BIOLOGY 112:  HUMANS AND DISEASE

COURSE SYLLABUS–SPRING 2008   

 

Professor: Brenda J. Peters, Ph.D.

Office: Lewis 205

Office Phone: 333-6417

Home Phone: 326-5285

E-mail Address: PetersBrendaJ@sau.edu

URL Address: http://web.sau.edu/PetersBrendaJ/

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30-3:30 p.m., Thursdays 1-3 p.m., Fridays 9-10 a.m., or by appointment.

 

Textbook:       Cohen, The Human Body in Health and Disease, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005.

 

Time:                          Lectures: MW 1-1:50 p.m.

Lab F: 1-2:50 p.m.

 

Place:                          Lectures–Lewis 002

Lab–Lewis 201

 

Description:    This course is an introduction to the biological sciences with a special focus on the functioning of the human body in health and disease.

 

Attendance:    Because learning requires cooperation, attendance as well as class participation is expected.  If you receive more than five absences, you will be asked to drop the course.  Unannounced quizzes will be given throughout the semester during the lecture period.  The quizzes will be worth a total of 20 points.  Attendance in the lab is mandatory.  You will work with partners and it is not fair for them to do the majority of the work.  Because of the limited life span of chemicals, solutions, and bacteria, most labs cannot be made up even for the most extenuating circumstances.

 

Making up exams is extremely difficult; approval must be granted by the instructor.  Make-up exams will only be permitted for the following reasons:

1) serious illness–requires a note from a physician

2) illness or death of a family member

3) official SAU activity–prior permission required

4) legitimate conflict–prior permission required

 

Grading:         Your grade will be figured from a total point score acquired from individual lecture exams, laboratory exercises, quizzes, critical thinking essays, and a group project. 

 

 

                                    Grades will be figures according to the following scale:

 

90-100% = A                                                              85-89% = B+              80-84% = B

75-79% = C+                                                              70-74% = C                60-69% = D

Below 60% = F

Point scores will be rounded to the first whole number.

 

Exams:            There will be four lecture exams worth a total of 500 points.  Each exam is based on the material covered in the lecture portion of the course and will be equivalent to 125 points.  Exams will mostly be multiple choice with 4-5 short answer essay questions.

 

Laboratory

Assignments:  The laboratory assignments will be worth a total of 145 points.  Each assignment will be worth 10-25 points.  You will also be required to do two laboratory reports.  Laboratory reports are due within two weeks of the scheduled lab.  You will receive 2 points off for each day an assignment is turned in late.  Late assignments will not be accepted once the assignment or laboratory report has been handed back to the class.

 

Critical Thinking

Essays:           You are expected to write three critical thinking essays worth a total of 45 points.  The essays will be completed during the class period in small groups.

 

Group

Project:           Each small group will also complete a project from a list of topics and ideas provided by me.  The project will be worth 50 points.

 

Course

Objective:       This course will provide you with an introduction to the goals and limitations of the science of biology.  You will also be introduced to the methods that scientist use to investigate the world around us, and will learn to design an experiment and analyze results.  In addition, we will explore the basic functioning of the human body, and how it is affected by disease.  You will learn the cause, symptoms, and treatments of many diseases.  Finally, the course will contain some discussion of current topics in order to acquaint you with controversial issues, so that you may be able to make informed decisions regarding your own health.

 

Students with

Disabilities:    SAU supports student success by providing a broad range of reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities.  If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities.

 

 

General

Information:   Remember, I am here to facilitate your learning process, so please come and see me if you have any questions. In addition, tutoring is available for this course through the Student Success Center.  I want you to be successful in this course, so let me know if you need help!

 

                                                   CALENDAR (subject to change)

 

Week:                          Topic

 

UNIT 1: CELLS AND CANCER

1/16                                                     Scientific Method; Chapter 1: Organization of the Human Body (pp.2-16)

1/21                                                     No Class Monday 21^st

                                                            Chapter 3: Cells and Their Functions (pp. 34-55); End of Chapter 4:  Cancer (pp. 67-71)

 

UNIT 2: DISEASE AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

1/28                                                     Finish Cancer; History of Disease

2/4                                                       Chapter 5:  Disease and Disease Producing Organisms (pp. 76-98)

                                                            Exam 1—Wednesday 6^th

2/11                                                     Chapter 16: The Lymphatic System and Lymphoid Tissue (pp. 329-342);

                                                            Chapter 17:  Body Defenses, Immunity, and Vaccines (pp. 343-359)

 

UNIT 3: MUSCLES, NERVES, AND REFLEXES

2/18                                                     Chapter 8: The Muscular System (pp. 179-200)

2/25                                                     Chapter 10: The Nervous System (pp. 178-199)

 

UNIT 4: MAINTAINING HOMEOSTASIS

3/3                                                       No Classes–Spring Break

3/10                                                     Chapter 12: The Endocrine System (pp. 245-260);

                                                            Exam 2—Wednesday 12^th    

3/17                                                     Finish Chapter 12; Chapter 23: Male and Female Reproductive Systems (pp. 455-476);

                                                            No Class—Friday 21^st

3/24                                                     No Class—Monday 24^th; Finish Chapter 23

3/31                                                     Chapter 22: The Urinary System (pp. 433-452)

 

UNIT 5: THE HEART AND LUNGS

4/7                                                       Exam 3—Wednesday 9^th; Finish Chapter 22

4/14                                                     Chapter 14: The Heart and Heart Disease (pp. 281-305)

4/21                                                     Finish Chapter 14                                

4/28                                                     Chapter 18: Respiration (pp. 363-384)

5/5                                                       Final Exam—Wednesday 1-2:50 p.m.

 

                                     LABORATORY SCHEDULE (subject to change)

 

Date:                           Topic:

1/18                                                                                                                                         Lab 1: Exploring the Scientific Method (see handout)            

 

1/25                             Critical Thinking Essay–in class

 

2/1                               Development of hypothesis and rationale for Lab 4; Lab 2: Microbiology, Sampling for Bacteria (see handout)

 

2/8                               Lab 3: Transformation and Conjugation in Bacteria (see handout); Hypothesis and rationale due for Lab 4

 

2/15                             Lab 4: Microbiology, The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) Method (see handout)

                                    Laboratory report.

 

2/22                             Collect data from Lab 4; Critical Thinking Essay–in class

 

2/29                             Laboratory Report  from Lab 4 Due; Lab 5: The Brain, Spinal Cord, and Reflexes (see handout)

 

3/7                               No Lab–Spring Break

 

3/14                             Readings:  In Pursuit of Prions (see handout)

 

3/21                             No Lab—Good Friday

 

3/28                             Lab 5: Daphnia Observation (see handout); Development of hypothesis and rationale for Lab 7

 

4/4                               Hypothesis and rationale due for Lab 7; Lab 6: Sex in the City (see handout)

 

4/11                             Lab 7:  Daphnia Experiment. Lab report

 

4/18                             Lab 8: Renal Physiology and Urinalysis (see handout)

 

4/25                             Laboratory Report for Lab 7 Due; Critical Thinking Essay–in class

 

5/2                               Lab 9: Features of the Cardiovascular System (see handout )