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Biology Graduate Course Descriptions
| Course | Description | Prerequisites/Notes | ||
| 512 Cellular and Molecular Immunology (3) | Detailed examination of the immune response, including: antigen recognition, effector mechanisms, immunogenetics, immunoregulation, immunity to infection, immunopathology, tumor and transplantation immunology, and auto-immunity. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 513 Principles of General Microbiology (3) | Survey of microorganisms emphasizing morphology, physiology, immunology, and ecology; microorganisms and disease; environmental and applied microbiology. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 514 Methods of General Microbiology (2) | Microscopy; morphological, cultural, physiological, and serological characteristics of microorganisms; microbiology of food, milk, water, and soil. | COREQ: 513. 6 Lab | . | |
| 515 Plant Physiology (3) | Plant metabolism, effects of hormones and light on plant growth and development. Transport and translocation of water and solutes. Plant stress physiology. | 3 lecture | ||
| 516 Plant Molecular Biology (3) | Molecular aspects of plant development. Examination of the structure, expression, and function of genes involved in the flowering plant life cycle, including genes controlling embryogenesis, vegetative growth, plant-pathogen interaction, and reproduction. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 517 Biochemistry (3) | The metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins in plant and animal systems. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 519 Cell Biology (4) | Structure, function, and techniques for the study of cells. | 3 lecture, 3 Lab | ||
| 520 Darwin's Origin of Species (3) | A detailed reading and analysis of Darwin's landmark work, On the Origin of Species. Examining its historical and philosophical context, and its social and scientific significance. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 522 Forensic Biology (4) | Principles of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analysis, decomposition, autopsy, forensic databases, and bioterrorrism. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab | ||
| 523 Biophysics (3) | Principles of biophysics relating to E. coli. Topics include cell physiology, chemotaxis, molecular motors, physical constraints of an environment, diffusion, receptor complexes, and signal transduction. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 525 Flora of the Southern Appalachians (4) | Taxonomy of the flowering plants of the region; family relationships; use of keys for identification; and recognition, collection, documentation, and preservation of specimens. One weekend field collecting trip. | 2 Lecture, 6 Lab | ||
| 532 Population Ecology (4) | Population ecology concepts and questions from empirical and theoretical perspectives, including population structure, dynamics, and regulation, demography, life histories, metapopulations, competition, predation, parasitism, and mutualism. |
Preq: Calculus. 3 Lecture/ discussion,3 Lab/field. | ||
| 533 Ecological Co-Adaptations (4) | An in-depth examination of co-evolutionary interactions among organisms, including seed dispersal, pollination, host interactions with pathogens and parasites, and plant-microbe interactions such as nitrogen fixation and mycorrhizae. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab, field trips required | ||
| 534 Terrestrial Ecology (4) | Population, ecosystem, community structure, and dynamics; major North American biomes; field and descriptive methods; required weekend field trips. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab/field | ||
| 535 Aquatic Ecology (4) | Biological, physical, and chemical components and processes in lakes and streams; field studies of local lakes and their biota. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab | ||
| 536 Physiological and Ecosystem Ecology (4) | An in-depth examination of environmental effects on physiological and morphological traits of individual organisms and their influences on energy and nutrient cycling through ecosystems. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab, field trips required | ||
| 537 Community and Landscape Dynamics (4) | An in-depth examination of current concepts and theories of community and landscape ecology and dynamics, their historical development, and applications. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab, field trips required | ||
| 538 Ecological Restoration Principles (3) | Exploration of ecological restoration theory and management applications from fine to coarse scales approaches, and including composition, structural and functional components of ecosystems. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 539 Ecological Genetics (3) | A course for ecologists interested in learning how ecological/conservation genetics maintain evolutionary processes and promote ecosystem health. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 541 Conservation Biology (3) | Exploration of biodiversity conservation principles as they apply to managed ecosystems. Components of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity and strategies for conserving it will be examined. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 543 Evolutionary Processes (3) | Mechanisms of evolution; emphasis on current research and hypotheses such as group and kin selection, r and K selection, and sympatric speciation. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 551 Biology of Fungi (4) | Slime molds and true fungi: life histories, morphology, host-parasite relationship, fine structure, and phylogeny. | 3 lecture, 3 lab | ||
| 553 Principles of Systematics (4) | Principles and methods used in describing animal and/or plant taxa and in testing hypotheses of evolutionary relationship, individual research projects on the systematics of selected taxa. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab | ||
| 555 Vascular Plants (4) | Biology of higher plants: club and small club mosses, quill worts, scouring rushes, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms in living and fossil form. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab | ||
| 557 Biology of Algae (4) | Life histories, morphology, reproduction, and phylogeny of the algae. | 3 lecture, 3 lab | ||
| 567 Biostatistics (3) | Statistical concepts and methods for biologists. Design of experiments for computer analysis by ANOVA, single or multiple regression, principal components. | Preq: elementary statistics. 2 lecture, 2 Lab | ||
| 570 Biology of Arthropods (4) | Functional morphology, physiology, natural history, and systematics of the arthropods; field/lab emphasis on spiders. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | ||
| 571 Animal Behavior (4) | Mechanisms, development, functional significance, and evolution of behavior; individual research projects, films, and discussions in lab. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | ||
| 572 Ornithology (4) | Anatomy, physiology, ecology, behavior, diversity and evolution of birds. Lab will focus on identification of North Carolina birds, field research techniques and behavior. | 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | ||
| 573 Microbial Ecology (4) | Ecology of archaea and bacteria. Population and community detection, diversity, and roles in biogeochemical cycling using cultivation and molecular techniques. | COREQ: 573 Lab.3 lecture, 3 Lab | ||
| 576 Contemporary Fisheries (3) | Biological concepts and alternative management practices involved in the protection, conservation, restoration, augmentation, and cultivation of fisheries resources. | 2 Lecture, 2 Lab. | ||
| 577 Herpetology (4) | Study of the biological diversity, evolution, life history, ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles Weekend field trips required.. | 3 Lecture/ discussion, 3 Lab/field. | ||
| 589 Cooperative Education in Biology (3, R6) | Minimum of 9 hours of graduate courses with at least a B average and approval of department head, adviser, and cooperative education coordinator. Only 3 hours apply toward degree. S/U grading. | |||
| 593 Advanced Studies in Biology (1-6, R12) | Permission of department head. | |||
| 612 Principles of Chemical Ecology (3) | Biochemistry, physiology, and function of secondary compounds stressing alkaloids, phenolics, and terpenoids. | |||
| 613 Molecular Biology (3) | Principles of molecular/cellular biology for secondary teachers. | |||
| 614 Principles of Chemical Ecology Laboratory (2) | Techniques for isolating, identifying, and studying biological functions of alkaloids, phenolics, and terpenoids. | 6 lab | ||
| 632 Biogeography (3) | Plant and animal distribution; ecological and historical factors contributing to distribution of the earth's biota. | 3 Lecture | ||
| 672 Ichthyology (4) | Systematics, life history, ecology, and identification of groups of fishes; collection of local fishes. | 2 Lecture, 6 Lab/Field | ||
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693 Topics in Biology(1-6, R12 ) |
Permission of department head. | |||
| 694 Topics in Biology (1-6, R12) | Permission of department head. S/U grading. | |||
| 697 Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biology (2) | An introduction to teaching methods, experimental design, and methods of computer literature searching and internet access. | |||
| 699 Thesis (3, R12) | Only 6 semester hours may be applied toward degree. | |||
| 779 Continuing Research-Non-Thesis Option (1, R10) | See Policy on Completion of Thesis and Dissertation found in the Admissions and Degree Requirements Section of the graduate catalog. These hours will not count toward fulfilling degree requirements. | Must NOT be enrolled in a thesis program. S/U grading. | ||
| 799 Continuing Research-Thesis Option (2, R24) | See Policy on Completion of Thesis and Dissertation found in the Admissions and Degree Requirements Section of the graduate catalog. These hours will not count toward fulfilling degree requirements. | Student must be enrolled in a thesis program. S/U grading. | ||