Course Descriptions

100 Level Courses
200 Level Courses
300 Level Courses
400 Level Courses

121 and 122. General Biology (I and II;3,3;U): Introductory courses primarily for the non-biology major. BIOL 121 focuses on life at the cellular and biochemical levels, genetics, and plant biology. The topics covered in 122 include principles of ecology and evolution, and animal diversity, behavior, structure, and function. Normally BIOL 121 is taken first.

145. Introduction to Marine Science (I;3,3;U): This course is designed to provide a current overview of marine biology while integrating the basic science background necessary for the general education course.

206. Organismal Biology (II; 3, 3; U): An introductory course for biology majors emphasizing organisms as dynamic systems by integrating structure with function. Laboratories introduce scientific method and collaborative learning. Second core course.

207. Genetics (I; 3; 3 U): A comprehensive survey of genetic mechanisms and methodologies, including classical genetics, recombinatrional analysis in bacterial, fungi, and higher eukaryotes, molecular genetics and populational and quantitive genetics. Third core course.

208. Population and Community Biology (II; 3, 3; U): Introduction to systematic biology, population genetics, evolutionary theory, physiological ecology, behavioral ecology, population and community ecology, and ecosystem structure and function. Fourth core course. Prerequisite: a general biology course.

209. Human Genetics (II; 3; 0, U): Primarily for non-majors. The principles of gnetics as they aply to humans and their consequences on human health and society. No prerequisites.

221. Human Physiology (I; 3, 0; U): For non-majors. Anatomy and function of human organ systems.

236. Ornithology (S; 7.5, 15; U): Biology of birds of the world with emphasis upon their systema-tics, identification, and evolution. Methods in laboratory and field study. Field trips to local habitats, museums, and the shore.

245. Tropical Marine Biology (S; 5, 15; U): A field course in marine biology of coral reefs in the Virgin Islands for non-science majors. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

266. Animal Behavior (I; 3, 0; U): A survey of important theories, issues, and empirical techniques in the interdisciplinary field of animal behavior emphasizing both proximate and ultimate mechanisms and explanations for behavior. Crosslisted as ANBE 266 and PSYC 266.

301. Microbiology (II; 3, 3; U): Ultra-structure, behavior, metabolism, molecular biology, and development of micro-organisms. Roles in disease and food production. Laboratory will emphasize cultivation and identification. Prerequisites: BIOL 202 and permission of the instructor.

311. Vertebrate Diversity (AI; 3, 3; K): Considerations of vertebrate systematics, largely based on eastern U.S. fauna, providing evolution, natural history, classification and identification of the major groups (excluding birds). Field collecting and curatorial techniques emphasized. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

312. Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (AI; 2, 6; K): Organogenesis and gross morphology with emphasis on functional and evolutionary modifications of animal structure. Gross dissection and techniques used in morphology. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

314. Comparative Neuroanatomy (II; 3, 3; U): Gross morphology and histology of vertebrate nervous and sensory systems. Laboratory techniques in gross dissection and histological preparation are stressed. Prerequisites: introductory biology course and permission of the instructor.

316. Plant Growth and Development (II; 4, 0; U): The physiological and molecular bases of growth and development at the organ, tissue, and cellular levels. Effects of light and hormones on gene expression and the resultant changes at higher levels of organization. Prerequisites: BIOL 201, 202, and permission of the instructor.

317. Teaching of the Biological Sciences (II; 3, 0; U): Consideration of issues of life sciences. Includes instructional methods of science's nature, available resources, use of biological oranisms, and issues unique to biology classrooms/laboratories. Crosslisted as EDUC 310.

318. Conservation Genetics (I; 3, 0; U): Survey of the major topics in conservation genetics. Basic models of population genetics and topics relevant to conservation genetics, such as population structure, inbreeding, genetic load, genetic variation, reserve design, and the ethical, moral, and political aspects of species conservation. Prerequisites: BIOL 122 or BI 244 and permission of the instructor.

319 and 320. Seminar (I or II; R; 2 or 4; U) Half to full course.

321. Behavioral Ecology (II; 3, 0; U): The consideration of behavioral adaptations to various ecological situations. Topics include habitat choice, foraging behavior, defenses against predation, mate choice, and brood care. Prerequisites: BIOL 203 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as AN 321.

322. Animal Physiology (II; 3, 3; U): Integration of cell and organ physiology; emphasis on protein, ion transport, nerve and muscle physiology, cardiovascular, renal, and respiratory systems. Prerequisites: BIOL 201 and permission of the instructor.

323. Microanatomy (I; 3, 3; U): Basic organizational patterns of mammalian tissues. Includes some histological techniques. Prerequisites: BIOL 201, 202, and permission of the instructor.

324. Sensory Physiology (AII; 4, 0; U): Sensory systems and stimulus-sensitive receptors as transducers of the internal and external environment will be studied using a cellular/molecular approach. Prerequisites: BIOL 202 and permission of the instructor.

325. Principles of Genetics (II; 3, 3; U): A comprehensive study of the mechanism of heredity with emphasis on linkage, recombination, and gene structure. Prerequisite: BIOL 202.

327. Molecular Biology (I and II; 3, 3; U): Synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein, genetic phenomena in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; laboratory experience in the regulation and manipulation of genes. Prerequisites: BIOL 202 and permission of the instructor.

328. Endocrinology (I; 3, 3; U): The organs of internal secretion of the vertebrates and inverte-brates from the standpoint of their phylogeny, microanatomy, and physiology. Prerequisite: BIOL 201, 202, permission of the instructor.

330. Plant Systematics and Ecology (I; 2, 4; U): Principles of systematic botany, based on Pennsylvania flora, giving training in evolutionary and ecological relationships, classification and identification of gymnosperms and angiosperms. Prerequisites: BIOL 203 or BIOL 122 and permission of the instructor.

334. Limnology (I; 3, 3; U): The physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of fresh-water communities are studied. Prerequisites: BIOL 203 and permission of the instructor.

339. Developmental Biology (I; 3, 3; U): Morphological, physiological, and biochemical aspects of cellular and embryonic development of animals and plants. Emphasis on the molecular mechanisms underlying differentiation. Prerequisites: BIOL 202 and permission of the instructor.

340. Biochemical Methods (II; 2, 6; U): A course in laboratory techniques including cell fractionation and analysis of proteins and nucleic acids. Spectrophotometry, chromatography, centrifugation, electrophoresis, and methods of molecular cloning are emphasized. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as CHEM 358.

341. Organic Evolution (II; 4, 0; U): The principles and mechanisms of evolution in plants and animals, covering population phenomena, speciation, life history strategies, adaptation, systematics, and biogeography. Prerequisites: BI 203 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ANBE 341.

343. Neuroscience (I; 3, 0; U): Brain structure and function, emphasizing cellular and molecular approaches to neural development, plasticity and degeneration. Prerequisites: PSYC 250 or BIOL 202 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as PSYC 343.

344. Marine Biology (II; 3, 3; U): The ecological, systematic, and physiological implications of the marine environment. Laboratory will include field trips. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

345. Coral Reef Biology (S; 5, 15; U): A field course in coral reef biology in the Virgin Islands for biology majors. Emphasis on class and individual projects, data collection, and journal keeping. Prerequisites: BI 203 and permission of instructor.

346. Environmental Physiology (AI; 3, 3; U): effects of environmental constraints on physiological processes at the cellular, organ-system, and whole-organism levels. Prerequisites: BI 201, BI 311/312, or permission of the instructor.

347. Virology(II; 5, 0; U): The study of virus structure, genome organization, replication and host-interactions. Emphasis will be on animal and bacterial viruses. Prerequisites: BIOL 202 and permission of the instructor.

348. Immunobiology (II; 3, 3; U): Antigen-antibody reactions and their applications to biological problems. Serological skills and techniques employed in modern immunology. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

349. Immunobiological Methods (II; 0, 6; U): A course in laboratory techniques including competitive binding assays, monoclonal and polyclonal antibody production, fluorescent labeling, and western blot analysis. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

352. Cell Biology (I and II; 3, 3; U): Covers biomembranes, cell growth patterns, cell signaling, the cytoskeleton, cell organelles, and microscopic technique. Laboratory includes experience with cell culture. Prerequisites: BIOL 202 and permission of the instructor.

353. Community/Ecosystem Ecology (II; 3, 0; U) The physical and biological mechanisms that structure natural populations, including nutrient cycling, energy flow, succession, species interactions, food webs and broader ecosystem and biogeographic processes. Prerequisites: BIOL 122 or BIOL 203 and permission of the instructor.

355. Social Insects (II; 3, 3; U): Evolution and genetics of social behavior, caste, communication in foraging and colony defense, queen and worker control over reproduction, social homeostasis, and population dynamics. Prerequisite: BIOL 203 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ANBE 355. Juniors and seniors only.

356. Plant-Animal Interactions (I; 3, 3; U): The coevolution and ecology of plants and animals covering pollination ecology, seed dispersal, plant-herbivore interactions, and habitat constraints on the behavioral ecology of animals. Prerequisites: BIOL 122 or 203, and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ANBE 356.

358. Invertebrate Zoology (I; 3, 3; U): A survey course on the invertebrate phyla covering functional morphology, life histories, phylogenetic relationships, symbiosis, ontogeny, and behavior. Laboratories emphasize living animals. Prerequisite: BIOL 201 and permission of the instructor.

365. Methods in Microscopy (II; 2, 4; U): A laboratory course in microscopic theory and methods including the nature of light; geometical and physical optics; bright field, phase contrast, dark field, differential interference, fluorescence, and laser microscopes; video techniques, and image analysis. Prerequisite : BIOL 352 and permission of the instructor.

370. Primate Behavior and Ecology (I; 3, 3; U): Introduction to research on prosimians, monkeys, and apes. Diversity, habitat, diet, growth, reproduction, social behavior, cognitive abilities. Prerequisite: BIOL 122 or 203 and permission of instructor. Crosslisted as ANBE 370.

399. Undergraduate Research (I or II; R; 0, 6 or 12; U) Half or full course. Open to qualified juniors and seniors with the permission of the instructor.

415. Conservation Biology (II; 4, 0; U): A synthesis of topics relating to the conservation of plants and animals including extinction, genetics, demography, insularization, threats to biodiversity, conservation economics, environmental ethics, and strategies for conservationists. Prerequisites: BIOL 203 or BIOL 122 and permission of instructor. Crosslisted as ANBE 415.