Biology

Faculty
Description
Major Requirements
Minor Requirements
Program Policies
Course Descriptions

Faculty
 

Saundra Herndon Oyewole, Professor of Biology (Program Chair)
Brunella Bowditch, Associate Professor of Biology
Liliana Losada, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Biology 

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Description

The Biology Program offers a major and a minor to students in the College of Arts and Sciences; several courses are offered for non-majors. In conjunction with various other programs, the Biology Program also supports an interdisciplinary major in biochemistry. Biology majors and minors pursue a diversified program that fulfills a breadth of interests and ultimately prepares them to pursue careers in many areas of the biological sciences, including education, research, and medicine. For those in related majors, the goal of the program is to focus particularly on the interfaces between biology and their major disciplines. Non-majors who take biology courses receive an exposure to biology to its fundamental concepts, latest discoveries, and modes of inquiry in ways that are relevant to their personal and professional lives and consistent with the objectives of the general education curriculum. Extraordinary developments in modern biology offer much to engage students at all levels.

Trinity offers students who study biology the advantages of close faculty-student relationships while providing access to the country's primary resource collections, major research facilities, and outstanding internship opportunities at nationally recognized facilities.

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Major Requirements

Required Courses (30 credits)

ALL of the following courses:

BIOL 111 General Biology I 
BIOL 112 General Biology II 
BIOL 231 Vertebrate Development and Anatomy 
BIOL 241 Introductory Genetics 
BIOL 431 General Physiology 
BIOL 441 General Microbiology
BIOL 451 Evolution 

ONE course chosen from between:

BIOL 331 Histology and Cytology 
BIOL 341 Cell and Molecular Biology

ONE senior seminar:

NSCM 499 Divisional Seminar (3 credits) 

Electives (6-8 credits)

TWO of the following courses: 

BIOL   221 Plant Diversity*
BIOL   223 Flowering Plants*
BIOL   235 Invertebrate Zoology 
BIOL   351 Ecology 
CHEM 431 Molecular Biochemistry I 
PSYC 241  Physiological Psychology

* Students may NOT take both BIOL 221and BIOL 223 to fulfill the elective requirement.

Requirements in Related Fields (30 credits)

ALL of the following courses: 

CHEM 111 Fundamentals of Chemistry I 
CHEM 112 Fundamentals of Chemistry II 
CHEM 221 Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 222 Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 223 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 224 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
MATH 125 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I 
PHYS 111 General Physics I
PHYS 112 General Physics II

Recommended Courses

MATH 225 Calculus and Analytic Geometry II 

Additional courses in computer science and statistics are also recommended. 

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Minor Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)

ALL of the following courses: 

BIOL 111 General Biology I
BIOL 112 General Biology II 
BIOL 231 Vertebrate Development and Anatomy 

SIX additional credits of biology

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Program Policies

Advanced Placement: Credit will be granted for the score of 4 or 5 on the AP examination. A score of 4 or 5 will be accepted in lieu of BIOL 111. 

CLEP Policy: A satisfactory score on the CLEP examination in general biology will be accepted in lieu of BIOL 111.. 

Grades in Major Courses: Students are required to have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in all courses counted to fulfill the requirements for the major. 

Senior Assessment: The senior assessment in biology consists of a written exam drawn from a set of comprehensive study questions and a one-hour oral exam. 

TELL Policy: TELL credits do not count towards the major in biology. 

Transfer Credits: Transfer credit will be awarded after appropriate program review and approval.

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Course Descriptions

BIOL 101 Introduction to Biology
Explores various aspects of biology from cell structure to metabolism, diversity and ecology. The course consists of two hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. Recommended for non-science majors. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 101 Introduction to Biology.
4 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area IV
Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature  

BIOL 111 General Biology I
Presents a comprehensive base in biology for majors and non-science majors. The course consists of three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course.  Formerly BIO 151 General Biology I.
4 credits
Prerequisite: MATH 123 (may be concurrent) or permission of instructor
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area IV

BIOL 112 General Biology II
Presents a comprehensive base in biology for majors and non-science majors.  The course consists of three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course.  Formerly BIO 152 General Biology II.
4 credits
Prerequisite BIOL 111
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area IV

BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
Provides a systematic approach to the study of the human body for students interested in the health care professions. The first part of this yearlong course emphasizes the tissues, the integumentary system, the bones and skeletal tissue, muscles and muscle tissue, and the nervous system. Students apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions.
4 credits

BIOL 221 Plant Diversity
Surveys the plant kingdom starting with green algae up through angiosperms. Emphasis is on the evolution of this kingdom through a thorough morphological analysis and use of modern analysis methods such as cladistics. The course consists of two hours of lecture, one hour of discussion of journal readings, and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 208 Plant Diversity.
4 credits

BIOL 223 Flowering Plants
Surveys flowering plant families. Emphasis will be on those families present in the local geographic area. Students will be expected to read current literature and collect and hand in a 20 species herbarium. The course consists of two hours of lecture, one hour of discussion of journal readings, and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 206 Flowering Plants.
4 credits

BIOL 231 Vertebrate Development & Anatomy
Examines the embryology and anatomy of representative vertebrate forms. The course requires two hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory each week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 211 Vertebrate Development & Anatomy.
4 credits
Prerequisites: BIOL 111 and BIOL 112

BIOL 235 Invertebrate Zoology
Studies selected invertebrates from each phylum with emphasis on morphology and systematics. The course requires three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 225 Invertebrate Zoology.
4 credits

BIOL 241 Introductory Genetics
Investigates the principles of heredity, including Mendelian genetics, population genetics, and the genetics of microorganisms. The course consists of two hours of lecture, one hour discussion of journal readings, and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 222 Introductory Genetics.
4 credits
Prerequisite: CHEM 111

BIOL 242 Human Genetics
Prepares health care professionals to apply knowledge of genetics to their work experiences.  The course will cover Mendelian genetics as well as population genetics.  Emphasis will be placed on knowledge of genetic testing, derivation of family pedigrees, and genetic defects and diseases.  The course will also address the ethical dimensions of genetic testing and other genetic applications.
3 credits
Prerequisites: BIOL 111 or two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology

BIOL 281 Seminar on Topics in Biology
Analyzes the biological literature on a specific topic, such as cancer research, the biology of women, or AIDS. Check course schedule for current topic(s). Formerly BIO 291 Seminar on Topics in Biology.
3 credits

BIOL 331 Histology and Cytology
Explores the structure of tissues and cells of animals. The course consists of three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 336 Histology and Cytology.
4 credits
Prerequisites: BIOL 231 or permission of instructor

BIOL 341 Cell and Molecular Biology
Focuses on the eukaryotic cell at the cell and molecular levels with emphasis on the principles by which cells function in isolation and in multi-cellular communities. The course consists of three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 325 Cell and Molecular Biology.
4 credits
Prerequisites: BIOL 241 or permission of instructor

BIOL 343 Immunology
Examines the vertebrate immune system, the organ system responsible for protecting the organism from infection by micro-organisms, viruses, and parasites. This course will cover a wide range of topics, from cell biology to anatomy and physiology to biochemistry to molecular biology. This course will also focus on how the immune system deals with infection, tumor recognition, autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiencies, cancer and hypersensitivity. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course.
4 credits
Prerequisites: BIOL 111, BIOL 112, CHEM 221, and CHEM 222; or permission of instructor

BIOL 351 Ecology
This course is an introduction to the major subdisciplines in ecology:  behavioral, population, community and ecosystems ecology.  Topics studied will include mating systems and life history strategies; population growth; competition and coexistence; predation, herbivory and parasitism; composition and structure of natural communities; global patterns of biodiversity; and biological succession.  Students will learn how to collect ecological data in the field and in the laboratory, and to use statistics to analyze their results.  Formerly BIO 318 Ecology.
4 credits
Prerequisites: BIOL 111 and BIOL 112; MATH 110 is recommended

BIOL 431 General Physiology
Examines the functions of systems in selected vertebrates and invertebrates. The course consists of three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 418 General Physiology.
4 credits
Prerequisites: CHEM 221, CHEM 222, and a 300-level biology course or permission of instructor

BIOL 441 General Microbiology
Introduces the biology of microorganisms and their importance to humans, with special emphasis on bacteria and viruses. The course consists of three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 449 General Microbiology.
4 credits
Prerequisites: CHEM 221, CHEM 222, and a 300-level biology course or permission of instructor

BIOL 451 Evolution
Studies the principles of heredity, population genetics, and modern data collecting from karyotyping to sequencing. Attention is given to data analysis in the systematics field from phenetics to cladistics. The evolution of plant and animal kingdoms is analyzed in view of all the data now available and the paleontological data. The course consists of two hours of lecture and one hour of discussion of journal readings per week. This course is typically taken in the senior year. Formerly BIO 405 Evolution.
3 credits
Prerequisites:  BIOL 112, BIOL 241, and a 300-level BIOL course

BIOL 491 Internship
Provides practical experience in an area of applied biology, such as in a hospital laboratory or museum. Students must make special arrangements with the Program Chair. Formerly BIO 361 Internship.
Credits arranged
Prerequisites: Permission of Program Chair

BIOL 497 Directed Research
Provides an opportunity for guided research participation. Formerly BIO 451 Research Studies.
Credits arranged
Prerequisites: Permission of Program Chair

BIOL 498 Independent Study
Provides an opportunity for directed study on an advanced level. Formerly BIO 252 Independent Study.
Credits arranged
Prerequisites: Permission of Program Chair

NOTE: Descriptions for courses listed as NSCM (natural sciences and mathematics) appear in the interdisciplinary courses section of this catalog.

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