Biology Course Descriptions

101. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY 3 cr. For non-science majors. Offered on an irregular basis and based on a topic chosen by the instructor. Used primarily for designation of courses transferred in from other universities.

102. SPECIAL TOPICS LECTURE IN BIOLOGY 4 cr. Corequisite: BL 102L. For non-science majors. Offered on an irregular basis and based on a topic chosen by the instructor. Used primarily for designation of courses transferred from other universities.

102L. SPECIAL TOPICS LABORATORY IN BIOLOGY. 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 102. Two hours of laboratory per week.

103. PLANT SCIENCE 4 cr. Corequisite: BL 103L. For non-science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Structure and function in unicellular and multicellular plants, general principles of plant science.

103L. PLANT SCIENCE LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 103. Two hours of laboratory per week.

109. ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY 4 cr. Corequisite: BL 109L. For non-science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Relationship between human activity and the natural environment; food production, water supplies, air and water pollution, nuclear and non-nuclear energy, hazardous and toxic materials in the environment, climate change and world population growth. Economic implications of and possible solutions to these problems.

109L. ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 109. Two hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory and field experiences intended to explore the scientific basis of environmental issues of the past, present, and future. A general understanding of the impact of human activity on the world and strategies for managing human activity for the good of the human population and the planet.

111. FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGY 4 cr. Corequisite: BL 111L. For non-science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Characteristics of natural communities, their structure, distribution, and behavior. Interrelationships of organisms, including humans, within natural ecosystems.

111L. FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 111. Two hours of laboratory per week. Emphasis on biomes and environmental adaptation, scientific method, and collection of data by observation.

112. HUMAN BIOLOGY 4 cr. Corequisite: BL 112L. For non-science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic human anatomy, physiology, and reproduction.

112L. HUMAN BIOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 112. Two hours of laboratory per week. Basic human anatomy, physiology, and reproduction using models, hands-on experimental techniques, and computer-based techniques.

115. HUMAN GENETICS AND RACE 4 cr. Corequisite: BL 115L. For non-science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic principles of genetics, both at the transmission and molecular levels. Introduction to principles of cell division, inheritance, and human pedigree analysis. DNA structure, chromosomal organization, gene structure, gene expression, genetic variation, population genetics, and race.

115L. HUMAN GENETICS AND RACE LAB 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 115. Two hours of laboratory per week. Basic principles of scientific method, basic principles of inheritance, molecular genetics and biotechnology. Field trips and other activities when appropriate to the topic.

155, 156, 159. PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY I-II-III 3 cr. each. For science majors. 155 is prerequisite to 156 and 159. Three hours of lecture per week. 155: basic chemical principles; cell structure and organization; metabolism of plants and animals. 156: plant and animal anatomy and physiology. 159: biodiversity and evolutionary relationships among living organisms.

157, 158, 160. PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY LABORATORY I-II-III 1 cr. each. Corequisites: BL 155, 156, and 159. Three hours of laboratory per week. 157: laboratory study of the scientific method as applied to biology; cell division; development; functions of cell membranes and enzymes; reactions and products of photosynthesis. 158: laboratory study of plant and animal anatomy and physiology. 160: evolutionary relationships among bacteria, algae, protists, fungi, and multicellular plants and animals.

206. TROPICAL BIOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Corequisite: BL 206L. For students participating in John Carroll’s Costa Rica Study Abroad Program. Intensive lecture/laboratory/field course in Costa Rica examining tropical biology and emphasizing ecology, evolution, conservation, and sustainable agriculture.

206L. TROPICAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 206. For students participating in John Carroll’s Costa Rica Study Abroad Program.

213. GENETICS 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-158. Four hours of lecture per week. Principles of molecular, transmission, quantitative, evolutionary, and population genetics; social and ethical implications of genetics.

215. INTRODUCTION TO BIOTECHNOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 213 or a grade of at least B in both BL 155 and BL 157, plus instructor permission; corequisite: BL 215L. May not be taken concurrently with BL/CH 470, and no credit will be given if BL/CH 470 has been completed. One hour of lecture per week. Introduction to basic techniques of DNA analysis, including restriction digests, DNA cloning, plasmid and genomic DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction, and computer analysis of DNA and protein sequences.

215L. INTRODUCTION TO BIOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 215. Four hours of laboratory per week.

222. GENERAL ECOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160 or permission of instructor. Three hours of lecture per week. Interactions between plants, animals, and the physical environment. Population ecology, community dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, and biomes.

224. TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisite or corequisite: BL 222, MT 228, BL 224L. One hour of lecture per week. Ecological data collection and analysis. Students study model organisms to examine various aspects of terrestrial ecology, including animal behavior, food web dynamics, competition, and population dynamics.

224L. TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 224. Four hours of laboratory per week.

230-231. HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I-II 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155, 156, 157, 158; corequisites: BL 230L, 231L. BL 230 is prerequisite to BL 231. Three hours of lecture per week. Integrated discussion of human anatomy and physiology. Note: Completion of only BL 230 and 230L means the single semester will not count toward the BL major or BL minor. This class is intended for students planning to enter health professions such as nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, and occupational therapy. It is not intended for students planning to go to medical school or graduate school.

230L-231L. HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY I-II 0 cr. Three hours of laboratory per week.

240. EPIDEMIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisite: BL 155-158 or grade of B or higher in BL 112-112L; grade of C or higher in MT 122, MT 228, MT 229, or EC 208. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic epidemiological principles, concepts, and methods used in the surveillance and investigation of global and domestic health-related events; discussion of historical and current examples from epidemiologic studies; emphasis on populations living in resource-limited settings.

254. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-156, 213; corequisite: BL 254L. Three hours of lecture per week. Molecular, genetic, and cellular mechanisms of development. Emphasis on invertebrates and vertebrates.

254L. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 254. Three hours of laboratory per week.

255. LOCAL SUMMER FLORA 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160 or permission of chair. Taxonomy of the local vascular plant flora of Northeast Ohio. Plants of forests, wetlands, coastal areas, roadsides, and urban landscapes. Lectures and identification will be conducted in the field, with some laboratory instruction and lectures on campus.

260. POVERTY AND DISEASE 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-158. Three hours of lecture per week. Global and US poverty; public health; epidemiology; US health disparities, e.g., diabetes, obesity, HIV/AIDS; global health disparities, e.g., HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria; evolutionary factors in chronic and infectious disease; ethical issues in public health.

301. INTRODUCTION TO CELL BIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-156, 213. Three hours of lecture per week. Structure and function of plant and animal cells and their organelles. Emphasis on modern cell biology techniques.

310. MICROBIOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisite: BL 213; corequisite: BL 310L. Two hours of lecture per week. Structure, physiology, and genetics of bacteria; ecological and medical importance emphasized. Some discussion of viruses and eukaryotic microorganisms.

310L. MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 310. Four hours of laboratory per week.

331. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160, or instructor permission for non-biology students in the Environmental Studies concentration. Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. Historical overview of climate change; global water and carbon cycles; effects of greenhouse gases, aerosols, and radiative forcing mechanisms on climate processes and feedbacks; effects of rapid climate change on selected ecosystems; human influences on climate; likely future changes.

350. VERTEBRATE ANATOMY 5 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160; corequisite: BL 350L. Three hours of lecture per week. Anatomy, development, evolution, and phylogeny of vertebrates.

350L. VERTEBRATE ANATOMY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 350. Six hours of laboratory per week.

360. HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-158; corequisite: BL 360L. Three hours of lecture per week. Muscle physiology, circulation, respiration, excretion, and digestion in mammals as well as the neuronal and hormonal mechanisms regulating these processes.

360L. HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 360. Three hours of laboratory per week.

370. EVOLUTION 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160, 213. Three hours of lecture per week. Introduction to modern evolutionary biology, including evolutionary processes and speciation, character evolution, and macroevolution.

398. DIRECTED READINGS IN BIOLOGY 1-3 cr. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Directed readings in a specific area of biology. A maximum of 3 credits of BL 398 and BL 399 combined will be accepted for any of the biology majors.

399. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN BIOLOGY 1-3 cr. Prerequisites: junior status, 3.0 GPA in a biology major, permission of instructor. Laboratory or field research in a specific area of biology under faculty supervision. A maximum of 3 credits of BL 398 and BL 399 combined will be accepted for any of the biology majors.

405. SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL159/160 and permission of instructor. Experience in art not required. Developing skills of observation in biological sciences and learning how to produce publication-quality illustrations of measured accuracy, conceptualized drawings, and diagrammatic images for dissemination of research results. Development of a concise but comprehensive portfolio showcasing various techniques and graphic styles. An additional fee is required for personal illustration materials. This course does not fulfill the 400-level biology course requirement for biology majors.

406. TROPICAL FIELD BIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites; BL 155-160 and permission of instructor. Three hours of lecture per week; spring break field trip to Central or South America required. Introduction to flora and fauna of the New World Tropics and to tropical field and laboratory work. Group research project required. Program fee required.

410. MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisite: BL 213. Bacterial and viral pathogens of humans and those aspects of the immune response important in resistance and immunity to infectious diseases.

415. INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160, BL 350 or 370, and permission of instructor. Three hours of lecture per week. Identification, naming, description, classification, and organization of extant and extinct biological diversity. Philosophy and practice of methods of reconstructing evolutionary history.

420. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160. Three hours of lecture per week. Detailed study of photosynthesis, water relations, mineral nutrition, and stress responses in plants with emphasis on current research techniques.

421. HERPETOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160; corequisite: BL 421L. Three hours of lecture per week. Intensive study of amphibians and reptiles, with special emphasis on classification, ecology, and evolution of North American species.

421L. HERPETOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 421. Three hours of laboratory per week. Some Saturday and weekend field trips required.

424. AQUATIC RESOURCES 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160; corequisite: BL 424L. Three hours of lecture per week. Study of aquatic organisms and their environment. Study of algae, insects, and fish as biological indicators of water and habitat quality in stream, lake, and wetland ecosystems. Impacts of water pollution, acidification, and other anthropogenic disturbance on aquatic systems.

424L. AQUATIC RESOURCES LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 424L. Four hours of laboratory per week. Saturday laboratory consisting of field trips and laboratory analysis of aquatic life.

425. ICHTHYOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160; corequisite: BL 425L. Three hours of lecture per week. Evolution, zoogeography, taxonomy, behavior, and ecology of North American fishes.

425L. ICHTHYOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 425. Four hours of laboratory per week. Some weekend field trips required.

426. BIOLOGY OF THE REPTILIA 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160; corequisite BL 426L. Three hours of lecture per week. Classification, evolution, and ecology of extant and fossil reptiles, excluding birds.

426L. BIOLOGY OF THE REPTILIA LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 426. Three hours of laboratory per week. Some weekend field trips required. Optional weeklong field trip at end of the semester requiring an additional program fee.

430. MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160; corequisite: BL 430L. Two hours of lecture per week. Parasitic forms of medical importance. Emphasis on their biology, clinical presentation, the ecology of the disease, and epidemiology. Includes morphology, physiology, and diagnosis.

430L. MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 430. Four hours of laboratory per week. Diagnostic aspects of parasites and the pathological changes in tissues.

435. PLANT ECOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160; BL 222 recommended. Three hours of lecture per week. Study of the distribution and abundance of plants from organismal, population, and community perspectives. Both seminal and novel research in the discipline emphasized.

435L. PLANT ECOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 435. Four hours of laboratory per week.

440. BEHAVIOR 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160. Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. Evolutionary approach to animal behavior with emphasis on recent research.

444. ADVANCED ECOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 222, MT 228; corequisite: BL 444L. Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. Topics include predator‑prey interactions, global change, niche theory, competition, null models, and community assembly rules.

444L. ADVANCED ECOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite: BL 444. Three hours of laboratory per week. Students work in teams on a project of their own choosing. Includes experimental design, data analysis, write‑up, and presentation.

447. ALGAE AS BIOINDICATORS 4 cr. Prerequisites: BL 159, 160; corequisite: BL 447L. Two hours of lecture per week. Theory and practice of using algae as bioindicators of water quality in streams and lakes. Taxonomy of indicator groups will be covered.

447L. ALGAE AS BIOINDICATORS LABORATORY 0 cr. Prerequisites: BL 159, 160; corequisite: BL 447L. Four hours of laboratory per week. Some weekend field trips required. Emphasis is on diatoms, but cyanobacteria, green algae, euglenoids, and other indicator taxa will also be examined. Research projects required.

454. DESERT BIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-160, 222. Three hours of lecture per week; optional field trip to western U.S. at end of semester (see BL 454L). Introduction to abiotic and biotic factors influencing desert ecosystems. Group literature review project required.

454L. DESERT FIELD BIOLOGY 1 cr. Co-requisite: BL 454. Weeklong field trip to deserts of the Western U.S. Instructor permission required. Program fee required.

459. MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisite: BL 213. Three hours of lecture per week. Cell signaling, regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle, cancer, and protein trafficking. Emphasis on current primary literature. Presentation of a seminar is required.

465. MOLECULAR GENETICS 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 213, CH 431 or 435. Three hours of lecture per week. Gene and genome analysis; genome organization; transposable elements; chromosome structure; replication, and expression of genetic information in bacteria and eukaryotes. Emphasis on current primary literature.

470. MOLECULAR METHODS LABORATORY 3 cr. Prerequisites: CH 431 or 435, CH 437; permission of instructor. Prerequisite/corequisite: BL 465 or 565. Eight hours of laboratory per week. Methods used in analysis of proteins and nucleic acids.

471. IMMUNOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisite: BL 213. Three hours of lecture per week. Concepts of humoral and cell-mediated immunity with emphasis on the cellular basis of the immune response. Experimental evidence emphasized.

475. ENDOCRINOLOGY 3 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-158. Three hours of lecture per week. The endocrine glands, hormones, and their mechanisms of action in mammals.

478. BIOLOGY SEMINAR 1 cr. Prerequisites: BL 155-158. One hour of lecture per week. Current topics presented by invited guests, faculty, and students.

479. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY 1‑4 cr. Prerequisites: vary depending on the topic. Offered on an irregular basis; topics chosen by instructor. A lecture/discussion course; may include laboratories or field trips. For directed readings see BL 398; for student research see BL 399.