Biology Courses [454-700]

[402-451] [454-700]

BIOG 454. Principles of Plant Pathology. 4 crs. Lecture-laboratory study of the nature, etiologic agents, and host-parasite interactions associated with plant disease development. Prereqs.: 050-101, 102 and advanced standing.

BIOG 455. Experimental Plant Morphogenesis. 4 crs. Study of the physical and biochemical factors regulating cell, tissue, and organ differentiation in higher plants. Prereqs.: 050-310 and consent.

BIOG 457. Morphology of Lower Plants. 4 crs. Intensive examination of the development, ecology, and phylogenetic relationships of the prokaryotes, fungi, algal groups, and bryophytes. Prereqs.: 050-101, 102, and advanced standing.

BIOG 459. Morphology of Vascular Plants. 4 crs. In-depth study of the origin, structure, ontogenetic patterns, and evolutionary relationships of vascular plants. Alternate year course. Prereq.: 050-101, 102.

BIOG 461. Exobiology and the Origin of Life. 3 crs. A comprehensive survey of the biological, geochemical astrophysical aspects of the possible occurrence of extraterrestrial life. The origin of life is examined in depth. The current observational search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence (SETTI) is discussed.

BIOG 463. History of Evolutionary and Geological Sciences. 3 crs. The course is a survey of the development of conceptions of life and the earth since ancient time, with emphasis on the genesis of scientific theories and their societal and philosophic context.

BIOG 464. Biomonitoring. 4 crs. This lecture/laboratory course examines the theory and techniques used in the assessment of populations of various biota and the pollutant levels in organisms with emphasis on application to environmental and ecological risk assessment.

BIOG 500/501. Graduate Seminar. 1 cr. Students are required to attend seminars of invited speakers on topics of significant and current biological interest. Students will also review and discuss literature relevant to the seminars.

BIOG 510. Experimental Techniques in Biology. 3 crs. Introduction to the literature, techniques, instrumentation, and preparation of reports for biological research.

BIOG 515. Experimental Analysis of Development. 4 crs. Directed independent research projects introducing current techniques in developmental biology.

BIOG 520. Topics in Molecular Genetics. 2 crs. Analysis of current topics in genetic engineering, gene isolations, gene structure and regulation, and mutagenic tests.

BIOG 530. Graduate Topics in Biology. 2 crs. Graduate level seminars on selected topics chosen by graduate faculty according to faculty and student areas of interest. Seminars will focus on recently published articles and will include both discussion and presentations. This course will be rotated among all faculty such that each member of the graduate faculty will offer a section every other year or so. Two to four sections will be offered each semester. The seminar may include presentations from within and without the department, as well as presentations by students of dissertation research prior to the defense of the thesis or dissertation.

BIOG 532. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4 crs. This lecture and laboratory course introduces the student to how the sequence of DNA specifies all temporal and spacial information required for the assembly and function of living organisms. Students are taught how the chemical nature of the monomers of biological polymers interact to yield the ultimate structure and function of these molecules. The mechanisms of DNA replication, repair, transcription, translation, regulation of gene expression, cell-cell signaling, and cell division are studied in detail. The experimental techniques based on these mechanisms are studied on a theoretical and in some cases a hands-on basis. Among the applications covered are DNA sequencing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), radiosiotopic and non-isotopic methods of visualization, hybridization and immunoselection methods, and recombinant DNA techniques.

BIOG 533. Ecological and Environmental Biology. 4 crs. This lecture and laboratory course will focus on the mechanisms underlying processes at the population, community and ecosystem level. Current research advances in these areas will be stressed including mathematical modeling.

BIOG 534. Evolutionary and Systematic Biology. 4 crs. This lecture and laboratory course will explore the genetic basis of evolutionary change, molecular evolution, rates of evolution, macroevolutionary processes and modern principles of classification, including phylogenetic analysis.

BIOG 542. Aquatic Entomology. 4 crs. This lecture/laboratory course includes study of the taxonomy, morphology, behavior, and reproductive biology of aquatic insects with specific emphasis on freshwater insect communities and ecosystems.

BIOG 544. Environmental Biogeochemistry. 4 crs. Focuses on the material circulation in the earth's surface system, with particular emphasis on elements which exchange with the biosphere and the anthroposphere (i.e., the space affected by human activity).

BIOG 599. M.S. Research. 1-6 crs. Graduate students pursue original research with the guidance of their adviser and thesis research committee.

BIOG 600. M.S. Thesis. 1-6 crs. In-depth presentation and discussion of original research on a current problem in zoology.

BIOG 699. Ph.D. Research. 1-6 crs. Graduate students pursue original research with the guidance of their adviser and thesis research committee.

BIOG 700. Ph.D. Thesis. 1-6 crs. In-depth presentation and discussion of original research on a current problem in zoology.