Human Biology

Biology 202, Section 9
Spring 1999
3 credits

Instructor: Dr. Leif J. Saul
E-mail: saull@ecsu.ctstateu.edu
World Wide Web: http://www.easternct.edu/personal/faculty/saull/index.html
Mailbox: In photocopy room between Goddard 102 and 103
In-person consultation: After class, or by appointment

Lecture: TuTh, 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Goddard 201

Text: Sylvia S. Mader, 1998. Human Biology. 5th ed. McGraw-Hill, Boston (required)

General Course Information

This course satisfies category III.B of the General Education Requirements. There are no college prerequisites for taking this course. Biology 203 (Human Biology Laboratory) is optional and may be taken concurrently, or after completion of this course. The lecture and lab are designed to complement one another, and it is recommended that you take both courses concurrently if you are interested in both. However, please remember to direct questions about lectures and lecture materials to your lecture instructor, and questions about labs and lab materials to your lab instructor.

Course Summary

This course will acquaint you with the biological principles that govern the structure and function of the human body. The main focus will be on the physiology of organs, but fundamental concepts of general biology and molecular and cell biology will be presented. The practical implications for maintenance of good health will be emphasized. Examples from other organisms will also be used to illustrate the relationship between structure, function, and environment.

Grading

Your grade will be based on the percentage of points earned according to the following scale:

A = 93-100% B- = 80-82% D+ = 67-69%
A- = 90-92% C+ = 77-79% D = 60-66%
B+ = 87-89% C = 73-76% F = 0-59%
B = 83-86% C- = 70-72%


Points will be allocated as follows:

Exam 1 and Exam 2 (100 points each) 200 points
Final exam 140 points
Quizzes/worksheets (your top 5 scores) 50 points
Total 390 points

Exams

The exams will be in multiple-choice format. We will use scantron answer sheets, which will be provided to you at the start of each exam. Please bring a No. 2 pencil to exams, as we have a limited number of extra pencils.

Samples questions will be provided prior to Exam 1. The questions on Exam 2 will only cover material that was not covered on Exam 1 (i.e., Exam 2 is not comprehensive). The final exam is comprehensive. However, except for material that came after Exam 2, all questions on the final exam will be essentially identical to questions that were used on previous exams or quizzes during the semester. (The order of choices ABCDE in each question will be changed, however.)

Missed Exams

Dates of all exams are indicated on the attached lecture schedule. These dates are not flexible. If you will be travelling in May, you should make double-sure that whoever buys the plane tickets knows your final exam date, because no exceptions will be made.

If you should miss Exam 1 or 2 due to a severe accident or illness (or if you are aware of a future time conflict), a make-up may be possible if you inform Dr. Saul (either directly by e-mail, or indirectly by telephoning the Biology department secretary, Cynthia Schaffer, at 465-4369) as soon as you are able to do so, and subsequently providing written verification. The only valid reasons for a make-up are well-documented medical emergencies and certain mandatory college-sponsored activities.

Quizzes and Worksheets

In addition to the exams, there will be 6 graded activities, worth 10 points each, whose dates will not be announced beforehand . This is meant to encourage class attendance, and to assess our progress during the periods between exams. Before computing your final grade for the course, your lowest score on unannounced activities will be dropped .

Most unannounced activities will be quizzes. In preparing for quizzes, you are responsible for terms and concepts that have been presented during the previous 3 lectures. Textbook readings are not covered in quizzes. Some activities may consist of discussions with worksheets due at the end of the discussion. Quizzes and discussions may occur at any time in the class hour, so it is important not to be late to class and not to leave early.

Absence During Unannounced Activities

There are no make-ups for quizzes or worksheets. If you can provide written verification (including a phone number, so that I can confirm your claim) that you missed a quiz or discussion because of illness, family emergency, or required participation in intercollegiate sports, then your course grade will be prorated (see below). Without written verification, you will receive a zero for any missed activities. There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule.

Here's how "prorating" works: As an example, suppose you had an excused absence from one quiz. To compute your grade, you would take your top 4 (instead of 5) scores on quizzes and worksheets, add them to your 3 exam scores, and divide the total by 380 (instead of 390).

Reading Assignments

At various times, a limited number of required textbook readings will be announced in class when necessary to fill in gaps in the lecture coverage. You are to treat such assigned readings as lecture material in preparing for exams. Any other material that you find in the text, which was not covered in lecture, will not be covered in exams. The textbook readings listed on the lecture schedule are optional, but should be useful for review and clarification of the lectures. The book also includes helpful definitions and review questions. The Student Study Guide to accompany Human Biology , by Jennifer C. Burtwistle, is also available for purchase in the college bookstore. Its main use is as a workbook to reinforce your memory of the material in the text.

Class Web Site

There is a web site for this course, which will contain various course materials that will be updated throughout the semester. Access to the World Wide Web ("the web") is available at CB410 and other networked computer facilities on campus. To view course materials, start up a web browser program such as Netscape Communicator/Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Starting at the ECSU main page, click on the "Faculty" button, then click on "Saul, Leif." Alternatively, you can type the following into the "Open Location" box:

http://www.easternct.edu/personal/faculty/saull/index.html

Either of these methods will bring up Dr. Saul's home page. Simply click on the colored underlined words or on buttons to view additional pages. Make sure you choose the correct lecture section number (Section 9), because materials will differ between sections.

The web site will include various kinds of information such as exam scores, announcements that were made in class, answers to frequently asked questions, and copies of some important handouts (such as this syllabus). It will also contain useful links to animations and other resources that help demonstrate lecture topics. In addition, sample exam/quiz questions will be posted regularly. You may want to print these out on your own time; in order to prevent redundancy and save paper, printouts will not be provided in class. Therefore, if you plan to view sample questions, you can consider use of the web site mandatory in this class. In any case, it is strongly advised that you try out the class web site early in the semester, so that you can find out what it has to offer.

Your Questions and Comments

You will be given the opportunity to formally evaluate the course during the last week of the semester. However, you will benefit most if you make constructive suggestions as they arise during the semester (preferably in person). Specific questions about lecture material are best asked in class or by e-mail. Unfortunately the Biology Department is currently experiencing a shortage of office space, so there are no formal "office hours" for this course. The best ways to ask me questions outside of class are by e-mail, meeting me after class, or setting up an appointment.

Schedule of Lectures and Exams

Date Topic Chapter in Textbook
26 Jan Introduction Introduction
28 Evolution 22
2 Feb Humans & the Earth 24
4 Chemistry of Life 1
9 Cell Structure 2
11 Cell Division 18
16 Genetics 19
18 Genetics
23 DNA 20
25 Cellular Metabolism 2
2 Mar Human Organization 3
4 Exam 1
9 Homeostasis 3
11 Digestive System 4
16 Nutrition 4
18 Blood 5
23 & 25 Spring Recess
30 Cardiovascular System 6
1 Apr Immune System 7
6 Respiratory System 8
8 Exercise 6, 8
13 Urinary System 9
15 Nerve Cells 12
20 Exam 2
22 Nervous System 12
27 Senses 13
29 Skeleton 10
4 May Muscles 11
6 Endocrine System 14
11 Reproductive System 15
18 Final Exam, 12:30-2:30 p.m., Tuesday




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