goals: The primary goal of the course is to enable students to appreciate and understand the important role of plants in human societies and the environment.
Common themes covered in the course include understanding how plants work, their role in an ecosystem, and their importance to the health of both the individual person and to human society.
Assessment: Students will be assessed via four written exams, and assignments based on weekly readings of relevant topics.
BIOLOGY 131 - Trees and Shrubs of the Urban and Natural Environments (Woody Plants)
(4 credits)
deLanglade , Ron
Open to all students
Will meet R-8 and lab experience for general education requirements or may be counted in Biology major/minor requirements as a botany course.
Course Goals: This course will focus on the urban and natural environments as related to woody trees and shrubs and vines. The prime goal of the course is to give the student the necessary framework to understand and be acquainted with the woody plant world around them.
Course Subject: The course is to acquaint the student of the various native and cultivated forms of woody trees, shrubs, and vines as found in natural and urban environments. Topics to be covered include: basic classification, naming, use of taxonomic keys, life histories, basic growth patterns, culture and care. Field trips to various local sites will be taken.
Required Text: Graves, Arthur H., Illustrated Guide to Trees and Shrubs
Assessment: Assessment of student achievement of the stated learning goals will be by:
1. At least 2 to 3 lecture tests.
2. 2-3 Field identification tests
3. A specimen collection (made with a partner).
4. Oral presentation to the class on a specific family containing woody forms.
5. A scrap book of current articles in the lay press concerning this group of plants.
BIOLOGY 143 - Cave Ecology
(4 credits)
Hobbs, Horton
Open to all students
This course is a basic introduction to cave ecology and will follow a lecture-seminar-discussion format with no formal laboratory. An optional field trip to caves in northeastern Kentucky will be scheduled and mini-projects relating to cave ecology will be carried out on these trips (see Biology 258B – Cave Ecology). Much of the term will be spent examining speleogenesis, the structure and function of cave ecosystems, as well as the evolutionary biology of obligate cave inhabitants. The grade is based on class participation, mini-projects, one lecture exam, a term paper, and a final exam.
BIOLOGY 170 - Concepts of Biology: Biological Information, Reproduction, and Evolution
(5 credits)
Collier, Matthew
Yoder, Jay
Open to all students planning to major in biology
This course and Biol 180, required for the biology major, provide an overview of the primary concepts in biology and are prerequisites for upper level biology courses. Students may take Biology 170B and Biology 180B in either order. The major themes of this course are information flow from DNA to protein, animal reproduction, and evolution. Students must also enroll in an accompanying lab section (BIOL 171). The laboratory portion of the course will provide students with hands-on activities designed to reinforce lecture content and develop the basic scientific skills that are needed for future courses in the major. Offered in the fall semester.
BIOLOGY 214 – Developmental Biology
(5 credits)
McWhorter, Michelle
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
Developmental biology is the study of how single celled zygotes (or fertilized eggs) become multi-cellular organisms with specialized tissues and organs. This course is designed to provide an overview of the major features of animal development focusing primarily on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie these developmental events. Lecture topics will include fertilization, gastrulation, organogenesis, and classical embryology. Laboratory components will use a range of developmental model organisms to highlight some of the main tenants of developmental biology. There will be an emphasis on how cells in the developing embryo differentiate into specific cell types, germ layers, and tissues and organs.
BIOLOGY 215 – Genetics
(5 credits)
Collier, Matthew
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180 or Biology 170 and 312
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.
BIOL 223 - Survey of Human Disease
(4 credits)
Mason, David
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
This course considers the major diseases that affect the human organism. It includes what causes the disease, clinical signs and symptoms, treatment, and prevention. A general overview of disease is considered first, including infections, autoimmune, genetic diseases, and cancer, to be followed by specific disease problems relating to each organ system.
Text: Pathology for the Health-related Professions, Ivan Damjanov
Information on the University class files, Q drive.
BIOLOGY 230 - Trees and Shrubs of the Urban and Natural Environments (Woody Plants)
(4 credits)
deLanglade, Ron
Open to biology majors only
Please see the description of this course listed under Biology 131. Biology majors and minors who need this course to count toward the major or the minor should register for Biology 230, rather than Biology 131.
BIOLOGY 231 - Vertebrate Zoology
(5 credits)
Gribbins, Kevin
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
This course will examine comparatively the structural and functional anatomy of vertebrates using an evolutionary approach. Lectures will focus on major morphological systems, phylogenetic relationships, natural history and biogeography, and development of the vertebrate groups. Labs will follow the progression of lecture topics to compare each anatomical system in a diversity of vertebrates. A field trip to the Newport (KY) aquarium will introduce students to the great diversity of vertebrate life and provide a basis for writing papers that integrate morphology, function, and ecology.
BIOL 234 - Morphology of Non-Vascular Plants
(5 credits)
Mason, David
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180
Course Goal: Provide students with an opportunity to systematically study various nonvascular plants, including: algae, bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacteria.
Course Topic: Students study the structure, reproduction, ecology and evolution of algae, bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacteria.
Assessment Methods: Students are evaluated by a means of lecture and laboratory examinations in addition to credit assigned their field collections.
Instructional Methods: This is carried out by means of lecture-discussions, including slide presentations of organisms and laboratory and field experiences.
Laboratory Manual on Nonvascular Plants, and information on the University class files, Q drive.
BIOLOGY 243 – Cave Ecology
(4 credits)
Hobbs, Horton
Open to biology majors only
Please see the description of this course listed under Biology 143. Biology majors and minors who need this course to count toward the major or the minor should register for Biology 243, rather than Biology 143, and must register for Biology 258B, Cave Ecology Field Study.
BIOLOGY 247 – Marine Ecology
(5 credits)
Reinsel, Kathleen
Prerequisites: Biology 170, 180, and a minimum math placement of 22
This course will focus primarily on the ecology of nearshore coastal habitats. We will cover some basic aspects of the physical environment that organisms encounter in marine systems. We will explore fisheries biology and management as an example of ecology at the population level. Students will also learn about the major ecological processes that structure marine communities. We will focus on a few marine habitats and study the particular animals and plants that live in them, and end with some discussion of human impacts on marine systems. Throughout the course, we will look at the recent research in marine ecology. Labs will be based on data and organisms collected during an optional field trip to the Duke Marine Laboratory and may include behavioral studies, collection, identification and enumeration of sediment-dwelling invertebrates, and comparison of species diversity in different habitats. These exercises will allow students to practice data analysis, graphic presentation of data and writing of scientific papers.
BIOLOGY 255 - Biological Literacy
(4 credits)
Yoder , Jay
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 in this writing intensive course.
BIOLOGY 258B - Extended Field Studies - Cave Ecology
(1 credit)
Hobbs, Horton
Prerequisite: Must take concurrently with Biology 143/243
A four-day field trip to Kentucky is offered as an optional field experience (highly recommended). Please note: any student participating in this field experience will receive lab credit.
BIOL 258 - Extended Field Studies – Limnology
(1 credit)
Hobbs, Horton
Prerequisite: Must take concurrently with Biology 341
A five-day field trip in south central Ohio is offered as an optional field experience.
BIOLOGY 258 – Extended Field Studies – Marine Ecology
(1 credit)
Reinsel, Kathleen
Prerequisite: Must take concurrently with Biology 247
A 5-day field trip (Friday, September 12 – Wednesday, September 17, 2008) to the Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, NC. Students will participate in field trips to marine habitats to collect samples and conduct experiments that will be analyzed at Wittenberg.
BIOLOGY 310 - Molecular Biology
(5 credits)
Goodman, Margaret
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180 and Chemistry 162, or Biology 312
Molecular Biology will provide an introduction to the molecular biochemistry of cell function, focusing on genetic aspects. Topics to be discussed include structure of DNA and RNA, transcription, translation, regulation of gene expression, and DNA replication and repair. This is a writing intensive course, requiring one major paper, one lab report, and in-class essays on lecture exams. The laboratory portion of the course will focus on techniques used in the molecular biology laboratory, including electrophoresis (both agarose and polyacrylamide), blotting techniques, cloning and PCR.
BIOL 316 - Molecular Genetics and Bioinformatics
(5 credits)
Goodman, Margaret
Pre-requisites: Biology 170, 180, and Chemistry 162, or Biology 312
This course will focus on the molecular basis of heredity, beginning with an introduction to DNA structure, replication, and transcription, then move to a consideration of the entire genetic makeup of an organism: the genome. Students will investigate the components of a gene, the arrangement of genes on the chromosome and the regulation of gene expression. They will also learn the computational and laboratory methods used in chromosome mapping and genome sequencing. Emphasis will be placed on sequence comparison as a means to learn more about gene structure and prediction, protein structure and function, and evolutionary relationships between species. We will take advantage of the extensive data available through on-line databases of the human genome and other gene sequences.
BIOLOGY 325 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
(5 credits)
Gribbins, Kevin
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180 and one upper-level biology course
Students will learn about the major systems of the human body in both lecture and laboratory. Topics to be discussed include the musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. Disease states will also be discussed. Laboratories will focus on the anatomy and physiology of each system as they are discussed in the lecture portion of the course. Laboratories will include dissection. Assessment will include 3 written examinations, lab practical examinations, and a final examination. Offered every year.
BIOL 341 - Limnology
(5 credits)
Hobbs, Horton
Prerequisites: Biology 170 and 180 and Chemistry 121 and 162
This writing intensive course offers a study of inland aquatic ecosystems with emphasis on lakes and streams. Physical, chemical, and biological features are studied and numerous field experiences supplement lectures. Literature reviews and an exhaustive bibliographic research paper concerning an appropriate limnological topic, one lecture test, and three laboratory practicals are parts of the requirements of this lecture/laboratory course.
BIOL 347 - Evolution
(4 credits)
Lewis, Timothy
Prerequisites: Biology 170, 180, and two additional biology courses
Evolution, or genetically based changes in species or populations over time, and natural selection as the mechanism of evolutionary change, have been easily demonstrated and accepted by scientists for over a century. Evolution forms one of the most fundamental frameworks for studying biology, and yet still creates controversy to the general public, including debates about the merits of including it in high school curricula. This class will examine the theory, the evidence for it, the way it shapes our understanding of biology, how it is used to preserve rain forests and invent medical cures, and some associated hoaxes. And, of course, we will examine the issues surrounding evolution as it plays out today. Classes include significant discussion and lecture components. There is no associated lab.
BIOLOGY 406 - Senior Capstone
(4 credits)
McWhorter, Michelle and
Yoder, Jay
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.
