BIOL 140B - Principles of Organismal Biology

Units: 5
Introduction to the study of the diversity of life with emphasis on the adaptation of organisms to different environments and their ecological interactions with emphasis on the comparative understanding of eukaryotic life. Lecture Units: 3; Lab Units: 1; Activity Units: 1.

Prerequisites: BIOL 140A with grade C- or better.
Possible Instructional Methods: Entirely On-ground.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Course Typically Offered: Fall & Spring

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Characterize the interactions between organisms and the living and non-living components of their habitats employing ecological principles;
Describe the mechanisms by which energy flows and cycles in natural systems;
Describe both adaptive and non-adaptive mechanisms of evolution and the role of these mechanisms in species formation, biological diversity and phylogenetic analyses.
Describe and understand the mechanisms involved with the flow of genetic information both within and between populations;
Understand the basic characteristics between Bacteria, Eukarya, Archaea and viruses;
Describe the process of photosynthesis and its variants;
Identify the roles of the major input, intermediate and output molecules of the process;
Discuss the relationship between form, function and regulation of internal environments as exhibited by the major Eukaryotic phyla;
Identify and describe the diversity and evolution of the major groups of Eukaryotic life, including animals, plants, fungi, and protists;
Locate, comprehend, and utilize scientific information of various forms from reliable sources;
Apply the steps of the scientific method to conduct laboratory investigations;
Effectively communicate scientific information in written and verbal form;
Synthesize information, think critically and solve critical thinking problems;
Write clear, well-organized essays/responses to questions that demonstrate synthesis.