Fundamentals of Biology I is an introduction to the principles of biology. It lays the foundation for all the biology courses that follow it. This first semester of a two semester sequence will cover three major topics - 1) the chemical composition, structure and function of the cell, 2) genetics and evolution, and 3) the diversity of living organisms.

TEXT:  Three ring binder edition of BIOLOGY by Campbell and Reese et al, 8th edition printed especially for Ramapo College ISBN # 0558247350
                     Available at the Campus Bookstore and much less expensive than the hard bound edition

        WEBSITE: Purchase of the textbook allows you access to the publisher's website. See the page prior to the title page in your
                              textbook for your Activation ID and Password. Click here for directions to set up your account .  The course
                              password is RamapoBIOL110.  All the recommended activities are in Study Area.  Choose the chapter you
                              want and  then click on the link to the recommended activity.  See links under the Chapters heading
                              below for a brief  review of the activities for that chapter.  A red star means there is a highly recommended
                              activity.  The website also has a self quiz, activities quiz and practice exam at the bottom of the
                             activity page for each chapter in addition to those under the Sample Quiz heading below.

       MOODLE:  This course has a Moodle site.  Go to the Ramapo Home page and click on the Moodle link beneath the
                               My Ramapo/Luminis button.  Click on the Lecture Handouts icon for the handouts for each lecture. 
                               Prior to each lecture print out that day's lecture handouts and bring them to class with you.  Your
                               lecture grades will be posted on Moodle as well.

  Class Policies: Cell phones must be turned off in class and kept in a pocket, backpack or purse.
                                Earphones are to be removed from ears and put away until after class.
                                Laptop computers may be used to take notes in class, but you must send me a copy
                                of  your class notes by email immediately after each class if you use one.     

DATE	CHAPTERS	SAMPLE QUIZ	WEB LINKS
September 2	Chapter 1 - Introduction1  (p.1-5 and 18-23 up to Theories in Science ) Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on the scientific method and the criteria of life	Please fill out the class survey, print it and hand it in  at first class.                                                        Class Survey Movement in plants
September 9	Chapter 2 - The Chemical Context of Life Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on  basic chemistry	Vocabulary List
September 14	Chapter 3 -  Water and the Fitness of the Environment Chapter 4 - Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life (Omit material on buffers and acid precipitation (p.54-56) Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on water and basic carbon chemistry	Hydrogen bond formation animation Sweating cicada pH is important for creatures both great and small
September  16	Chapter  5 - The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules Textbook website activity review On reserve at the circulation desk of  the library is a good review video: Basic Chemistry for Biology Students  Call Number -  Other PETRO P-0	Sample quiz  on biological macromolecules	Macromolecule problems Omit 11 and 12 Triglyceride formation animation Interesting article on toad toxins (steroids) and snakes
September  21	Chapter 8 - Introduction to Metabolism Omit formulas on p.146 Pages 149-151 will be covered with chapter 9. Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on metabolism
September  23	Chapter 6 - A Tour of the Cell Material on  p.118-122 will be covered in the next lecture Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on cellular organelles	Matching game to quiz yourself on organelles Flash card quiz Animal  and plant cell web site - click on appropriate cell type under Interactive in left column of site  Amoeboid movement Paramecium cilia beating Cytoplasmic streaming Click on the link under the 4th photograph down on the page
September  28	Chapter 7 - Membrane Structure and Function Textbook website activity review This chapter will be on Exam 2	Sample quiz on membranes and methods of transport across them	Construct a cell membrane activity
September  30	Examination 1 Chapters 1 - 6, 8 (excluding pages 149-151) Study Hint: You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. - Albert Einstein	Sample examination Study Hints for Exams	Review sheet for first examination I studied hard and knew all the material so why did I do poorly on the exam?
October 5	Chapter 8  -  An Introduction to Metabolism Pages 149-151 Chapter 9  - Cellular Respiration (Omit p.177-179 the material on fermentation will be covered in lab.) You do not need to know the individual steps of glycolysis on  p.168-169. Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on cellular respiration	Videos on reserve in library on Krebs Cycle and Oxidative Phosphorylation Call number is: QH 633 C39 1992
October 7	Chapter 12  - The Cell Cycle Omit p.238-243 Textbook website activity review   Chapter 13 - Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on mitosis and meiosis	Vocabulary List Animation of the cell cycle A site for mitosis Mitosis/Meiosis activity Meiosis activity Regeneration in the sea squirt
October 12	Chapter 14 -  Mendel and the Gene Idea Omit p. 269-270.and pl 280-281 CD/textbook website activity review Video on Mendelian genetics explaining simple dominance using monohybrid and dihybrid crosses is on reserve in the library at the circulation desk - call # QH31 M45 G81	Sample quiz for 1st lecture on heredity	Good matching quiz Monohybrid cross Dihybrid cross Incomplete dominance Monohybrid cross problems Genetics Vocabulary List
October 14	Chapter 15  - The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance Omit p.292-302 CD/textbook website activity review	Sample quiz for 2nd lecture on heredity	Genetics Problems Answers to Genetics Problems Excellent genetics problems tutorial (omit trihybrid cross) Additional genetics problems Omit crossing over problems Sex-linked problems Sex determination by egg size in some lizards Effect of global warming on sea turtle sex ratios
October 19	Chapter 22 - Descent with Modification  Chapter 23 - Evolution of Populations   Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on evolution and the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium	Whale evolution article Hardy-Weinberg conditions animation Excellent Hardy-Weinberg Tutorial Vocabulary List
October 21                Firefly flash patterns         (Example of         behavioral isolation)	Chapter 24 - The Origin of Species Omit p.498-501   Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on  speciation	Behavioral isolation of the plains leopard frog and the Chiricahua leopard frog by  song Male fiddler crab dances (Example of behavioral isolation)
October 26	Examination 2 Chapters 7, 8 (pages 149-151), 9, 12-15, 22-23 Membrane Structure and Function Introduction to Metabolism, Cellular Respiration, Mitosis/Meiosis, Genetics, and Evolution and material from previous exam. Note: Chapter 24 will not be covered on this examN	Sample examination 2 - new material	Review sheet of new material for examination 2
October 28	Last day to withdraw
October 28	Chapter 26 - Phylogeny  and the Tree of Life Omit Concepts 26.4 and 26.5 Textbook website activity review Chapter 27 - Bacteria and Archaea Omit p.561-563 and p. 570-573 Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on phylogeny Sample quiz on prokaryota	Species naming as a fundraiser Burp vaccine for cattle Archaea -web site Cyanobacteria web site
November 2	Chapter 25 - The History of Life on Earth Read The First Eukaryotes section on pages 516-517 Chapter 28 - Protists Omit Diplomonads and Parabasalids p. 580 also omit Concepts 28.4 The Rhizarians and Concept 28.6 The Unikonts Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on Protista	Malaria - Play the Parasite game (Play the Mosquito game doesn't work properly) Dinoflagellate eyes Protist Powerpoint presentation from lecture  - Password needed
November 4	Chapter 29 - Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land Omit column 2 of p.612 beginning with Evolution of Leaves Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on seedless plants
November 9	Chapter 30 - Plant Diversity II: The  Evolution of Seed Plants Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on seed plants	Pollination Powerpoint presentation from lecture - Password needed Parts of a Flower Quiz Guess the pollinator activity
November 11	Chapter 31 - Fungi Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on fungi	Video clips of nematode-trapping fungi Web site on termite-fungus mutualism Fast fungi Largest organism White nose in bats Fungal parasite of ants Simple review exercise of fungus kingdom (omits Glomeromycota)
November 16	Chapter 32 - An Introduction to Animal Diversity Omit Concept 32.2 Textbook website activity review Chapter 33  - Invertebrates:   As far as we get in class Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on acoelomate animals	Wedding shrimp Glass sponge fiber optic spicules Urban tapeworms
November 18	Examination III Chapters  Chapters  24-33 omitting any pages as per above Origin of species through as far as we get in lecture on the animal kingdom and material from previous exams	Sample examination 3 - new material	Review sheet of new material for Examination 3
November 23	Chapter 33 - Invertebrates: Pages 670-680   Omit Rotifers, Lophophorates  on p. 676-677 Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on protostomes	Zombie snails Example of host behavior manipulation by a parasitic worm Video of  behavior discussed above - Click on supplementary video 1 Solar-powered sea slug Octopus intelligence video
November 25-November 29	Thanksgiving Break
November 30	Chapter 33 - Invertebrates: Pages 680-692 (Omit Nematodes on p. 683-656 and Insect Diversity on p. 690-691) Textbook website activity review		Medicinal Leech video Glowing polychaetes
Week of December 1 - time to be announced	Makeup Examination Material covered by the first three exams	Use review sheets from first three exams
December 2	Chapter 33  - Invertebrates: Pages 693-694 Textbook website activity review Chapter 34 - Vertebrates Pages 698-700 Rest of 34 covered by Museum Trip Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on deuterostome	Sea cucumber expels insides video
December 7	Chapter 16 - The Molecular Basis of Inheritance Entire chapter Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on DNA	Computer game on replication of DNA molecule Initial discovery of DNA
December 9	Chapter 17 - From Gene to Protein Entire chapter Textbook website activity review	Sample quiz on protein synthesis Sample  multiple choice quiz on eukaryotic  gene regulation	Nice animation of transcription Transcription/translation activity
December 14	Chapter 18 - Regulation of Gene Expression     Omit pages 366 column 2 - 377 Textbook website activity review		DNA methylation stores memories
December 15	Reading Day
Monday, December 21 5:00-7:00	FINAL EXAM Cumulative	.	Review.sheet for chapters 32-34 and 16-19 For the rest of the material use review sheets for examinations 1-3.

GRADES
Your lecture grade will be based on the following:  Weekly quizzes - 20% and the three examinations and the final exam - 80%.
Your quiz and test grades for lecture may be accessed on your Moodle  account for this class.
Your lecture grade accounts for 50% of your final course grade. Your laboratory grade accounts for the other 50%.
You must get a passing grade in both the lecture and the lab portions of the course in order to receive a passing grade for the course no matter what the combined average is.  For example if you get a 40 in lab and an 80 in lecture you will fail the course even though your overall average  is 60.  This is a policy of the Biology Convening Group and applies to all required biology courses with a lab.
 

A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	F
94-100	90-93	87-89	83-86	80-82	75-79	70-74	66-69	61-65	55-60	<55

QUIZZES - There will be a ten minute quiz at the beginning of each Wednesday lecture. The quizzes will cover the material given in the two previous lectures and the reading materials assigned. They are designed to: 1) reassure you that you understand the material 2) see that you are rewarded for keeping up-to-date and 3) uncover any problem areas. There will be no make-ups on quizzes, but the two lowest quiz scores will be dropped.

EXAMS - There will be four cumulative examinations including the final exam. These four exams are equally weighted. There are samples of  past examinations on my web site. There will be a cumulative, primarily fill-in-the-blank make-up exam for anyone who has had to miss any lecture examination for whatever reason (illness, funeral, job interview, etc.) the week of  December 1^st. The make-up exam may also be taken by anyone who has not missed an exam, but who has earned a poor grade on a previous exam and wishes to exchange the make-up exam grade (if it is higher).  No special time accommodations will be made for students taking the exam for the purpose of getting a higher grade.  The make-up will cover all material through the first three exams. Remember that fill-in-the-blank exams are difficult for some students (either you know the answer or you don’t) so try not to miss the regularly scheduled exams..

Studying for this course
You should spend a minimum of two hours out of class for one hour in class. That means six hours minimum a week outside of class studying for the lecture.

  DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS - If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible in the semester to discuss your needs.

Suppose things in this course are not going as well as you would like:

• Come see me as soon as a problem emerges. I would be happy to help clarify any material you do not understand or to review your notes if you think that is the problem.
• Send me e-mail: spetro@ramapo.edu.  I read and answer my email during regular business hours - Monday -Friday 8:30-4:30
  
• Visit me in my office G322. My office hours are Monday from 2:30-3:30,  Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 and Friday 2:30-3:30 and other times by appointment. Please call or email me if you are unable to keep your appointment.
• Call me at my office. Extension 7038. Leave a message on voice mail if I’m out.

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