BIO 111: FOUNDATIONS OF BIOLOGY Spring 2012

COURSE OVERVIEW

Biology is the scientific study of living systems. In BIO111: Foundations of Biology, you will be introduced to the unifying concepts of biology: evolution and diversity. This course is truly a foundation meant for biology majors, students majoring in other sciences, or students planning to pursue a profession in health or science. Although this course is often one of the biology courses taken by students interested in health careers, you should appreciate that this course is not specifically designed as preparatory for the 'pre-med' track. Rather, this is an introduction to the foundational concepts that anchor all of biology, and we assume that you will be taking additional courses in the subject. In the biology core sequence, majors will take entire courses on genetics, cell biology, physiology, and ecology. Here, our goal is for you to learn and understand the fundamental concepts of evolution and diversity so that you can better appreciate the wonder of living systems and the facts and theories you will learn in other classes.

There are three sections of BIO 111 this term. The faculty teaching each section, their contact information, and the class meeting times are shown below. You are REQUIRED to attend your particular class and lab section. Although there will be some consistency across the sections in content, it is important that you understand and meet the particular expectations of your professor. Each professor will be creating their own quizzes and exams. The text for BIO 111 (all sections) is the 4th edition of Strickberger's Evolution by Hall and Hallgrimsson. Check to see if this is a recommended or required text for your section. There is also a lab manual for the course. These should be purchased as soon as possible at the bookstore. See the links below to direct you to the appropriate syllabi and course policies.