Biology 141 - Foundations: Cellular Biology
Term 1, 2006-07

Instructors :

Lecture - Jeff Cardon
Office 315A West Science Center
Phone 4413

Lab - Ms. Laura Krouse
Office 113 West Science
Phone 4493

Meeting Times :

Lecture 9:00-11:00 AM. M-F Room 213

Lab 12:45-3:00 PM M-F Room 201

Course Goals :

We have witnessed an explosion of information related to our understanding of the properties and functions of the living cell. As a consequence, it is difficult to decide what topics to teach and what level of detail to present in college-level introductory biology courses. In preparing this course, I have focused on three central goals. My primary goal is to introduce you to the fundamental principles that guide cellular organization and function (structure and its relationship to function). Second, I think it is important for students to understand some of the critical scientific evidence that has led to the formulation of these fundamental principles. And finally, I will stress conceptual understanding of these fundamental principles rather than memorizing details of numerous processes.

Office Hours :

I’m usually in my office before and after class. I can also arrange to meet with you at specific times convenient to both. If you are having problems with the material covered in class, please see me as soon as possible.

Lecture:

Slides used in lecture have been posted on the college’s network. There are also notes related to the basic chemistry and biochemistry we will be covering. Go to the "assignments" drive (K:), the JCardon\bio141 folder. This folder contains the notes and a subfolder with the powerpoint files. Other potentially helpful resources:

Chemistry textbook	Virtual Cell Animations	Cool movies
NCBI "Coffeebreak"	DNA Molecular Animations	Protein data bank
Cells Alive!	Macromolecular Structures	Tour the ribosome

Grades :

Cortisol Research Proposal F 1/13 10 pts

Lab Enzyme Paper M 1/16 25 pts.

Exam 1 (lectures & labs) W 1/18 100 pts.

DNA Paper M 1/23 25 pts.

Exam 2 (lectures & labs) W 1/25 100 pts.

Oral Lab Reports – Cortisol M 1/30 25 pts.

Exam 3 (lectures & labs) W 2/1 100 pts.

TOTAL 385 pts.

Exams :

Exams will last approximately 2 hours and you may begin your exam early if you wish. Exams will be a combination of short answers (a paragraph of writing) and essay questions. If you understand the material and convey that understanding in a clear and concise manner, you will score well on the exams. You will be asked to synthesize and apply biological concepts to new problems. Copies of old exams can be found on Dr. Tepper's Web page (http://people.cornellcollege.edu/ctepper).

Attendance :

Students are expected to attend all lectures and labs. If you have a legitimate reason for missing class or a deadline, call me before class begins. For each unexcused absence, 10 points will be deducted from your final grade.

Review Sessions :

Informal review sessions will be scheduled the evening before each exam. These review sessions are for you to ask questions concerning the material covered in class. In order to take advantage of these sessions, come prepared with questions.

Drop Policy :

You may drop the course at any time in the first three days. In order to drop the class on the fifteenth day you must have attended all classes and completed all assignments.

CLASS SCHEDULE