Objective:
The course objective is to present the key areas of biology at an introductory post-secondary level for non-majors. Students are introduced to the core disciplines of the chemistry of life, cellular biology, molecular biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology.
Learning Outcomes:
- Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to explain basic biology concepts and terms
- Outline the basic chemical processes and chemical composition of organisms
- Explain the importance of cells in our understanding of biology
- Analyze transport across the plasma membrane
- Compare cell division in eukaryotes and prokaryotes
- Explain the flow of genetic information from DNA, through RNA, to protein
- Explain control of genetic expression
- Analyze the inheritance of genetic disorders
- Summarize evidence that supports evolutionary theory
- Explain the mechanisms of evolution
- Explain how biodiversity is gained and lost
- Describe the diversity of life
- Analyze concepts in ecology
- Analyze the basic principles of community ecology
- Analyze the use of molecular biology tools in different fields of biology and industry
- Summarize the functions of cellular components
- Analyze energy flows in cells
- Summarize the differences between the two types of cellular division in eukaryotes
- Describe the structure of the human genome
- Analyze the structure of the DNA molecule in relation to its function of information storage
- Analyze different patterns of genetic inheritance
- Analyze the relationship between biodiversity and evolution
- Explain how units of biodiversity are classified
- Analyze the basic principles of population ecology
General Course Topics:
- What is biology?
- The chemistry of life
- Basic component of life: the cell
- Energy and membrane transport in cells
- Cellular reproduction
- DNA: the molecule of life
- Patterns of inheritance
- Evolution
- Biodiversity
- Ecology
- Population and community ecology
- Biotechnology