SYLLABUS OF LECTURE & MAJOR LABORATORY TOPICS
I. Molecules & Cells
A. Biological chemistry
1. Review of atoms, molecules, bonding, pH, water
2. Carbon, functional groups
3. Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
4. Chemical reactions, free-energy changes, equilibrium
5. Enzymes, coenzymes, cofactors, rates of activity, regulation
B. Cells
1. prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
2. plant and animal cells
3. structure and function of cell membranes
4. str. and func. of organelles, subcellular comp. of mobility,
cytoskeleton
5. cell cycle, mitosis, cytokinesis
C. Energy transformations
1. ATP, energy transfer, coupled reactions, chemiosmosis
2. C3 and C4 photosynthesis
3. Glycolysis, fermentation, aerobic respiration
II. Genetics and Evolution
A. Molecular genetics
1. DNA, structure and replication
2. Eukaryotic chromosomal structure, nucleosome, transposable elements
3. RNA: transcription, mRNA editing, translation
4. Regulation of gene expression
5. Mutations
6. Recombinant DNA, DNA cloning, hybridization, DNA sequencing
7. DNA and RNA viruses
B. Heredity
1. Meiosis
2. Mendel's Laws, probability
3. Inheritance patterns: chromosomes, genes, alleles, interactions
C. Evolution
1. Origin of life
2. Evidence for evolution
3. Natural selection
4. Hardy-Weinberg principle, factors influencing allelic frequencies
5. Speciation, isolating mech., allopatry, sympatry, adaptive radiation
6. Patterns of evolution, gradualism, punctuated equilibrium
III. Organisms and Populations
A. Principles of taxonomy and systematics, five-kingdom system
B. Survey of Monera, Protista, and Fungi
C. Plants
1. Diversity, classification, phylogeny, adap. to land, alt. of
generations
2. Structure and physiology of vascular plants
3. Seed formation, germination, growth in seed plants
4. Hormonal regulation of plant growth
5. Plant response to stimuli: tropisms, photo-periodicity
D. Animals
1. Diversity, classification, phylogeny, survey of acoelomate,
pseudocoelomate,
protostome, and deuterostome phyla
2. Structure and function of vertebrate tissues, organs, and systems,
homeostasis,
and immune response
3. Gametogenesis, fertilization, embryogeny, development
4. Behavior
E. Ecology
1. Population dynamics, biotic potential, limiting factors
2. Ecosystem and community dynamics, energy flow, productivity, species
interactions, succession, biomes
3. Biogeochemical cycles