Many courses offered by the Department of Biology include laboratory and/or field work as an integral part of the course. These are listed separately below, immediately following the corresponding lecture course descriptions; both must be taken concurrently, in a corresponding section and from the same instructor.

Note: In most cases students in either the Master of Science or the Master of Arts degree program may apply only one BL 578 or BL 579 to the degree requirements.

405.  SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION 3 cr.  Prerequisite:  BL159/160 and instructor permission; experience in art not required.  Single three-hour lecture per week.  Developing skills of observation in biological sciences and learning how to produce publication-quality illustrations of measured accuracy and conceptualized drawings and diagrammatic images for dissemination of research results.  By the end of the course, students will have developed 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 undergraduate majors.

410. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY 3 cr.  Prerequisite: Genetics. 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 159/160, as well as BL 370 or BL 250/L and instructor permission.  Two 75-minute lectures per week.  The scientific discipline that deals with the identification, naming, description, classification, and organization of extant and extinct biological diversity; this course includes a discussion of philosophy and practice of methods of reconstructing evolutionary history.

420. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 3 cr.  Prerequisite:  BL 155-160.  BL 213 strongly recommended.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Detailed study of photosynthesis, water relations, mineral nutrition, and hormones in plants with emphasis on current research techniques.

425. ICHTHYOLOGY 4 cr.  Prerequisite: BL 155-160; corequisite: BL 425L.  Two 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. Two weekend field trips.

435. PLANT ECOLOGY 3 cr.  Prerequisite:  BL 155-160.  BL 222 strongly 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.

442. ORNITHOLOGY  4 cr.  Prerequisites: BL 155‑160; corequisite: BL 442L.  Three hours of lecture per week. Biology, taxonomy, ecology, and behavior of birds.

442L. ORNITHOLOGY LABORATORY  0 cr.  Corequisite: BL 442. Three hours of laboratory per week, plus field trips.

444. ADVANCED ECOLOGY  4 cr.  Prerequisites:  BL 222, MT 228; corequisite: BL 444L; and BL 223 is recommended.  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. PHYCOLOGY  4 cr.  Prerequisites: BL 159, 160; corequisite: BL 447L. Two hours of lecture per week. Systematics, taxonomy, and ecology of freshwater and marine algae with strong research‑learning component.

447L. PHYCOLOGY LABORATORY  0 cr.  Prerequisites: BL 159, 160; corequisite: BL 447. Four hours of laboratory per week. Two weekend field trips.  Laboratories based on field collections.  Projects included.

470. MOLECULAR METHODS LABORATORY 3 cr.  Prerequisite/corequisite: BL 465 or 565. Eight hours of laboratory per week. Methods used in analysis of proteins and nucleic acids. Students in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology concentration have priority admission.

478. BIOLOGY SEMINAR 1 cr.  Current topics presented by invited guests, faculty, and students.

479. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY  1‑4 cr.  Prerequisites: BL 155‑160 and consent of instructor. Offered on an irregular basis; topics chosen by instructor.  A lecture/discussion course; for student research see BL 579.

521. HERPETOLOGY 4 cr.  Corequisite: BL 521L. Two hours of lecture per week. Intensive study of amphibians and reptiles, with special emphasis on classification, ecology, and evolution of North American species.

521L. HERPETOLOGY LABORATORY  0 cr.  Corequisite: BL 521. Four hours of laboratory per week.  Three Saturday field trips and one weekend field trip.

522. LIMNOLOGY  4 cr.  Corequisite: BL 522L. Two hours of lecture per week. Advanced study of aquatic organisms and their environment. Emphasis on the biology of fresh and estuarine water habitats, including physical and chemical parameters affecting them.

522L. LIMNOLOGY LABORATORY  0 cr.  Corequisite: BL 522. Four hours of laboratory per week plus field work.

540. BEHAVIOR  3 cr.  Three hours of lecture‑discussion per week. An evolutionary approach to animal behavior with emphasis on recent research. Outside readings and papers.

559.  SPECIAL TOPICS IN CELL BIOLOGY 1-3 cr.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Advanced course in cell biology with topic chosen by instructor.

560. BIOMETRY  4 cr.  Four hours of lecture per week. Standard statistical tests, T tests, Chi squares, ANOVA, regression, correlation, similarity, diversity, clustering, principal components analysis, and various ordinational techniques. Most analytical methods required for analysis of data collected as part of research.  Last third of course has strong ecological emphasis.

565. MOLECULAR GENETICS  3 cr.  Prerequisites: Genetics, Biochemistry. Three hours of lecture per week. Structure and expression of genetic information in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Emphasis on experimental evidence leading to presently accepted models; critical reading of the primary literature in selected areas is required.

571. IMMUNOLOGY  3 cr.  Prerequisite: Genetics.  Concepts of humoral and cell-mediated  immunity with strong emphasis on the cellular basis of the immune response.  Experimental evidence emphasized.

575. ENDOCRINOLOGY  3 cr.  Three hours of lecture per week. The endocrine glands, hormones, and their mechanisms of action in mammals.

578. DIRECTED READINGS IN BIOLOGY 1-3 cr.  Directed readings in a specific area of biology.  Permission of instructor required.

579. GUIDED LABORATORY/FIELD RESEARCH  3 cr.  Guided research and study of various areas of biology.  Permission of instructor required.

580. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY  1-4 cr.  Offered on an irregular basis; topics chosen by instructor.  No more than four hours of BL 580 may be counted toward the 30-hour degree requirement.  A lecture/lab course; for student research see BL 579.

599. MASTER’S THESIS  6 cr. upon approval.  Permission of department chair required.