Introductory Biology 1
(Biology 131)
College of the Holy Cross
Fall 2009

Dr. Ken Prestwich
Dr. Ann Sheehy
Dr. Jodi Rymer

A grey treefrog, Hyla versicolor. This adult female is about 4 cm in length. Males call in our area in late spring and early summer (follow this link to hear their song. One interesting thing about this species is that it is a tetraploid, likely an autopolyploid of Cope's grey treefrog, a species found further south. (Photo by KN Prestwich)

THURSDAY NOV. 19: Friday's quiz will be on metabolism through regulation -- no material on membranes.
REVIEW SESSION: 4 PM ON FRIDAY (NOV 20) 4 PM

Class Information Sheets:
(click the appropriate link)

Dr. Prestwich's Section 10 AM, Section 03
Dr. Sheehy's Section 11 AM Section 01
Dr. Rymer's Section 11 AM Section 02

Lab syllabus
(all sections)

Study Hints
(information that will help you to succeed in intro)

Schedule and Materials
Date
Topic

Class Handouts
(reading assignments will appear here
and on the handouts listed below)
Cl #1
9 / 2 (W)
Theme 1a: The Philosophy and Process of Science.

Welcome and overview of the course. Answer questions about class policies.
Science as a way of knowing.

Course information sheets
(given in general info box just above)
Cl #2
9 / 4 (F)

5 min. Quiz #1 --first class through and class expectations)
The place and methods of science.

PP is the same as class #1
Cl #3
9 / 7 (M)

Finish hypothesis testing in science.
The roles of statistics in biology:

  • Descriptive statistics.
  • Inferential statistics in hypothesis testing
Cl #4
9 / 9 (W)

Finish inferential statistics.

Theme 1b: An overview of biology. Biological hierarchy and a glimpse of the diversity of living things.

Quick overview of biology.
The concept of the phenotype as central to biology.

Finish statistics PP.

Cl #5
9 / 11 (F)

5 min. Quiz #2 classes 2, 3, and 4
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure

PP --Cells -- (CHC access only)(CHC access only)

 
Cl #6
9 / 14 (M)

Eukaryotic cell overview, continued.
An introduction to viruses -- diversity and basic life cycles.

 

Same PP as Friday + preliminary PP --Viruses PP notes -- (CHC access only)(CHC access only)
Please read Campbell, Ch. 19 on viruses and answer the self-study quiz. The material that is most important will be covered in class -- you will be responsible for it but the reading is very worthwhile and will help you understand class.


Review Session -- ON 108 6 PM -- you may bring food.
Cl #7 
9 / 16 (W)

Finish viruses

Theme 2: Continuity -- Life cycles and Heredity

The biology of size.
Cl #8
9 / 18 (F)

5 min. Quiz #3 -- materials through Wed. class.
Life cycles of organisms.
Growth and general patterns of reproduction.
Chromosome structure.
Cell cycle.

PP same as previous class

Same as previous class
Cl #9
9 / 21 (M)

Mitosis.
Sexes and mating strains.
Meiosis.

same as previous + Meiosis PP notes (CHC access only)
Meiosis w/Campbell reading assignment
Cl #10
9 / 23 (W)

Finish meiosis
Classical heredity. Mono-hybrid crosses.
Dominance, recessiveness and other patterns of inheritance.

Classical Genetics PP notes (CHC access only)
begin Mendelian Genetics Notes w/Campbell reading assignment
Cl #11
9 / 25 (F)

5 min. Quiz #4
Multihybrid crosses with independent assortment.

PP same as previous class

Cl #12
9 / 28 (M)

Quantitative inheritance.
Linkage and recombination.

Theme 3: Interaction and change. Evolution and ecology.

Begin population genetics: phenotype and genotype frequencies

Linkage PP (CHC access only)
Cl #13
9 / 30 (W)

Population genetics -- an introduction to the behavior of genes in populations.
Material for Exam #1 ends with the Hardy-Weinberg postulates.
There will be no H-W problems on exam #1.

Calculation of Hardy-Weinberg equilibria.
Begin natural selection.

Cl #14
10 / 2 (F)

EXAM #1

 through population genetics (CL #12 or 13)  
Cl #15
10 / 5 (M)

Evolution and natural selection.

Natural Selection PP (same as above)

 
Campbell Chapters 22 and 23 -- pay special attention to PP 472 to end of Chapter 23
Be able to answer questions at the end of the chapters.

Resources

Web-based resources


Cl #16
10 / 7 (W)


Genetic drift and the role of chance in evolution.
What is a species?

 
Class PP
Campbell Reading - -same plus Chapter 24
Cl #17
10 / 9 (F)

5 min. Quiz #5

Species (continued).

What is a species? (CHC access only) -- revised slightly from previous

Speciation (same notes as previous class)
Campbell Reading - -Chapters 24 and 26
10 / 12 (M)
COLUMBUS DAY VACATION (Oct. 12 and 13) -- NO CLASS
Cl #18
10 / 14 (W)

Speciation.

Class PP : Speciation
(CHC access only)
Same notes & reading as previous class.
Cl #19
10 / 16 (F)

5 min. Quiz #6 (through speciation)

Population ecology.

PP -- population ecology (CHC access only)
Please read Campbell Chapters 52 & 53
Cl #20
10 / 19 (M)

Evolutionary ecology.

Class PP -- evolutionary ecology modified 22 Oct. (CHC access only)
Please read Campbell Chapters 52 & 53
Cl #21
10 / 21 (W)

Finish evolutionary ecology.
What structures biological communities?
Ecological succession.
An introduction to biogeographical theory

Class PP same as previous class + community ecology introduction
(CHC access only)
Community and ecosystem ecology (same as previous class)
Please read Campbell Chapters 54 & 55
Cl #22
10 / 23 (F)

5 min. Quiz #7 -- through ecological efficiency.
Community Ecology, continued.

Same as previous class
Cl #23
10 / 26 (M)

Ecological succession.
Island biogeography
Ecosystem ecology -- biogeochemical cycles.
Material for exam #2 ends with completion of the ecology material.

Theme 4: The building blocks of the phenotype: biological molecules.

Biological molecules: lipids.
Chemistry review questions. (on own) -- be sure you know this as it is assumed knowledge -- remember that if you have questions these may be asked in the review/help session devoted to chemistry -- date is TBA
Macromolecule handout
Read Campbell Chs. 2-5
Cl #24
10 / 28 (W)

Lipids, carbohydrates.

same as previous class
(CHC access only)
 
Cl #25
10 / 30 (F)		 EXAM #2 . All material through ecology.
HALLOWEEN DAY: Optional Field Trip to Harvard Forest -- 930 AM to about 4 PM
Cl #26
11 / 2 (M)

Nucleic acids and proteins

same as previous class plus Macromolecules, part 2 (CHC access only)
 
Proteins We recommend looking at the protein structure section of the website access that came with your textbook, esp protein and nucleic acid structure.
Continue reading Campbell Ch. 5
Cl #27
11 / 4 (W)
Theme 5: Chemical Reactions and Biological Systems

Reactions, energy and equilibrium.:
Basic thermodynamics and reactions.
Read Campbell Ch. 8, pp 142 top 151 (stop at section 8.4
Cl #28
11 / 6 (F)

5 min. Quiz #7

Finish thermo.
Enzyme kinetics.

 

Class PP: same as previous plus- Enzyme kinetics (CHC access only)

Finish Campbell Chapter 8

Cl #29
11 / 9 (M)

Enzyme kinetics, continued.

Theme 6: An example of a complex biomolecular process: metabolism.

The ATP cycle and metabolism overview.

Class PP: same as previous plus - Metabolism Overview and glycolysis (CHC access only)
Campbell reading -- Chapter 9, sections 1 and 2  
Cl #30
11 / 11 (W)


Finish overview of metabolism.
Anaerobic metabolism.

Last day to withdraw from class with a "W"

PP -- Metabolism overview and glycolysis notes -- see previous class
 
same
Campbell reading -- Chapter 9, sections 1 and 2  
Cl #31
11 / 13 (F)

5 min. Quiz #8 -- material through "coupling" of thermodynamically favorable and unfavorably processes.


Finish anaerobic metabolism.
Aerobic metabolism.

PP -- aerobic metabolism
(CHC access only)
Campbell reading --Chapter 9 sections 3-6.

Short (2 pp) supplementary article about entropy and conservation of matter/energy.

CHC Access Only

Cl #32
 11 / 16 (M)

Finish aerobic metabolism
Control systems.  

PP -- control systems (CHC access only)
 
Cl #33
 11 / 18 (W)

finish control systems

Theme 7: Compartmentalization: membranes, diffusion, transport, and signalling

The structure of membranes.

preliminary Class PP -- membranes (CHC access only)
please read Campbell Ch. 7
Cl #34
11 / 20 (F)

Membrane permeability. -- diffusion, osmosis and Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium.
Passive and active transport.

same PP as previous class (membranes)

same reading in Campbell
Cl #35
11 / 23 (M)

Chemical signals and receptors. An ion-gate (the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor) and a G-protein-second messenger linked receptor (the PTH receptor) as examples

Theme 8: Molecular Biology: Continuity and control at the genetic level.

DNA synthesis.

preliminary Class PP -- available near class date (CHC access only)
Campbell, Ch 16
11 / 24 through 11 / 29 ---- THANKSGIVING VACATION
Cl #36
11 / 30 (M)

Transcription and protein synthesis.

preliminary Class PP -- available near class date (CHC access only)
Campbell, Ch 17
Cl #37
12 / 2 (W)

Gene expression:
Negative regulation in prokaryotes -- two classic examples.
Positive regulation in prokaryotes.

preliminary Class PP -- available near class date (CHC access only)
Campbell, Ch 18
Cl #38
12 / 4 (F)		 EXAM #3 Material through DNA synthesis.
Cl #39
12 / 7 (M)

Regulation in eukaryotes -- an overview of a very complex story

 

preliminary Class PP -- available near class date (CHC access only)
same as class #37
12 / 9 (W) Study Period Begins 

Comprehensive Final Exam (2-3 hours) --

Prestwich's section (10 AM class meetings) SATURDAY Dec. 12 at 8:30 - 11:30 AM

Sheehy and Rymer's sections (11 AM class meetings) TUESDAY Dec 15 at 2:30 to 5:30 PM