Biol 94X - Organismal Biology

Course Syllabus:  You can find the PDF of the syllabus here. 

Meet Your Instructor: Dr. Michelle Priest Profile   

Course Description: 

A comprehensive survey of life's diversity, examining the kingdoms of organisms within the context of biological nomenclature and evolutionary history. The first biology course for students transferring to UCI. Field trips may be required.

Textbook Information:  

Link to our OER Textbook - Open Stax

Additional Course Information: 

Participation in this course is mandatory—attendance is not enough. We are a community of learners. So, be in the community! How can you accomplish this? Participate online regularly (generally at minimum every otherday), arrive on time (to lab) and be prepared for the days topic, bring all materials to class each day, complete all assignments on time, take all exams and quizzes after appropriate study commitment.  

Course Learning Objectives: 

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify and explain the inherent, unifying properties of living things.
2. Utilize principles of systematics to identify and classify biological organisms.
3. Relate the dynamics of population genetics to the modes of natural selection.
Analyze and evaluate the presently accepted taxonomic relationships among and within
major biological taxa using information about their anatomy, morphology, physiology,
reproductive modes, developmental patterns and evolutionary history.
4.Evalute presently accepted theories of classification and evolutionary relationships
through analysis of the structure, function, developmental patterns and reproductive
modes of represetantives from the biological kingdoms.
5. Describe the relationship between meiosis, natural selection, and speciation.
Characterize the nature of selective pressure at the population, community, and
ecosystem level.
6. Apply the principles of systematics in constructing a phylogenetic tree.

Student Learning Objectives:  

1. Students should be able to describe and compare the structural development of selected
   vertebrate and invertebrate taxa
2. Be able to explain the disadvantages of increased size in terms of surface area to volume
   ratio, and general evolutionary adaptations observed to counteract these disadvantages.
   Students should be able to describe and compare the evolutionary history and
   relationships of protozoan and animal taxa.
3. Students should be able to describe and define evolution, in writing, in terms of allele
   frequencies, and describe the Hardy-Weinberg requirements for allele frequency
   equilibrium.
4. Students should be able to recognize, describe and compare the microstructure and
   macrostructure of protozoans and animals.