Successful students in all versions of Biology 1114xx will be able to:
Evolution
- Describe the evidence for micro and macroevolution.
- Describe the way that DNA sequence variation arises and enters the population.
- Trace the link between genotypic variation and phenotypic variation.
- Identify evolutionary mechanisms and how they can lead to changes in allele and genotype frequency, adaptation, population divergence, and patterns of biological diversity.
- Explain how phenotypic traits and molecular sequence data infer phylogenetic relationships.
- Build and interpret phylogenetic trees to compare hypotheses about evolutionary relationships.
- Interpret how major abiotic and biotic events, including endosymbiosis have contributed to historical and contemporary patterns of biodiversity.
- Recognize and correct scientific inaccuracies in statements misrepresenting evolutionary mechanisms and processes using appropriate scientific language (e.g., intentionality, teleology, and personification).
- Use evolutionary concepts to explain the development/expression of various types of animal behavior including social behavior
Diversity of life
- Characterize the biological domains and kingdoms and describe current scientific hypotheses about their evolutionary relationships.
- Describe the key features of and evolutionary relationships among major lineages
- Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya including Protists, Fungi, Plants, and Animals.
- Plant lineages including land plants, vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.
- Animal lineages including deuterostomes, and protostomes (including Ecdysozoa and Lophotrochozoa), and the major animal phyla.
- Compare and contrast the evolutionary changes associated with the transition to life on land.
- Organismal form and function
- Relate the form of vascular plants to their functions at multiple levels of organization
- Describe bulk transport of water and sugar in vascular plants.
- Describe and compare typical reproductive structures and processes observed in the major plant lineages
- Describe primary and secondary growth in seed plants
- Explain the structure of nutrient procurement and processing systems in plants and animals.
- Describe the structure and function of the nervous system, the musculo-skeletal system, the respiratory system, endocrine system, and the mechanisms of internal transport and regulation across taxa.
- Explain how regulatory mechanisms at the level of the whole organism ensure balance in living systems that interact continuously with their environments; compare regulatory mechanisms within and across species.
- Relate the form of vascular plants to their functions at multiple levels of organization
Population, community, and ecosystem ecology
- Calculate population size estimates and population growth using basic mathematical models.
- Interpret tabular and graphical data pertaining to population growth and community interactions
- Describe biogeochemical cycles.
- Explain energy flow through ecosystems.
- Assess the effects of anthropogenic alterations of biogeochemical cycles on ecosystem and global functioning, e.g., climate change.
- Describe the interrelationship between biodiversity and species interactions.
- Predict changes in biodiversity and community structure given perturbations to key species interactions.
- Provide examples of how ecological principles are used in conservation biology.
Nature of biological science and society
- Understand how scientific knowledge is generated, its limitations, and the fundamentals of scientific publication.
- Analyze the interdependence of scientific and technological developments.
- Evaluate social and ethical implications of scientific discoveries.
- Describe historical development of theories, perspectives, and technologies in biology, including contributions made by people from underrepresented groups.
- Apply biological concepts and current biological research in the assessment of contemporary issues.
- Critically evaluate scientific literature and information presented in popular media.
Competencies
- Illustrate the scientific process through analysis of major biological discoveries and key events in the development of science.
- Document the solution to scientific problems through collection and analysis of experimental data and the preparation of scientific reports.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific process by:
- Developing a research question, a hypothesis, an experimental design, and a prediction.
- Collecting, organizing, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting quantitative and qualitative data to address a research question.
- Demonstrate the ability to make precise measurements.
- Demonstrate safe and proper use of experimental techniques and tools/instruments.
- Create graphs and tables.
- Use biological specimens to explain the relationship between structure and function
- Utilize current primary literature, online information, and information related to biological issues in mass media in written and oral reports.