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BIOL 1107U-LU (AASU)
Principles of Biology I (4 semester hours)

UGA Students please note: IDL's BIOL 1107U-LU is not equivalent to UGA's BIOL 1107 course, but can be considered as an equivalent for UGA's BIOL 1103. Please consult with your academic advisor before registering for the course to confirm equivalency for your degree program. Web Course Format: ALISSA Web Course Format Only.

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UGA Students please note: IDL's BIOL 1107U-LU is not equivalent to UGA's BIOL 1107 course, but can be considered as an equivalent for UGA's BIOL 1103. Please consult with your academic advisor before registering for the course to confirm equivalency for your degree program.

Biological chemistry, cell structure and function, bioenergetics, mitosis and meiosis, genetics, gene expression and regulation, gene technology, population genetics, evolution.

Requirements: Twelve lessons, twelve labs, two examinations.

Instructor: Don Emmeluth, Ed.D., Atlantic Armstrong State University.

Texts: Mader, Sylvia Biology, 8th edition, 2004.
A Photographic Atlas of the Biology Laboratory, 5th ed., 2005

Course Overview

Introduction

This course is designed for students who have had a range of science courses at the secondary level (no matter how long ago) and for those for whom biology is a new subject. This online version is a course for nonmajors in biology. General biological principles will be related to cellular structure and function at both the macro and micro level.

Structural and physiological processes, from the ecosystem to the organismic level, will be analyzed and correlated with the simpler manifestations at the cellular level. Topics to be discussed will include biochemistry, energetics, the molecular basis of cell metabolism, cell division, and the homeostatic regulation of the cell environment. The nature and philosophy of science and the art of modern experimental research will be emphasized.

This course is organized around a unifying theme that regards the possession of an intrinsic program as the central property of organisms. This program, lodged in the DNA sequence of chromosomes, is a set of instructions that directs the building of form, regulates function, and produces evolution through its historical change. Thus, we may trace a thread of unity through all the diverse subjects of biology, from molecule to ecosystem, by concentrating on the unique feature that separates life from nonliving matter-the possession of an internal program.

Organization of the Course

This course consists of 12 units. Each unit has a Lecture and a Laboratory component. Completion of a unit requires completion of BOTH the Lecture and Laboratory components. Each unit corresponds to a chapter or portion of a chapter in your textbook. Each Laboratory component is designed, when possible, to coincide with the text materials. For each Lecture component the Study Guide/Notes provides for intensive interaction with a number of outside sources through the various embedded links. The Study Guide/Notes provides the opportunity to expand and extend your knowledge of biological principles and concepts. For each Lecture component there are assigned questions at the end of each textbook chapter.

The Laboratory Investigations relate, when possible, to the various Lecture Units. Each Laboratory Investigation requires either some kitchen table type of work or using the embedded links to visualize various test procedure, results, or some types of cells or organisms. Access to a college laboratory would be our first choice for these investigations. However they are designed to be self contained and capable of being done at home with a minimum of fuss and expenditure. Most materials are already available at home or can be purchased inexpensively at nearby stores. Ten of the Laboratory Investigations have questions and some have additional materials that need to be answered or addressed. The remaining investigations have a writing assignment attached. This will be explained in the Grading Section.

Because of the extensive interactivity for both the Lecture and Laboratory components of the course, ACCESS TO A COMPUTER IS REQUIRED! Your access to a number of additional resources for the course is www.demmeluth.com. There are a number of online study guides including one for your textbook. The embedded links in the Study Guide/Notes and Laboratory Investigations are graphic intensive therefore to avoid too much down time and frustation you should have at least a 56K modem. A cable modem, DSL or T-1 line would be the most beneficial way to go. Links "break" occasionally; be sure to try the link several times before you notify me the link does not work. It is also important that you view links with the lesson objectives and assignments in mind. It is not necessary to know all the information in these links in order to pass this course.

Required Texts

Your textbook, Biology, 8th edition, by Sylvia Mader provides an overview of the major principles and concepts for an introductory level course. Be mindful that textbooks are only useful if they are used. This means reading the textual materials and the summary section and also doing the objective questions at the end of the chapter. The text comes with a CD Rom that contains a study guide, activities, animations, and questions. In addition, there is an excellent online study guide at http://www.mhhe.com/maderbiology8 that provides a variety of experiences. Go to and click on the Section entitled Student Edition, located in the left hand frame. Open the pull down menu to get to the chapter of your choice. Your most productive means of study should include the online study guide and the Self Quiz questions at the end of each chapter. You are also required to purchase A Photographic Atlas of the Biology Laboratory, 5th edition 2005, by DeGraaff & Crawley.

Lesson Preparation

Each lesson includes a written assignment that must be submitted for a grade. The written work for the lecture components involve answering assigned questions found at the end of each chapter in the textbook. Answer the questions in complete sentences, with proper spelling and grammar. These assignments represent one way for me to know that you have read the materials and to determine your level of understanding.

The laboratory components have two types of written work. Most of the labs will require you to record your observations and results of the investigations and/or will ask you to answer questions requiring your analysis and interpretation of the data.

Two of the labs (DNA Extraction and Survey of the Bacteria) require you to write an abstract, following instructions given in the section called "How to Write An Abstract." You will also need to find an article that relates to the laboratory investigation. I recommend Scientific American or Discover magazines, both of which have an online presence and full-text articles in their archives.

Grading and Examination

This course has both a midterm and final examination that cover both the lecture and laboratory segments of the course. The lecture section will consist of objective questions, such as multiple choice, matching, and labeling of diagrams; the laboratory section will test your knowledge of the information, procedures and results, and images associated with the various investigations.

You should take the midterm after you complete the first six units. After completion of all units, you will be ready to take the final examination. The final examination will cover only those materials studied since the midterm examination.

The online Study Guide for the textbook provides some excellent examples of various types of questions in the Concept Challenge Section; you should use these materials to help you prepare for the exam in addition to reviewing your graded lessons. Please note that IDL policy requires that you pass the final in order to pass the course, regardless of grades earned on the lessons or midterm. You are responsible for knowing and abiding by IDL policies and procedures. See your Student Handbook for detailed information.

Before requesting a final examination you must submit all lessons. Please resubmit any lessons on which you received an incomplete. IDL will send you a letter of confirmation indicating what materials you may use during the examination and will contact you if there is any problem associated with your request. You will want to arrange to take the final at least 30 days before the date you need your course grade, and you should schedule three hours for your exam, although you may not need the entire time. Remember, you must pass the final examination in order to pass the course, regardless of grades earned on lessons. Be sure to review your Student Handbook for additional important information and detailed instructions on requesting, scheduling, and taking IDL examinations.