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Majors Courses Research Advising Organizations Awards |
0050 Foundations of Biology Laboratory I This is the first course of a two-course series on the study of organisms in the laboratory and the field. We will work with techniques that are important in biology and apply these techniques to illustrate basic biological principles, with an emphasis on living organisms. The laboratory exercises focus on cell structure and function, basic cellular processes, plant structure and function, and basic anatomy and physiology. BIOSC 0050 runs concurrently with BIOSC 0150, the lecture complement in introductory biology. During BIOSC 0050 you must take a Math Competence Quiz. There is a $32 lab fee.
0060Foundations of Biology Laboratory II This is the second course of a two-course sequence on the study of organisms in the laboratory and the field. We will work with techniques that are important in biology and apply these techniques to illustrate basic biological principles, with an emphasis on living organisms. The laboratory exercises focus on cell division, genetics, reproduction, evolution and ecology. Students are required to attend one lab at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History; if they do not have a pass for the museum, they will have to pay an admission fee. Students must demonstrate math competence by passing a Math Competence Quiz in either BIOSC 0050 or 0060 to receive a grade in BIOSC 0060. BIOSC 0060 runs concurrently with BIOSC 0160, the lecture complement in introductory biology. There is a $32 lab fee.
This course is intended for students who have not had High School Biology in the past five years. The course is also highly recommended for students who have not completed algebra. The lecture will cover a subset of topics from Foundations of Biology I (0150) and II (0160), including a discussion of basic chemistry used in biology, cell biology including mitosis and meiosis, human anatomy and physiology, and an introduction to genetics. The weekly recitations will explore topics covered in lecture in more depth and integrate problem solving and study skills. Some laboratory exercises will also be included in the recitation period to re-enforce the lecture topics by giving students the opportunity to investigate the experimental aspect of biology. The laboratory exercises and assignments will focus on basic math and writing skills.
This is an introductory course divided into two parts. The first part covers the cellular basis of life including a discussion of simple chemistry; cells as units of structure and function; and energy transformations. The second part includes an examination of those functions common to all organisms such as nutrition, gas and fluid transport and hormonal and neuronal control. Throughout, the emphasis is on the mechanisms used to accomplish these basic functions. Not recommended for incoming students who place into MATH 0010.
0160 Foundations of Biology II This course covers the basic principles of classical and molecular genetics, evolution and ecology. Emphasis will be placed on the experimental and observational basis for our knowledge of these subjects.
This course is designed to examine the gene in the following dimensions: the gene as a unit of transmission, a unit of function, and a unit of mutation. In addition, the distribution and activity of genes in populations will be considered in context with current theories of evolution. Lectures will assume that the student has the equivalent of one-third of a term of basic genetics (as included in the BIOSC 0150-0160 sequence).
This Honors College course is designed to examine the gene as a unit of transmission, a unit of function, and a unit of mutation. The course emphasizes the relationship between classical Mendelian genetics and the modern molecular understanding of gene structure and function. The course website may be accessed at http://www.pitt.edu/~ljac/main.html.
This is the description for the Summer term offering at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. The objective of the course is to provide a broad introduction to the study of ecology at the undergraduate level, through presentation of lectures dealing with organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels of organization. The contributions of laboratory work, field investigation, experimentation, and mathematical theory to the development of ecological knowledge will be considered. The application of ecological concepts to environmental problem solving will also be explored. Lecture material will be supplemented with required readings from an assigned textbook and from other materials. The course description for the Fall and Spring terms is provided below.
This is the description for the Fall term. The objective of the course is to provide a broad introduction to the study of ecology at the undergraduate level, through presentation of lectures dealing with organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels of hierarchical organization. The contributions of laboratory and field investigations to the development of ecological knowledge will be considered. Lecture material will be supplemented with required readings from an assigned textbook. The description for the summer term is provided above.
This is the description for the Summer term offering at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology Field Station. The objective of the laboratory course is to provide students with practical experience in ecological methods and in the design, conduct, and analysis of ecological studies. The exercises correspond with major lecture topics presented in BIOSC 0370, and will emphasize field studies and data analysis. There is a $48.00 lab fee. Additional fee information is provided in the information packet.
The objective of the laboratory course is to provide students with practical experience in ecological methods and in the design, conduct, and analysis of ecological studies. Laboratory exercises are designed to correspond with major lecture topics presented in BIOSC 0370. Exercises will include laboratory and field studies. There is a $48.00 lab fee.
0391 Ecology Laboratory Writing Practicum This course is a writing practicum for Ecology Laboratory, BIOSC 0390. Students will prepare laboratory reports and write essays based on exercises and assignments for the companion course, BIOSC 0390. The reports and essays will be returned with instructor comments for student revision and resubmission.
0715 UHC Foundations of Biology I This course will cover biological phenomena at the organismal level, including nutrient procurement and processing, energy transformations, internal transport, regulation of internal composition, hormonal and neural control mechanisms, and development. In most cases, emphasis will be placed on understanding underlying mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels. In addition, as an especially important part of the course, at every opportunity emphasis will be placed on examining how we know what we know (that is, the nature of the experimental results that lead to a given conclusion, including possible alternative explanations and pitfalls of interpretation), rather than on rote learning. Where uncertainty and controversy exist, they will be discussed openly, both as examples of the way science progresses and as potentially interesting areas for new research Student Level: Incoming honors students or second-year honors students desiring exposure to course content who have had an advanced High School Biology course (for example two terms of Advanced Placement Biology). For incoming honors students, a minimum SAT of 1300 is required.
0716 UHC Foundations of Biology II This course will cover biological phenomena at the level of the organism and above, including genetics (classical and molecular), evolution, and ecology. Emphasis will be placed on understanding underlying mechanisms, and every opportunity will be taken to examine the experimental basis on which this understanding rests. Where uncertainty and controversy exist, they will be discussed, both as examples of the way science progresses and as potentially interesting areas for new research. Student level: First or second-year honors students desiring exposure to course content.
The course will be team taught twice each summer by three different faculty. Each section will run for 30 days (June 14 to July 13, 2001 and July 14 to August 12, 2001). Classes will meet six days a week, beginning immediately after breakfast and ending at dinner. Field studies will be emphasized and comprise 50% of the student contact hours. These field experiences will include part-day or full-day van trips, overnight backpacking trips, and part-day horse trips to higher elevations. More information can be found at the yellowstone field course web site
0800 Biology for Non-Majors I: Principles of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology At an ever-increasing pace, issues of biological relevance are confronting the citizenry of this country and the world. Ranging from personal through political to global, these issues require that individuals have at least a rudimentary knowledge of basic biological phenomena in order to make informed decisions. The major goal of this course, together with its companion, BIOSC 0810, is to provide students (citizens) with intellectual tools needed to approach these issues as they arise. The topics for presentation in this course are drawn from the subject matter of ecology and evolution and will include the following: basic principles of ecology, the significance of biological diversity, principles of genetics, evolution, and the diversity of living organisms. A secondary goal of this course is to present the information in such a manner that historical sequences and intellectual processes involved in the development of biological understanding are emphasized.
0810 Biology for Non-Majors II - Cell Structure and Function: A Modern Perspective At an ever-increasing pace, issues of biological relevance are confronting the citizenry of this country -- and the world. Ranging from personal through political to global, these issues require that individuals have at least a rudimentary knowledge of basic biological phenomena in order to make informed decisions. The major goal of this course, together with its companion, BIOSC 0800, is to provide students (citizens) with the tools needed to approach these issues as they arise. The topics will include the following: the control and manipulation of molecular processes by techniques such as human gene therapy and genetic engineering, cell structure and function (including disease at the cellular level), and an introduction to human physiology. A secondary goal of this course is to present the information in such a manner that historical and intellectual processes involved in biological inquiry are emphasized.
This course is designed to present students who are not majoring in any of the natural sciences with a comprehensive picture of the natural world. Topics covered will include: the nature of scientific inquiry; the discovery of the solar system; laws of motion; gravity; work and energy; electricity and magnetism; the structure of matter; the periodic table of the elements; chemical bonding and molecules; and nuclear energy and radioactivity. Using a minimum of disciplinary jargon and mathematical formalism, the course will emphasize the fundamental concepts that underlie our present understanding and transcend the different scientific disciplines. Connections will be made to historical developments and to scientific and technological issues that impact individuals and society. In some weeks throughout the term a field trip will be arranged to a site where science is pursued or applied. In those weeks the number of lectures will be reduced to two. Students are expected to attend all lectures, recitations, and field trips.
This is the second term of a two-term introductory course sequence that is designed specifically for students majoring in the Humanities or Social Sciences who want to obtain a comprehensive overview of the natural sciences. Topics covered in this second term will include: the structure and variety of stars, cosmology, the sun and its planets, the structure of the earth, cycles of the earth, ecology, fundamentals of probability theory and statistics, strategies of life, molecules of life, the living cell, classical and modern genetics, gene technology, and evolution. Using a minimum of disciplinary jargon and mathematical formalism, the course will emphasize the fundamental concepts that underlie our present understanding and transcend the different scientific disciplines. Connections will be made to historical developments and to scientific and technological issues that impact individuals and society. Twice during the term a field trip will be arranged to a site where science is pursued or applied. In those weeks the number of lectures will be reduced to two. Students are expected to attend all lectures, recitations, and field trips. Weekly assignments will include readings and written exercises/homework sets. There will be two mid-term examinations, one research paper, and a final examination.
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