Honors Biology: Molecules and Cells

Catalog description

This four credit course with lecture and laboratory components provides an understanding of the major unifying principles of life as they apply to the study of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the function of living organisms. Through the lab, students are expected to become proficient in the interpretation and presentation of experimental results through written and oral reports. Taken together with the other honors core courses in the biology curriculum ( BIOL 110H , BIOL 220M , BIOL 240M ), BIOL 230M will help students to integrate concepts ranging from molecular and cellular events through principles governing entire populations and ecosystems. Further, BIOL 230M provides the foundation on which students further their study of molecular genetics - a discipline integral to a number of the biological sciences. Through this class, and the other core course, students will develop a number of the skills outlined in the General Education mission. BIOL 230M serves a number of majors and colleges. The laboratory portion of the course requires a fully equipped laboratory room, as well as a classroom for recitation meetings. The Honor's version of the course will differ in a number of ways from the parent BIOL 230W course. First, there are more opportunities to discuss current applications of the information. In addition, a unique project (either in lab and/or in lecture) will allow students to explore a specific area of the course in more detail (e.g., take a paper from the primary literature and present the data, and its significance, to the class). Where appropriate, students will be exposed to current research in specific areas. In addition, the laboratory component will have opportunities for students to do more in depth exercises where, to some degree, they could pose their own questions.