| Course | BSC 2010 |
| Title | Principles of Biology 1 |
| Reference | 704020 |
| Credits | 3 |
| Description |
The principles of modern biology, including the cell doctrine; the basic physical phenomena of life; an elementary consideration of bioenergetics and biosynthesis; reproduction; the gene concept; the mechanism and evidence for organic evolution; phylogeny; community and population ecology.
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| Prerequisites |
CHM1045 - General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis
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| Requirements |
All virtual college courses require high-speed access. Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint are standard requirements. Check the 'Technology Requirements' section of your course syllabus once the course begins. Mac users must use Firefox as the default browser for all VC courses.
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| Fees |
| Florida Resident | Distance Learning Fee | VC Course Total | | $336.66 | $45.00 | $381.66 | | | | Non Florida Resident | Distance Learning Fee | VC Course Total | | $1,189.53 | $45.00 | $1,234.53 |
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| Course Competencies |
The following is a list of the course competencies for BSC 2010 (Principles of Biology I). They deal with the scientific process and the nature of biology, the chemistry of life, cell structure and function, metabolism, genetics, and the structure and function of DNA. These form the six units of study in the course. Objectives for each of these units are listed below.
Competency 1:
The Scientific Process and the Nature of Biology
The student will be able to:
· Explain the components of the scientific process and recognize that testable hypotheses form the basis for all scientific inquiry
· Demonstrate an understanding of the hierarchical nature of life, from atoms to ecosystems and of the idea that each level of life has emergent properties
· Recognize the cell as the basic unit of all life and that DNA is the molecule responsible for the continuity of life
· Comprehend that structure and function are correlated at all levels of biological organization
· Understand that all living things interact both with the living and the non-living components of their environment
· Recognize that dynamic balance is maintained in living systems through regulatory mechanisms
Competency 2:
The Chemistry of Life
The student will be able to:
· Identifies the components of matter (such as atoms, elements, compounds and molecules), recognize that atoms are the fundamental unit of matter, and understand basic atomic structure
· Compare and contrast the basic types of bonds that occur within and between molecules and describe how bonds are made and broken in chemical reactions
· Describe the polar nature of water and understand how water's properties playa role in the evolution and continuity of life on Earth
· Explain the nature of organic compounds, including the basic functional groups and the relationship between monomers and polymers
· Analyze the component structure of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids and understand how these molecules function in living systems
Competency 3:
Cell Structure and Function
The student will be able to:
· Differentiate between the two basic cell types, describe their differences and similarities and understand their evolutionary relationship
· Understand the importance of subcellular compartmentalization and multicellularity in the evolution of life on Earth
· Identify the subcellular organelles and describe their structure and functions
· Demonstrate .In understanding of the fluid mosaic nature of membrane structure and the basic processes responsible for transport across membranes
· Explain the function of cell division and identify and describe the major steps in the cell cycle including the processes of mitosis and cytokinesis
· Demonstrate an understanding of how cell cycles are regulated at the molecular level
Competency 4:
Energy Management: The Nature of Metabolism
The student will be able to:
· Describes the nature of metabolism, the types of energy available to living systems, and the basic laws that govern the transformations of energy
· Analyze the relationship between entropy and free energy and explain how life affects both
· Describe the structure of A TP and how it functions in cells to link exegetic and undergone pathways
· Explain the structure and function of enzymes as well as how they are regulated
· Demonstrate comprehension of the nature of cellular respiration and how it relocates electrons to yield ATP
· Analyze the steps of cellular respiration and describe its component processes including glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, the electron transport chain, and chemiosmosis
· Compare and contrast the component chemical processes and efficiencies of cellular respiration and fermentation
· Understand the function of photosynthesis, its evolutionary significance and its importance to the continuation of life on our planet
· Describe the structure and function of the cellular components required for the process of photosynthesis
· Analyze the steps of photosynthesis, including the light dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle in order to understand how organic molecules are assembled from inorganic ones
Competency 5:
Continuity of Life: Part I -Genetics
The student will be able to:
· Comprehend the nature of heredity and how it is governed by the structure and behavior of chromosomes
· Compare and contrast sexual and asexual reproduction, describing the advantages and disadvantages of both
· Identify and describe the steps of meiosis and understand that meiosis increases genetic variation, the raw material for evolution
· Describe the work of Gregor Mendel and explain how he derived the basic principles of heredity
· Demonstrate a basic understanding of probability and how it can be used to predict the outcome of genetic crosses
· Recognize the difference between Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance and explain patterns resulting from both
· Describe the work of T. H. Morgan and how it relates to the phenomenon of gene linkage and sex linkage
· Understand the importance of genetic recombination and how it results from chromosomal crossing over
Competency 6:
Continuity of Life: Part 11- The Structure and Function of DNA
The student will be able to:
· Demonstrate an understanding of the structure of DNA and the processes by which it ensures continuity (replication) and governs the daily activities of all cells (transcription and translation)
· Explain the semi-conservative method of DNA replication and how nitrogen base pairing and the participation of various enzymes ensure the accuracy of this process
· Describe the steps in the process of transcription (how DNA makes transfer RNA), as well as the structure and function of the molecules involved
· Comprehend the nature of the genetic code and understand how it governs the process of translation (the making of proteins from transfer RNA)
· Describe the steps in the process of translation, as well as the structure and function of the molecules involved
· Understand the nature and consequences of point and chromosomal mutations
· Describe the genome of viruses and bacteria and relate these differences to the ways in which these organisms function
· Compare and contrast gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and analyze the evolutionary significance of these differences and similarities
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