Ohio State is in the process of revising websites and program materials to accurately reflect compliance with the law. While this work occurs, language referencing protected class status or other activities prohibited by Ohio Senate Bill 1 may still appear in some places. However, all programs and activities are being administered in compliance with federal and state law.

Biology 1114 Course Goals and Objectives

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.

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.