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Catalog Year 2025-2026

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BiologyCredits

This course is a comprehensive introduction to the structure, biochemistry, phylogeny, molecular biology, pathobiology, immunology, and ecology of microbes, with an emphasis on bacteria. Lab will include classical and contemporary techniques for the identification and characterization of bacteria.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106, CHEM 201
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Basic understanding of the principles of immunohematology applied to the area of blood blanking including major blood group systems, principles for antigen/antibody detection and identification, donor blood collection, transfusion evaluation, theory of renal function in health and disease, specimen collection, handling, and processing, and components of routine urinalysis.

Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This course is designed as research experience to RISEbio scholars. Students taking this course will be involved in an original research project that is mentored by faculty. Using a variety of methods, students will collect original data and contribute to problem solving in the biological sciences. As an early research experience, emphasis will be placed on the process of scientific research, including formulation of a research plan, data collection, assessment of data quality and interpretation based on available data. Students are required to keep a lab notebook, work in teams and present their findings to classmates and a wider audience.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106. RISEbio program participant, instructor permission
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

The structure and function of stream ecosystems are presented with emphasis on adaptations of organisms to stream life and connections between stream organisms, the aquatic environment, and the surrounding watershed. Includes lab, field work, and team projects. Prereq: BIOL 105W, BIOL 106, BIOL 215 or consentSummer

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106, BIOL 215 or consent
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Applications of principles from ecology, genetics, behavior, demography, economics, philosophy, and other fields to the conservation and sustainable use of natural populations of plants and animals. Lectures and discussions address topics such as habitat fragmentation, parks and reserves, genetic diversity, population viability, and extinction.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 215 or consent
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

To provide students the values and functions of wetlands and to use wetlands as an example of the relationship of ecology to management, and the impact that classification systems have politically. Lab (fieldwork) included.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 215
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This course will explore the biology and diversity of fishes. Students will understand the major structure, physiology, ecology, and evolution of fishes with special relation to fisheries and conservation management.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 215
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

A field course focused on the function and dynamics of various North American ecosystems. Emphases will be on natural history, critical thought, and experimental design. Students will be trained in a variety of soil, plant, and animal sampling techniques. Depending on enrollment, there may be additional costs (e.g., camping fees) for the course.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106, BIOL 215 or consent
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This class examines the effects of natural and human-induced changes in climate on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The course focuses on the science behind global change issues that have biological, social, and economic implicatons.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106, BIOL 215 or consent
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This course will examine multiple facets of human genetics. The modern human genome is not a static entity but one that arose from a dynamic combination of inputs from multiple human species, effects from the environment, and their mixture over time. The first third of the course will study ancient human genetics and their contributions to our genome, the second will study human ancestry and migration patterns, and human population genetics. The final third of the course will investigate the modern human genome, genetic diseases, genetic engineering of our genome, and the future of human genetics and its ethical implications.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 211
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Soil ecology will focus on the genesis and classification of soils, the physical properties of soil as they relate to habitat formation, niches, interactions that exist among soil organisms, human impact on soil systems relative to population pressures and management practices. Lab included.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 106, and Select 1 Course: BIOL 104 or GEOL 104, and Select 1 Course: BIOL 215 or BIOL 217.
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

The advent of next-generation DNA and RNA sequencing technology has revolutionized Biology, leading to transformational insights in disciplines spanning medicine, molecular taxonomy, conservation, and agriculture. This course will introduce students to computational and bioinformatics tools necessary to address and analyze Big Data, with special attention paid to interpretation and communication through figures. Students will be free to analyze publicly-available data of their choosing alongside curated cohorts while learning how to critically assess bioinformatics conclusions found within primary research literature. No prior computer programming experience is necessary. The associated lab will focus on computational analysis and the introduction of sequencing techniques.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106, BIOL 211
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This course will discuss the evolution and diversification of fishes with an emphasis on anatomy, physiology, development, behavior, classification, and select fish's ecological role in major systems. Students will also develop identification skills on fish characteristics that define major taxonomic groupings. Laboratory will focus on identification and physical manipulation of fishes.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 306
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This course will discuss the evolution and diversification of birds with an emphasis on anatomy, development, behavior, migration, and mating systems. Students are expected to participate in field-based projects on spatial and temporal distributions of local bird populations. Students will also develop identification skills on regional bird species.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106, BIOL 306
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Emphasis is placed on the biomedical aspects of aging and chronic disease. The course is designed for students majoring in biology, gerontology programs, or other health related programs.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 100 or BIOL 105
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Clinically important parasites. Protozoans, Flukes, Tapeworms, Roundworms, Ticks, Mites and Insects. Designed for Medical Technology, Pre-Med, Pre-Vet and Biology majors. Identification, clinical disease, epidemiology and ecology are covered. Lab included.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 100 or BIOL 105, BIOL 106 recommended
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Morphological, physiological, medical, and economic significance of insects.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105 and BIOL 106 or consent
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This course will consist of a comprehensive introduction to the fungi kingdom. Topics will include: evolution, classification, structure, molecular and cellular biology, ecology, and medical and biotechnological importance. Both lecture and laboratory will be offered. Laboratory classes will consist of such topics as morphology, culturing, and biotechnological applications.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105 and BIOL 106
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

This course will explore the structure and function of the vertebrate body in its diverse forms from fishes to mammals. Discussion of individual organ systems will focus on developmental patterns, function and evolutionary relationships. The lab will include microanatomy (histology) and macroanatomy (gross anatomy) of example organisms. Students will become familiar with the tissue, organ and system levels of the anatomy of vertebrates.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106, BIOL 306
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Understanding the process of cell differentiation and development. Special emphasis will be placed on the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms that direct the development of multicellular organisms. Course to include current areas of research and other timely topics.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 100 or BIOL 105
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Biology 425 is an optional 1-credit laboratory addition to Developmental Biology, Biology 424. In the laboratory component, students will be exposed to modern techniques used to examine developmental processes in several key model systems. Laboratory exercises consist of experiments designed to demonstrate fundamental concepts in development and to familiarize students with experimental approaches utilized in studying developmental biology and embryology.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 211; Co-requisite: BIOL 424
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

Collection, examination, evaluation, morphology, function and diseases of blood cells. Hemostasis/coagulation of blood. Immunology theory is presented. Lab included.

Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

A comparison of adaptation mechanisms, from cell to organ-system, used by animals in response to changes in environmental conditions such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, food availability, temperature, water, solutes, pressure and buoyancy.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 105, BIOL 106 or consent
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

This course is an introduction to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and interactions of inland freshwater lakes. Labs will emphasize field work, including data collection from five local lakes, analysis, and discussion.

Prerequisites:
BIOL 215
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs:

This course is a functional study of the heart and circulatory system.

Prerequisites:
Select 1 Course: BIOL 202 or BIOL 220 or BIOL 325 or BIOL 423.
Areas of Interest:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Programs: