Faculty
Brunella Bowditch, Associate Professor of Biology (Program
Chair)
Saundra Herndon Oyewole, Professor of Biology
Liliana Losada, Clare Booth 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 interdisciplinary majors in biochemistry and
environmental science. 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 Foundation for Leadership 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 (33 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 (1 credit)
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 241Physiological Psychology
* Students may NOT take both BIOL 221and BIOL 223 to fulfill the
elective requirement.
Requirements in Related Fields (31 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 (19 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 earn a grade of "C" (2.0) or better
in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.
Pass/No Pass:
Courses fulfilling the major requirement may not be taken pass/no
pass.
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
FLC Area IV
Core III
BIOL 111 General Biology I
Presents a comprehensive base in biology for majors and non-science majors. General Biology I is not a prerequisite for General Biology II. 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
FLC Area IV
Core III
BIOL 112 General Biology II
Presents a comprehensive base in biology for majors and non-science majors. General Biology I is not a prerequisite for General Biology II. 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
FLC Area IV
Core III
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
Core III
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
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 111 and BIOL 112
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: BIOL 111, BIOL 112, CHEM 221, and CHEM 222
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: BIOL 111, BIOL 112, CHEM 221, and CHEM 222 (may be taken concurrently); 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 111 and BIOL 112
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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