BISC 103L: Topics in environmental physiology



BISC 103L: General Biology for the Environment and Life.

4 units.

Spring, 2010

Welcome to BISC 103L. This is a one semester, rigorous introductory biology lecture and laboratory course that covers important aspects of general and molecular biology. While the text and outline are similar to introductory courses taught at other universities, this course is tailored more specifically to Environmental Studies and other life science studies at USC. This course is not appropriate for medical school preparation and will not serve as a prerequisite for upper division courses in biology. Students majoring in biology, chemistry, other natural sciences, or engineering will normally register in the BISC 120L sequence. Consult your advisor and the instructor immediately if you have questions about BISC-103L vs. BISC 120L. Students majoring in neuroscience should take BISC 220, for which this course is not a substitute.

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field in which students are required to have mastered elements of several traditional disciplines in addition to content and methods specific to their own fields. Students of the environment require a common set of skills in biology, including basics of evolution, systematics, ecology, genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology, physiology and anatomy. They must be firmly grounded in the chemistry of proteins, nucleic acids and other biological molecules.

In our biology curriculum leading to a BS degree in that subject these topics would be presented over the course of five or more semesters of study. In order to provide a rigorous one-semester survey, BISC 103L will not address all specialized concepts in many of the areas traditionally covered in biology. The complementary laboratory features representative exercises from appropriate areas of biology selected to be most appropriate for environmental studies.

Fundamental concepts in chemistry are required for an understanding of biology. The student should have a working knowledge of high school chemistry, and is urged to take the companion chemistry course, CHEM 103L: General Chemistry for the Environment and Life. The chemical concepts that we shall use regularly throughout the course will reinforce those of CHEM 102L.

This year BISC 103L will be offered as a 4 unit course presented in a block format: i.e., you will take only one course, and concentrate completely upon that subject, for ¼ of the usual semester. In spring of 2010 the block for BISC 103L will begin on 5 Apr and end on 30 Apr (both inclusive).

The course will be offered only at the Marine Science Center at Catalina Island. Catalina offers unique experiences in both terrestrial and marine environments and is ideally suited for study of biology from an environmental viewpoint. Many of the laboratories take advantage of the island’s properties with field trips, sampling, etc.

Lecturers:

Eric Webb, PhD AHF 331, 213-740-7954, eawebb@usc.edu

William McClure PhD CEM 204, 213-740-9181, wmcclure@usc.edu

Textbook: Life on Earth. Audesirk, Audesirk, and Byers. Fifth edition, Benjamin Cummings 2009

Ancillary material: handouts will be supplied when needed.

Lectures: time and place will be announced in the first session, on 5 April. In general, lectures will be given in the mornings and laboratories in the afternoon. Students are expected to be in the classroom by 10 am on 5 April.

Website

All course materials, information, and recordings will be posted on Blackboard () until Commencement Day. Blackboard is to be used only for appropriate, course-related activities. Use for other purposes will result in disciplinary action. Remember that to use Blackboard you must use your usc email account and password to sign in. Off-campus email accounts (hotmail, AOL, etc) will not work.

Twice Weekly Question & Answer Sessions

We recommend that students attend Q&A sessions in person. Alternatively, you may log in to a live webcast which includes an interactive chat window (text only) that you can use to submit questions. A link to the Q&A webcast will be posted on Blackboard. All Q&A sessions will be recorded and will be available until the end of the semester.

Instructor Office Hours

Please contact instructors directly for office hour appointments. Office hours are intended for discussion of individual, confidential matters such as grades. Course subject matter and other public issues should be discussed in the Q&A sessions so that all students can benefit from the interchange.

E-mail: Students are encouraged to e-mail the instructors. When you do write the subject line should state: “BISC 103”. We will more likely respond to thoughtful questions about class material or notices of real emergencies that affect attendance.

Schedule of lectures. The schedule below is tentative, and will probably change. The textbook contains excellent presentations of much of our material, but is lacking in certain areas. Material in these areas will be provided through selected handouts. In addition to those lectures dealing directly with the environment, material specific to the interaction of the environment will be presented in every lecture.

Day 1. Orientation. No lab, no lecture.

Day 2. Overview of Life: systematics, reductionism. Chapters 1, 2.

Day 3,4. Cellular physiology: chemistry, membranes. Chapters 2, 3, 4.

Day 5. Biochemistry: respiration, photosynthesis. Chapters 5, 6, 7.

First hourly exam.

Day 6,7. Genetics and molecular biology. Chapters 8, 9, 12

Day 8,9. Ecology: populations, communities. Chapters 27, 28.

Day 10. Ecology: ecosystems, biodiversity. Chapters 29 – 31.

Second hourly exam

Day 11. Ecology: ecosystems, biodiversity. Chapters 29 – 31.

The remainder of the lectures will consider the physiology and anatomy of organ systems of mammals, particularly humans, and the effect of environmental variables on them.

Day 12. Physiology and anatomy: Basic Principles. Chapter 19.

Day 13. Bones, joints, and muscles. Chapter 19.

Day 14. Hearts and blood vessels. Chapter 20.

Day 15. Respiration. Chapter 20.

Third hourly exam.

Day 16. Digestion. Chapter 21.

Day 17. Excretory systems, electrolyte balance. Chapter 21.

Day 18. Nervous system. Chapter 24.

Day 19. Development and the reproductive system. Chapter 25.

Day 20. Review

Fourth hourly exam.

Grading: The numbers of points for the various parts of the course are:

First Midterm, 1 hour 100 points

Second Midterm, 1 hour 100 points

Third Midterm, 1 hour 100 points

Fourth Midterm, 1 hour 100 points

Term paper 100 points

Oral presentation 50 points

Laboratory 250 points

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Course Total 800 points

Chronic, unexcused absence from lecture and/or laboratory (more than two unexcused absences) will result in a grade penalty above and beyond missed work or exercises.

Examinations. Four hourly examinations will be given. These will be 1 hr in length, and will be given on Friday of each week. Each will cover the material of the preceding section of the course.

Final grades are assigned on a curve, based entirely on the total number of points earned in the course. After each exam a curve will be given by the instructors to indicate roughly what letter grade corresponds to the student’s current number of points. Specifically, you will be provided with the current course average and a provisional letter grade scale. Please remember that (1) the course mean given on Blackboard is NOT authoritative, and (2) that only the total number of points earned determines your course grade. We will be glad to discuss your performance, and your possible grades, at any time throughout the course. Help provided in this way should be considered only provisional, however: your later performance may change (sometimes dramatically) the best-meant extrapolation.

In a course such as this, in which the exact content of the lectures will vary, the student must realize that examinations can and will cover anything that is discussed in class. Some of this material may not be in the textbook, and will be available only to those who were present in class. For this reason, it is very important that you attend class. Those who do not attend will surely do less well on examinations. Note that this course involves conceptual ideas that are not easily grasped, as well as a significant amount of memorization. These are often challenging to students. BISC 103 is not a trivial course. The entire grade distribution will be used, including Ds and (if we are forced to) Fs. Students who seek less challenging material would be well advised to consider alternate enrollments.

A reminder about Pass/No Pass Status. Should you choose the Pass/No Pass option, you must have a final score equivalent to “C minus” quality or better to receive a “Pass.” “No Pass” will be assigned if your final score is less than the equivalent of a “C minus.” No petitions for change from Pass/No Pass to graded status will be accepted after the deadline to change status has passed.

Re-grading of exams. If you wish to have exam questions re-graded, you must submit a request to your TA within one week of when your exam was returned to you. Your request must be thoroughly explained in writing. TAs will not consider oral requests. The entire examination will be re-graded, not just the part you think deserves more credit. Your score may go up or down as a result of a re-grade.

No make-up exams will be given – except in serious situations. If you miss an exam or quiz due to illness, and wish us to make an accommodation, you should proceed as follows. Present a written request to the Lab Manager by Wednesday of the week following the missed exam. This request should include a statement that you were seen by a doctor, the doctor’s name and phone number, and authorization for us to discuss with the doctor whether you were too ill to take the exam, which we will do. Neither you nor the doctor need tell us the nature of your illness. If we judge your excuse to be valid, we will give you a grade for the missed exam equal to the average of your grades for the equivalent exams that you did take. Except in extraordinary circumstances, we will make accommodations for only one missed lecture exam. If your excuse is judged not to be valid, or you do not provide it within the allotted time, you will receive a score of zero for the missed exam.

Preparation of the term paper and oral presentation

A term paper is required. The term paper should be a minimum of about 10 pages, double spaced and machine printed in a manner that is normal for formal presentations using a font size of 12 points. Please don't exceed 15 pages. Any style that you wish to use is fine, as long as it is used consistently and is in accord with the usual formal presentations of your field. Please don't submit illegible, torn, or handwritten papers. Each paper must be annotated with a minimum of 4-10 references to the scientific or popular literature. Of these references, one must be as recent as 2009. The references must demonstrate evidence that the student has read at least two articles from a scientific journal or one of the sources listed below. The presentation must be an original work by the student involved. Plagiarism in this matter, as in connection with everything concerning this course and your University activities, is strictly forbidden and will be treated with the usual University rules if it is encountered. The recommended sanction for plagiarism is an F for the course.

The term paper due date: TBD

Subject Matter The choice of subject for the term paper is up to the student, but must deal with the material of the course. In general, a subject that deals with any aspect of human biology from an environmental aspect will be accepted. Topics that are not suitable will result in reduced credit. Students are urged to discuss the subject of their paper with any of the teaching staff of the course. If you are in doubt as to whether a subject is suitable or not, please present it to the instructors or one of the teaching assistants prior to the 6th week of class to obtain permission. It is not necessary that every student choose a different topic; many students can, and often do, present the same subject. In this case, of course, all the students must work independently.

Sources of Material There exist a large variety of different reference sources. These include the following popular level scientific magazines:

Scientific American

Science

Science News

American Scientist

Discover

New Scientist

Nature (any version)

Any of these sources can serve as a rich supply of ideas and information. You may use references from any of them freely. You will often find excellent articles in Time, Newsweek, the newspapers (particularly the NewYork Times and the Los Angeles Times. Note particularly the excellent section on health in the Monday edition of the LA Times and other news periodicals. Most of these are now available on the web. Newspaper articles are quite satisfactory as sources, but must be appropriately referenced. In addition to the popular magazines concerning science, there exist a number of more formal scientific journals used by the professionals in the field. You will usually find these articles too advanced to be read easily, but you may certainly feel free to use them if you wish. The World Wide Web is an excellent source of information and ideas. If you are not already familiar with the Web, go to Leavey and learn about it. The Web and associated electronic means of communication are changing our society. While they are very powerful, be careful of information from the Web. This material is almost completely unrefereed, and may (and often does) contain significant errors. You may not use only the Web as a source of information. Some web sites of interest are:













You may trust any information from these excellent governmental web sites.

Always cite scientific journals as journals whether accessed online or in print. You are responsible for checking your sources to be sure that the information you report is correct. This is a significant part of modern scholarship.

Turnitin for Term Papers The following statement provided by USC’s Center for Scholarly Technology applies. “USC is committed to the general principles of academic honesty that include and incorporate the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. By taking this course, students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. All submitted work for this course may be subject to an originality review as performed by Turnitin technologies () to find textual similarities with other Internet content or previously submitted student work. Students of this course retain the copyright of their own original work, and Turnitin is not permitted to use student-submitted work for any other purpose than (a) performing an originality review of the work, and (b) including that work in the database against which it checks other student-submitted work.” Each of you will be required to submit your term paper in hard copy as well as in electronic form through turnitin® on blackboard by the due date. You will receive instructions regarding how to submit your papers later in the semester.

Academic Integrity: Students must work independently on all individual assignments except that data will sometimes be shared for laboratory experiments. All USC students are responsible for reading and following the USC Student Conduct Code, which prohibits plagiarism. Some examples of behavior that is not allowed are: copying all or part of someone else’s work (by hand or by looking at others’ files, either secretly or if shown), and submitting it as your own; giving another student in the class a copy of your assignment solution; consulting with another student during an exam; and copying text from published literature without proper attribution. If you have questions about what is allowed, please discuss it with the instructor.

Students who violate University standards of academic integrity are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including failure in the course and suspension from the University. Since dishonesty in any form harms the individual, other students, and the University, policies on academic integrity have been and will be strictly enforced.

The Trojan Integrity Guide can be found at .

The Undergraduate Guide for Avoiding Plagiarism can be found at

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Oral Presentation An oral presentation must be developed by the student for delivery in lab. The subject matter of the oral presentation will usually be the same as that of the term paper. This presentation should be ten minutes in length. It will be followed by a discussion period of five minutes, during which other students are urged to ask questions and to consider the material. The use of visual aids is expected in the presentation. Grades will be assigned on the basis of significance of the topic, quality of the material, and the quality of the presentation. Detailed guidelines will be distributed later. All presentations will be made during the final three weeks of the course.

Students with Disabilities. Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with the Office of Disability Services and Programs (DSP, STU 301, 213-740-0776) each semester. You must deliver an approved DSP letter to one of the instructors as early in the semester as possible. Please see SCampus () for additional policies that are not covered here (i.e. academic integrity, proper conduct, etc) but that do still apply!

Laboratory

The laboratory is an integral part of this course. All aspects of biology, including the environment and the nervous system, require hands-on interaction. More information about the laboratory will be supplied to you at a later date. The laboratory will meet once each day on Monday through Wednesday for two to three hours. Some of the laboratories will involve field trips to both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and may last considerably longer. There will be no laboratory on either Thursday or Friday. Be sure to attend the first meeting of your laboratory.

The laboratories will be conducted in standard labs at the Center and in the field, taking advantage of the unique opportunities offered by Catalina. Because of variations in the weather, we cannot provide a detailed schedule of the experiments. Material to be covered includes the ecology of several ecosystems on the island, including tidepools, marshes, sandy and rocky beaches, and the chaparral of the terrestrial environment. Field observations and measurements will be taken, and selected materials from these areas will be returned to the labs for further analysis. Eutrophication of both freshwater and saltwater environments will be examined. Physiological examination of mammalian organ systems will be studied, with field experiments that may involve the decompression chamber of the Center.

One Laboratory Report will be required each week. The assignments for the Report will be made during the week, and the Reports will be due at the beginning of lab on the following week.

Some Dates to Remember

April 30 Spring semester classes end

Final Thoughts

• Please forgive the length and detail of this syllabus. In a class such as this, which covers the beginnings of your careers, we feel it is important for everyone to know exactly what to expect.

• Rules and disclaimers aside, we hope that you will enjoy our mutual exploration of some of the most exciting aspects of biology. The points we will study are of fundamental importance in all living things, and highly relevant to the understanding of the our interaction with the environment.. We instructors promise to apply our decades of experience in teaching and research, as well as some of the latest pedagogical techniques, to present an interesting and informative course, assign grades fairly, and prepare you well for future studies in your chosen fields.

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