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Biology Undergraduate Course Descriptions
| Course | Description | Prerequisites | |
| Principles of biology relative to development of human hereditary characteristics. 2 Lecture, 2 Lab. (C5) | |||
| 103 Environmental Biology (3) | Principles of biology relative to ecology and modern environmental problems. Ecosystems structure and function, population growth, food production, pollution, and resource use. 2 Lecture, 2 Lab. (C5) | ||
| 104 Human Biology (3) | The biology which underlines medical, social, and developmental issues of the human lifecycle. 2 Lecture, 2 Lab. (C5) | ||
| 105 Biology in the 21st Century (3) | Modern biology from a cellular and molecular perspective, emphasizing cell structure, function, genes and genetic engineering, disease and evolution. 2 Lecture, 2 Lab. (C5) | ||
| 108 Recreational Botany (1) | Identification of native plants on campus and in the field using popular plant guides; derivation of plant names; food and medicinal uses of plants. Two Saturday hikes required. 2 Field. | ||
| 140 Principles of Biology I (4) | Introduction to biology for majors. Basic cell structure and function, bioenergetics, introduction to genetics and molecular biology, evolutionary processes. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. (Lecture-3 credits, Lab-1 credit) (Lab is required). | COREQ: 140 lecture and 140 lab. | |
| 141 Principles of Biology II (4) | Second course for biology majors. Evolutionary patterns (Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plants, and Animals), introduction to plant and animal physiology, organismic interactions (Behavior, Ecology). 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. (Lecture-3 credits, Lab-1 credit). (Lab is required). | BIOL 140. COREQ: 141 lecture and 141 lab. | |
| 190 Discoveries in Biology (3) | Discoveries in biology used as the basis for exercises involving analysis of scientific reasoning, the scientific method, and experimental design. | ||
| 192 Plant Biodiversity (3) | Southern Appalachian plant diversity as a background in botanical sciences. Experience with field identification techniques and human use of plants in medicines, foods, and fiber. 2 Lecture, 2 Lab. | ||
| 193 Forensic Biology (3) | An exploration of techniques, applications, and social implication of forensic biology, including the science behind fingerprints, blood typing, DNA fingerprints, and other forensic areas. | ||
| 194 Biotechnology: Methods, Applications, and Implications (3) | This course addresses the methods used in Biotechnology and their use in genetic engineering of bacteria, plants, animals, and ethical considerations associated with biotechnology. | ||
| 240 Introduction to Genetics (4) | Introduction to principles of genetics, including Mendelian and molecular genetics. Topics explored include Mendelism, linkage, recombination, DNA structure and function, genomics, evolution of development and molecular evolution. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 141 | |
| 241 Introduction to Ecology and Evolution (4) | This course examines the interaction of organisms with their environment and with each other to provide a broad overview of the fields of evolution and ecology. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 240 | |
| 251 Natural History of the Southern Appalachians (4) | Interdisciplinary study of this unique environment, on-site studies, scheduled pack trips. 2 Lecture, 6 Lab. | BIOL 141 | |
| 254 Dendrology (4) | Structure, distribution, identification, and economic uses of major forest trees of the United States; emphasis on regional species. 2 Lecture, 6 Lab/field. | ||
| 291 Human Anatomy and Physiology (4, 4) | |||
| 292 The skeletal, muscular, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, integrative, and reproductive systems. | Completion of 24 semester hours. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | ||
| 304 General Ecology (3) | Ecosystem and population processes, pathways of energy and materials, interactions between organisms and populations and human role in the biosphere. 2 Lecture, 3 Lab. (Lecture-2 credits, Lab-1 credit). (Lab is required). | BIOL 141 or permission of instructor. COREQ: 304 lecture and 304 lab. | |
| 305 Genetics and Evolution (3) | Processes on inheritance and evolution from the molecular to the population level; experiments with various organisms and analysis of sample data illustrating principles of genetics. 2 Lecture, 3 Lab. (Lecture-2 credits, Lab-1 credit). (Lab is required). | BIOL 141 or permission of instructor. COREQ: 305 lecture and 305 lab). | |
| 311 Animal Physiology (3) | Principles of homeostasis, cell and tissue communication systems, contractility, respiration, excretion, and metabolism in animals. | BIOL 141 and CHEM 140. | |
| 313 Microbiology in Health and Nutrition (3) | Morphological, cultural, biochemical, and staining characteristics of microorganisms; emphasis on those that infect man and occur in water, food, and dairy products. 2 Lecture, 3 Lab. | Permission of instructor. | |
| 315 Introduction to Plant Physiology (1) | Introduction to plant metabolism, conduction, development, and defense mechanisms. 1 Lecture, 1 Lab. | BIOL 141 and CHEM 140. | |
| 333 Cell and Molecular Biology (4) | Viral, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic cell structure; DNA structure and replication; RNA and protein synthesis; control of gene expression. Structure and function of specific cell types. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. (Lecture-3 credits, Lab-1 credit). (Lab is required). | BIOL 241. COREQ: 333 lecture and 333 lab. | |
| CHEM 361 Principles of Biochemistry (3) | |||
| 373 Invertebrate Zoology (4) | Morphology, physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution of invertebrates. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 141 | |
| 374 Vertebrate Zoology (4) | Morphology, physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution of vertebrates. 2 Lecture, 6 Lab. | BIOL 141 or permission of instructor. | |
| 389 Cooperative Education in Biology (1 or 3, R15) | See Cooperative Education Program | ||
| 412 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. | BIOL 240 and 333, or COREQ: BIOL 333. | |
| 413 Principles of General Microbiology (3) | Survey of microorganisms emphasizing morphology, physiology, immunology, and ecology; microorganisms and disease; environmental and applied microbiology. Not open to students with credit in 313. | ||
| 414 Methods of General Microbiology (2) | Microscopy; morphological, cultural, physiological, and serological characteristics of microorganisms; microbiology of food, milk, water, and soil. 6 Lab. | COREQ: 413. | |
| 415 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. | BIOL 141 and CHEM 140. | |
| 416 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. | BIOL 333 or equivalent. | |
| 417 Biochemistry (3) | The metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins in plant and animal systems. | BIOL 240 and CHEM 242, 272; or permission of instructor. | |
| 419 Cell Biology (4) | Structure, function, and techniques for the study of cells. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 240 | |
| 420 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. | BIOL 241 or equivalent. | |
| 421 Principles of Biotechnology (4) | Survey of the methods and applications used in biotechnology, including recombinant DNA methods, genomics, and proteomics. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 333 | |
| 422 Forensic Biology (4) | Principles of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analysis, decomposition, autopsy, forensic databases, and bioterrorrism. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 241 | |
| 423 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 | BIOL 241, MATH 140. | |
| 425 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. | BIOL 141 | |
| 432 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. 3 Lecture/ discussion, 3 Lab/field. | BIOL 241 or 304, MATH 140, or permission of instructor. | |
| 433 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. | BIOL 241 or 304. | |
| 434 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. | BIOL 241 | |
| 435 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. | BIOL 241 | |
| 436 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. | BIOL 241 or 304. | |
| 437 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. | BIOL 241 | |
| 438 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. | BIOL 141 | |
| 439 Ecological Genetics (3) | A course for ecologists interested in learning how ecological/conservation genetics maintain evolutionary processes and promote ecosystem health. 3 Lecture. | BIOL 141 | |
| 441 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. | BIOL 141 | |
| 443 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. | BIOL 241 | |
| 451 Biology of Fungi (4) | Slime molds and true fungi: life histories, morphology, host-parasite relationship, fine structure, and phylogeny. 3 lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 141 | |
| 452 Plant Anatomy (4) | Plant cells, tissue organization in phylogenetic perspective, botanical microtechniques. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 141 | |
| 453 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. | BIOL 241 | |
| 455 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. | BIOL 141 | |
| 457 Biology of Algae (4) | Life histories, morphology, reproduction, and phylogeny of the algae. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | ||
| 467 Biostatistics (3) | Statistical concepts and methods for biologists. Design of experiments for computer analysis by ANOVA, single or multiple regression, principal components. An elementary statistics course is recommended. 2 Lecture, 2 Lab. | MATH 170 | |
| 470 Biology of Arthropods (4) | Functional morphology, physiology, natural history, and systematics of the arthropods; field/lab emphasis on spiders. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 241 | |
| 471 Animal Behavior (4) | Mechanisms, development, functional significance, and evolution of behavior; individual research projects, films, and discussions in lab. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 241 or permission of instructor. | |
| 472 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. | BIOL 241 | |
| 473 Microbial Ecology (4) | Ecology of archaea and bacteria. Population and community detection, diversity, and roles in biogeochemical cycling using cultivation and molecular techniques. | BIOL 241 and 413 or 414. COREQ: 473 Lab. | |
| 475 Animal Development (4) | Development in animals: gametogenesis, fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation, organo-genesis, embryonic adaptations, differentiation, and growth. 3 Lecture, 3 Lab. | BIOL 241 | |
| 476 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. | BIOL 241 or permission of instructor. | |
| 477 Herpetology (4) | Study of the biological diversity, evolution, life history, ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. 3 Lecture/ discussion, 3 Lab/field. Weekend field trips required. | BIOL 240 or 305 and 241 or 304. | |
| 480 Research in Biology (2, R6) | Junior standing, permission of research director. | ||
| 493 Studies in Biology (1-6, R12) | Permission of department head. | ||
| 495 Introduction to Senior Thesis (1) | Designed to introduce experimental design and assist in selection of a senior thesis project. | Permission of department head. | |
| 496 Senior Seminar (1) | 140, 141, 304, 305, and 333; or permission of instructor. | ||
| 498 Senior Thesis I (2) | Directed research conducted in the first semester of the senior year. | Permission of department head. | |
| 499 Senior Thesis II (1) | Senior thesis and oral presentation following completion of directed undergraduate research. | BIOL 498. | |