Pre-Med Concentration Course Descriptions:
(These are the
descriptions of the courses required that are taught by the Department of
Biology.)
BI 225 - Nutrition:
The study of the science of foods, their components, and
the human body’s needs, including evaluation of diet and nutritional status
using a life span approach. Also included are issues such as women’s health
research, diet, heart disease, and malnutrition. (Fall 2008 and alternate years
Group III)
BI 250 - The Biology of HIV and AIDS:
The Biology of HIV and AIDS Explores
the biological aspects of AIDS and HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus).
Topics include origins of the virus and the disease, perturbation of the human
immune system, pathogenesis of the virus, methods of transmission, current and
future epidemiology. (Spring Group III)
BI 280 - Ethical Issues in Science and Technology:
America’s Moral Dilemmas
Ethics is the disciplined reflection on the moral intuitions and the moral
choices that people make. Bioethics is the analysis of these choices in science
and medicine. This course uses a case method of instruction and focuses on the
major ethical dilemmas of twenty first century medicine and the natural
sciences. (Spring 2008 and alternate years Group III )
BI 301 - Cell Biology:
This course will focus on the structure and function of
eukaryotic cells. The course begins with a very brief review of cell composition
and metabolism, and continues to the fundamentals of molecular biology. Further
topics include the organization of the genome, DNA replication, RNA
transcription, translation, and protein processing, cell signaling and
communication, the cell cycle, cell death and renewal, cellular
transformation/cancer induction. The text will be supplemented with readings
from the lay and research literature. (Fall 2008 and alternate years)
Prerequisite: BI 102, CH 110 or permission Group III
BI 310 - Classical and Current Techniques in
Modern Biology:
This upper-level interdisciplinary course utilizes a combined
lecture/laboratory format and is designed to emphasize the application and
theory of a variety of techniques used in biochemistry, genetics, cell biology,
and molecular biology laboratories. These methods will be presented in a fashion
representative of how research is conducted in the modern laboratory. (Spring
2009 and alternate years)
Prerequisites: CH 301, BI 301 or permission Group III
BI 330 - Microbiology and Human Infectious Disease:
(5 credits)
Lectures and
laboratory provide basic knowledge of the handling and understanding of
microorganisms, including their characteristics, activities, distribution, and
effects on the human body. Includes study of specific pathogenic organisms and
diseases, as well as the body’s natural defense mechanisms and methods of
disease prevention and treatment.
Fall Prerequisite: BI 101 or permission Group
III
BI - 345 Psychopharmacology:
Drugs and Behavior Students are introduced to the
biological effects of drugs on humans. All major drug classes are studied, with
emphasis on those affecting the central nervous system and behavior. Students
examine the actions, uses, limitations, and side effects of drugs. Prescription
and over-the-counter, as well as illegal drugs, are included. Spring 2008 and
alternate years.
Prerequisite: BI 101 or PY 101 or permission Group III
BI 360 - Introduction to Epidemiology:
This course introduces the basic
principles and methods of epidemiology and the basic skills needed to interpret
the epidemiological literature of medicine and public health. The course
includes both lecture and seminar instructions; in the seminars, class
discussion of cases illustrate the principles covered in the lectures. (Fall 2008
and alternate years)
Prerequisites: BI289 Group III
BI 380 - Pathophysiology:
The Biologic Basis of Disease This upper-level course
uses a case method of instruction and focuses on the disease process and on the
structural and functional change inherent in the pathology of specific human
diseases.
Spring Prerequisite: BI 205 and BI 206 Group III