Pictured | Heidi Porod | Biological Sciences | Mishawaka, Indiana (hometown)
Biological Sciences | BIOL
P Prerequisite | C Co-requisite | R Recommended
I Fall Semester | II Spring Semester | S Summer Session/s
Note | Also see MICR and PHSL for additional biological sciences courses.
- PLSC-B 101 Plant Biology (5 cr.) Lecture and laboratory. Fundamental principles of biology as illustrated by plants: characteristics of living matter, nutrition, growth, responses to environment, reproduction, basic principles of heredity. Credit not allowed toward a biology major.
- BIOL-B 300 Vascular Plants (3 cr.) P: Must have earned a grade of C- or better in both BIOL-L 101 and L 102 to enroll. Transfer credit accepted. Can be currently enrolled. One introductory biology course; provides basic understanding of the diverse groups of vascular plants. The course focuses on the major kinds of extant vascular plants and studies in detail from an evolutionary perspective the morphologies, life cycles, identification, classification and economic importance of these groups. I (even years)
- BIOL-L 100 Humans and the Biological World (5 cr.) Principles of biological organization, from molecules through cells and organisms to populations. Emphasis on processes common to all organisms, with special references to humans. Credit given for only one of the following: H111, L100, L104, E112, L112, Q201.
- BIOL-L 101 Introduction to Biological Sciences 1 (5 cr.) Lecture and Laboratory. P: ALEKS Math Assessment score of 51 or higher and English Placement score of 30 or higher, or have taken equivalent Math or English course; to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. An introductory course designed for prospective biology majors and students majoring in ancillary sciences. Principles of life processes including the chemical basis of life, cellular structure and function, genetics, and evolution. I, II
- BIOL-L 102 Introduction to Biological Sciences (5 cr.) P: ALEKS Math Assessment score of 51 or higher and English Placement score of 30 or higher, or have taken equivalent Math or English, course to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. R: BIOL-L 101. Integrates a brief survey of the plant and animal kingdoms with an emphasis on a comparative review of the major functional systems in diverse groups, and an introduction to the principles of ecology. I, II
- BIOL-L 211 Molecular Biology (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 102 with a grade of C- or higher and CHEM-C 105 and CHEM-C 106 to enroll. Transfer credit accepted. Can be currently enrolled. Structure and function of DNA and RNA. DNA replication, mechanisms of mutation, repair, recombination, and transposition. Mechanisms and regulation of gene expression. The genetic code, transcription, and translation. Introduces bacteriophages, plasmids, and the technology of recombinant DNA. I
- BIOL-L 220 Biostatistics (3 cr.) P: ALEKS Math Assessement score of 61 or higher or have completed an appropriate Math course, and BIOL-L 101 and BIOL-L 102 with a grade of C- or higher, to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Fundamentals of statistics intended to equip students with skills needed to understand and draw statistical inferences from biological data. Will include data reduction, probability, hypothesis testing, correlation, regression, and analysis of variance. I
- BIOL-L 280 Introduction to Bioinformatics (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher. Topics may include analysis of DNA and protein sequences; algorithms used in computational biology; sequence alignments; biological databases; predictive methods for RNA and protein structures; phylogenetic analysis; computational approaches to comparative genomics; analysis of microarray expression data expression data; proteomics and protein identification. II (odd years)
- BIOL-L 304 Marine Biology (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101 and BIOL-L 102 with a grade of C- or higher in each course, and CHEM-C 106, to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. An introductory course for majors and non-majors involving study of the principles, concepts, and techniques of marine and estuarine biology. II (even)
- BIOL-L 308 Organismal Physiology (5 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101, BIOL-L 102 and BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher in each course, and CHEM-C 106, to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Structural and functional aspects of regulatory processes in plants and animals; detection of the environment, integrative functions, reproduction. I
- BIOL-L 311 Genetics (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101, BIOL-L 102 and BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher in each course, and CHEM-C 106, to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Analysis of the mechanisms of inheritance, including developmental processes that lead to the construction of whole organisms and to the transmission to their offspring of specific genetic traits. Includes the principles of genetics and the analysis of mutations affecting development.
- BIOL-L 312 Cell Biology (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Current views of the structure and function of cellular organelles and components, with emphasis on the flow of information through the cell, the metabolism that supports cellular functions and differences among different specialized cells. Current techniques will be stressed. II
- BIOL-L 313 Cell Biology Laboratory (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 312 with a grade of C- or higher to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Theory and techniques of experimental cell physiology. Enzyme purification using spectrophotometry, ion-exchange and gel permeation chromatography, gel electrophoresis. Respiration and photosynthesis analyzed by cell fractionation, oxygen electrode, and radioactive tracer techniques. I (odd years)
- BIOL-L 317 Developmental Biology (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101, BIOL-L 102 and BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher in each course to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. R: BIOL-L 311, BIOL-L 312. Analysis of developmental processes that lead to the construction of whole organisms from single cells. Includes the principles of embryology and analysis of mutations affecting development. II (even years)
- BIOL-L 318 Evolution (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101, BIOL-L 102 and BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher in each course to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Provides a rigorous exploration of the theory of evolution - the conceptual core of biology. Topics include origins and history of life, the interplay of heredity and environment in shaping adaptations, molecular, behavioral and social evolution, patterns of speciation, extinction, and their consequences, methods for inferring evolutionary relationship among organisms. II (even years)
- BIOL-L 321 Principles of Immunology (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. R: BIOL-L 311, BIOL-L 312. An introductory survey of the basic principles of immunology and their practical applications. I (even years)
- BIOL-L 323 Molecular Biology Laboratory (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Manipulations and analysis of genes and genomes. Gene cloning and library screening. Gene amplification and disease diagnosis. Gene mapping and Southern blot analysis of complex genome structure. II
- BIOL-L 334 Biology of Cancer (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211. The course will explore the current knowledge of the molecular basis of cancer. It will provide a broad overview of various molecular mechanisms underlying the development of cancer that have been uncovered over the years. The course will heavily emphasize the recent trends in cancer gene discovery and the experiments that have revealed their mechanisms and will also discuss the novel treatments that have been developed for specific cancers.
- BIOL-L 335 Introduction to Nanomedicine (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211. The course explores the convergence of recent advances in nanotechnology with modern biology and medicine creating the domain of nanobiotechnology. The use of nanobiotechnology in medicine is nanomedicine. This course will introduce the students on how such materials are fabricated, characterized, interact with the biological environment, used in specific biomedical applications and translated from concept to the clinic.
- BIOL-L 337 Introduction to Biostatistics (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101, BIOL-L 102, MATH-M 107. This course will cover the fundamentals of statistics intended to equip students with skills needed to understand and draw statistical inferences from biological data. Will include data reduction, probability, hypothesis testing, correlation, regression, analysis of variance, Bayesian networks in biological system, cluster analysis and application to genomic data and discriminant analysis.
- BIOL-L 338 Introduction to Genomics (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211. This course will cover current topics in genomics and computational methods used in analyzing genomes. The course will provide a high level understanding of the methods and will focus on using the methods of genomics analysis and understanding the outputs generated from these methods. The course will extensively use methods developed under the R environment for genome analysis and annotation.
- BIOL-L 342 Tropical Marine Biology Field Course (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 304 with a grade of C- or higher to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Tropical marine ecosystems will be examined in detail during a ten day trip to field sites in the Caribbean or Central America. S (even years)
- BIOL-L 391 Special Topics in Biology (1-3 cr.) P: Departmental consent required (pre-requisites will vary depending on topic). Study and analysis of selected biological issues and problems. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be taken with different topics for a max of 9 credits.
- BIOL-L 403 Biology Seminar (1-3 cr.) P: Departmental consent. Individual presentations of recently published papers representing all areas of biological research. II
- BIOL-L 434 Marine Community Ecology (3 cr.) P: One year of college biology and graduate student status. C: BIOL-L 509. Survey of physical and chemical oceanography and marine environments and communities. Credit allowed for only one of BIOL-L 304 or BIOL-L 434. S.
- BIOL-L 473 Ecology (3-4 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101, BIOL-L 102 and at least 6 credit hours of BIOL-L courses above the 100-level with a grade of C- or better in each course, and CHEM-C 106, to enroll. Major concepts for ecology for science majors; relation of individual organisms to their environment, population ecology, structure and function of ecosystems. I (odd years)
- BIOL-L 474 Field and Laboratory Ecology (2 cr.) C: BIOL-L 473 with a grade of C- or higher or concurrent enrollment in BIOL-L 473. Introduction to research problems and techniques in the ecology of individuals, populations and ecosystems. I (odd years)
- BIOL-L 490 Individual Study (1-12 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Must complete a written assignment as evidence of each semester's work. Must present oral report to complete more than six credit hours. Section authorization. I, II, S. May be repeated for up to 6 credits of upper-level biology credit.
- BIOL-L 497 Internship in Biology (1-3 cr.) Pending approval. Provides opportunities for students to receive credit for career-related activities with businesses, non-profit organizations, or government agencies. Evaluation by supervisor and by departmental instructor. Course credit may count as elective hours in the Biology B.A. or Biology B.S. degree. 1-3 credits; consent of instructor.
- BIOL-L 499 Internship in Biology Instruction (3 cr.) P: Departmental consent. Supervised experience in teaching undergraduate biology course.
- BIOL-L 509 Field Exercises for Biology Education (1-5 cr.) P: Graduate student status. C: BIOL-L 434. This is the field component of a linked pair of classes encompassing lecture, laboratory exercises and field experiences all focused on marine community ecology, intended for in-service middle school and high school science teachers and graduate students in the School of Education who hold or are seeking licensure in Secondary Education with certification to teach Life Sciences or Earth and Space Sciences. S.
- BIOL-M 430 Virology Lecture (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 211 with a grade of C- or higher to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. R: BIOL-L 311. BIOL-L 312 Viruses of plants, animals (including humans), and bacteria; emphasis on molecular biology of viral systems. Viruses and human disease such as cancer and AIDS; viruses and their evolution. I (odd years)
- BIOL-N 190 The Natural World (3-5 cr.) P: ALEKS Math Assessment score of 16 or higher. Introduces students to the method of and logic of science, and helps them understand the importance of science to the development of civilization and the contemporary world. Provides a context within which to evaluate the important scientific and technological issues of modern society. Interdisciplinary elements.
- BIOL-N 390 The Natural World (3 cr.) P: One college Biology course. Explores an important scientific or technological issue in modern society. Applies scientific methods and interdisciplinary perspectives in an examination of the subject. Investigates the broader implications and ethical dimensions of scientific research and technological advancement.
- BIOL-Z 373 Entomology (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101 and BIOL-L 102 with a grade of C- or higher in each course to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Must also enroll in BIOL-Z 383. C: BIOL-Z 383. Biology of insects with emphasis on evolution, distribution, behavior and structure. I (even years)
- BIOL-Z 383 Laboratory in Entomology (2 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101 and BIOL-L 102 with a grade of C- or higher in each course to enroll. Can be currently enrolled. Transfer credit accepted. Must also enroll in BIOL-Z 373. Examines the structure and classification of insects. Prepare a collection. I (even years)
- BIOL-Z 460 Animal Behavior (3 cr.) P: BIOL-L 101 and BIOL-L 102 and at least 6 credit hours of BIOL-L coursework above the 100-level, with a grade of C- or higher in each course. Introduction to the zoological study of animal behavior. Emphasizes both internal and external factors involved in the causation of species-typical behavior of animals (protozoa–primates) in their natural environment. II (odd)