Instructor: Dr. Michael J. Dowler

Office: LS-364

Phones: Office: 594-4088 Department: 594-6767 email: mdowler@sunstroke.sdsu.edu

Office hours: MWF 10-12, or by appointment

Text: "Asking About Life" by Tobin & Dusheck

Grade Determination

Your grade will be determined from a plot of the distribution of your total score on three 100 point exams. These exams will be given on the last class day of the 5th, 10th, and 15th week. The exams will be multiple choice. Any make-up exams will be given the following Friday at the class hour (except the last exam which will be given at the regularly scheduled final exam time). The make-up exams will be essay type exams. The exam dates are Oct. 1, Nov. 5 and Dec. 10. A question and answer session will be held the Wed. before the exam, time and place announced in class. A typical distribution of grades over the last few years has been about 1/3 A's and B's, 1/3 C's, and 1/3 D's and F's.

Statement of Course Content

A course designed to explore the insight derived from the 19th century triumph of the mechanistic view of living organisms. Twentieth century biology is seen as the laws of chemistry and physics applied to organisms. Broad categories for topics considered include:

1. A consideration of the Nature of Science in general and specifically Biology, Limits to Scientific Knowledge, etc. (Vitalism versus Mechanism Controversy).

2. A review of some general Chemical and Physical Laws and Concepts (atoms, polarity, oxidation/reduction, kinetic molecular theory, free energy & thermodynamics, etc.).

3. Consideration of the Structure and Function of the four major classes of biologically important macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, lipids & carbohydrates).

4. Consideration of Single Cell Structure and Function (subcellar morphology & organelles, procaryotic and eucaryotic similarities and differences, membrane structure and function and the resulting explanation of cellular action).

5. Energy Metabolism: Metabolic Pathways and Metabolism based on Chemical Energy conversion and similar treatment for conversion of photon energy into chemical energy (mechanisms for respiration and photosynthesis).

6. Heredity and Development: To consider cell reproduction via chromosomes (Mitosis and Meiosis) and a study of inheritance. Mendel's pioneering work, chromosomes and genes and the triumph of molecular biology in exploring reproduction with fidelity (inheritance) and reproduction with change (embryology on an individual level; evolution on a population level).

7. Developmental Biology: Jacob, Monod and the Operon

8. Evolution of present species: Theories of Lamarck, Darwin and Wallace, the "modern synthesis;" the New Biology and Punctuated Equilibria (Gould).

WEEK READING MAIN TOPICS

Week 1 Chapter 1 and pgs. 132-133 What is Science, Biology?

Mechanism versus Vitalism

Week 2 Chapter 2 and pgs. 114-26 Rules of Mechanism

Week 3 Chapter 3 and pgs. 126-131 Biological Molecules

Week 4 Chapter 4 Cell Theory

Week 5 EXAM

 

Week 6 Chapter 6 Respiration

Week 7 Chapter 7 Photosynthesis

Week 8 Chapter 8 & 9 Reproduction Mitosis & Meiosis

Week 9 (Same as week 8) Mendel to Sutton & Morgan

Week 10 EXAM

 

Week 11 Chapter 10 and pgs., 55, DNA Structure & Replication

65-7, 70-71

Week 12 Chapter 11 DNA Makes Protein,

Operon Theory

Week 13 Chapter 15, 16, 17 Evolution

Week 14 Same as Week 13 Evolution

Week 15 EXAM