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.

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. Independent student research projects will be conducted in the laboratory throughout the semester. Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in 251.

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. The various topics include elementary cell biology and will focus on the specific functional mechanisms of the muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. Offered every spring. Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in 250. 251 is highly recommended. Restricted to students with junior standing or higher.

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. Enzymes and their kinetics will also be investigated and placed into a metabolic pathway context where thermodynamic and regulatory perspectives will be studied. This course provides the linkage between the inanimate world of chemistry and the living world of biology. Prerequisites: grade of C or higher in 250; grade of C or higher in CHEM 240. (Equal to CHEM 370)

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 freshman or sophomore standing. May be repeated for credit. For specific section description, click to the Section Details in VitNet.

Introductory internship experience. Internship sites are usually off campus, generally part-time, and often without pay. This introductory level experience provides the opportunity for freshmen and sophomores to gain internship experience in an area not directly related to their major, explore career options, and earn academic credit for the experience. See the office of Career Services three to six months prior to the time an internship is planned. Requires a 2.0 GPA. Students must register for credit prior to the start date of the internship. Restricted to students with freshman or sophomore standing. 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.

Five hours of lecture/lab per week. Characteristics of the eukaryotic, and prokaryotic forms; cultivation of common microorganisms; principles of microbial control and chemotherapy; introduction of host-parasite relations including the immune response; microorganisms of medical importance to humankind. Prerequisites: grade of C or higher in 114; four credits of CHEM.

Three hours lecture per week. Travel to one of the worlds tropical regions to experience and study tropical ecosystems firsthand. This course will introduce you to the major ecological processes, the principal flora and fauna and their evolutionary adaptations, and diverse ecosystems that constitute major tropical regions of the world. Additionally, the complex issues surrounding the conservation of biodiversity in these areas will be examined and discussed. The course is divided into two parts. The first part includes on-campus and on-line lectures, discussions, videos, and analysis of peer-reviewed research papers to introduce students to the major ecosystems, conservation issues, and biodiversity in tropical regions. The second part of the course involves travel and study in a tropical region through guided hikes, lectures, discussions, journal writings, and research projects to understand the ecology and study the biodiversity of the region. Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in 251 or concurrent. Permission of instructor required.

Three hours lecture per week. Investigation of the molecules and chemical reactions of life. Chemical principles are used to explore biology at the molecular level with an emphasis on biochemical and physiological basis of nutrition. Prerequisites: C or higher in 296 and CHEM 140; or C or higher in CHEM 240. (Equivalent to CHEM 305.)