Foundations of Biology 4 s.h.
Foundations of Biology will examine the unifying concepts that apply to living things. The course is organized into three main conceptual units: Molecules & Cells, Genetics, and Evolution. An integrated combination of readings, lectures and activities will facilitate your learning about contemporary biological knowledge and its scientific underpinnings.
Goals of the Course:
Foundations of Biology will advance your understanding of the following general properties of living things and of the scientific process that led to their discovery:
• Life is based on molecular interactions and obeys the universal laws of chemistry and physics.
• Organisms have common cellular make-up and metabolic processes, including exchange of molecules with the extracellular environment, energy extraction, cell division, and cell-cell signaling mechanisms.
• Organisms have a common form of genetic information that is used to specify all the proteins of each organism as well as their correct expression in time and space.
• Organisms have a mechanism of transmission of genetic information that allows for both stability and change in the encoded information.
• All known living organisms are evolved from a single common ancestor, and the features of each have been shaped by natural selection.
• Changes in the planet’s biota are reflected in the relationships among extant organisms, and this history is defined by chance and opportunity.