Lower-Division Courses

Biology Courses for Non-majors

• BIO 100 - Perspectives in Biology
• BIO 114 - The Origins of Life in the Universe
• BIO 115 - Explorations in Regional Biology (Australia, East Africa, Ecuador)

Core Biology Curriculum for Majors

• BIO 110: Biological Investigations
  • Introduction to scientific investigation through project-based studies of biological phenomena in the lab or field. Topics in this hands-on course introduce students to experimental design, data collection, data analysis, hypothesis testing, and scientific communication. The specific focus of individual Bio 110 sections will vary with faculty expertise. Sections offered in Fall of 2021 are described below.
    
    • BIO 110-01 Flies, Genes, and Behavior (Dr. Velazquez). The nervous system controls behavior. The instructions to make the nervous system are found in the genes within the genome of an organism. Hence, genes that change how the nervous system works, can module behavior. In this section, students will explore how genes influence behavior by carrying out their own investigations using the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster.
    • BIO 110-02 Cilia: Movement to Sensation (Dr. Gewin): This section will explore the formation and function of cilia. These cellular appendages mediate cell swimming and act as antenna, enabling cells to sense their environment. Students will: (1) read and discuss published research on this topic, (2) design and carry out their own research projects using two popular model research organisms Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Caenorhabditis elegans, and (3) share their results with the rest of the class.
    • BIO 110-03 The Forest and the Trees (Dr. Long).  This section will explore the structure and function of plants and their ecological interactions. Working in groups, students will carry out their own experimental and field-based studies of these phenomena, learn to analyze data in R, and share their results with the class.
• BIO 201: Biological Core Concepts - Systems  
  • This 4-credit, lecture- and discussion-based course serves as an introduction to core principles that underlie all of biology, illustrated through evidence-driven examples centered on integrative organismal biology and organisms’ interactions with the biotic and physical environment.
• BIO 202: Biological Core Concepts - Mechanisms
  • This 4-credit, lecture- and discussion-based course serves as an introduction to core principles that underlie all of biology, illustrated through evidence-driven examples centered on interactions among molecules and cells within organisms.

Second-year Biology Courses for Majors

• BIO 244 - Practicum
• BIO 252 - Introduction to Neuroscience