Courses on topics of interest to biology students offered on the basis of need, interest, or timeliness. Prerequisites as determined by the instructor. Restricted to students with junior standing or higher. May be repeated for credit. For specific section description, click to the Section Details in VitNet.

Advanced non-classroom experiences in the field of biology. Placements are off-campus, and may be full- or part-time, and with or without pay. Credit for experiences must be sought prior to occurance, and learning contracts must be submitted before the end of the first week of the semester. See the experiential learning: internship section of this catalog for more details. Restricted to students with junior standing or higher. Graded CR/NC.

Independent reading and/or research under the guidance of a biology faculty member. Refer to the academic policy section for independent study policy. Independent study contract is required. May be repeated for credit.

Advanced non-classroom experiences in the field of biology. Placements are off-campus, and may be full- or part-time, and with or without pay. Credit for experiences must be sought prior to occurrence from academic advisor and approved by department. Learning contracts must be submitted before the end of the first week of the semester. Prerequisite: 397. Restricted to students with junior standing or higher. May be repeated for credit.

Six hours of lecture/discussion/lab per week. This course introduces the principles of conservation biology with an emphasis on ecological processes operating at population, community and ecosystem levels of organization. Threats to biological diversity, ranging from species introductions to habitat destruction will be discussed along with conservation solutions ranging from the design of protected areas through conservation legislation.

Four hours lecture/discussion per week The course provides an overview of musculoskeletal anatomy, the mechanical properties and structural behavior of biological tissues, and biodynamics. Specific course topics will include structure and function relationships in tissues and organs; application of stress and strain analysis to biological tissues; analysis of forces in human function and movement; energy and power in human activity; introduction to modeling viscoelasticity of tissues. Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in 104 or 160, PHYS 250 and 270 or 260 and 270 are recommended.

Six hours of lecture/discussion/lab per week. This course focuses on the mechanisms and evolution of animal behavior, including proximate and ultimate explanations of behavior. Topics studied include foraging; antipredator defenses; mating systems and sexual selection; social behavior; communication; parental care; kin selection and recognition; learning; and territoriality. Laboratory exercises will complement topics in lectures and emphasize the observation, statistical analysis and interpretation of behavior in a variety of animal species.

Three hours of lecture/three hours of lab per week. This course covers essential concepts of human physiology and is intended for students who have a general interest in human biology and/or the health-related professions. It includes fundamental concepts of molecular, cellular, and systems physiology leading to a greater understanding of how the human body functions and maintains homeostasis.

Three hours of lecture/four hours of lab per week. This course will explore the roles of essential biological molecules and seeks to analyze the structures, properties, and functions of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids while providing a biological application of general and organic chemistry principles. Students will explore the structure of proteins, their function, their binding properties and the methodologies for the purification and characterization of proteins.

Three hours lecture/three hours lab per week. This course is designed for biology majors and will include an overview of bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal structure and function as well as microbial physiology and ecology. Laboratory exercises will include isolation of microbes and current molecular techniques used in state-of the-art microbiology laboratory settings. Offered spring of odd numbered years. Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in 250; 251 highly recommended.