Faculty of Science Course Syllabus
Department of Biology
BIOL 1011.03
Principles of Biology Part II
Winter 2020
Instructor Office Email Role
M. Johnston LSC 7132 [email protected] Plant Biology Lectures
D. Tittensor LSC 7060 [email protected] Ecology Lectures
M. Cooper LSC 4014 [email protected] Animal Biology Lectures
G. Gass LSC 2116 [email protected] Course Coordinator, Instructor
Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:05-2:25 p.m. (section 01) or 2:35-3:55 p.m. (section 02)
Ondaatje Auditorium
Laboratories: Ten laboratory sessions, each 110 minutes
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Course Description
Biology 1011 broadens the background laid down in BIOL 1010 to include plant and fungi form
and function, animal form and function, and ecology.
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of high school mathematics, chemistry and biology is recommended.
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes are provided to you as a rough guide to the most important concepts in the
course. Upon completing this course, students should be able to:
Plant Biology
1. Understand the features that allowed plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial
environments.
2. Understand plant sexual reproduction and how it differs among the major groups.
3. Know the life cycles of major plant groups.
4. Describe the major plant cell, tissue and organ types.
5. Understand how land plants grow in length and diameter.
6. Understand how land plants transport fluids within the body.
7. Describe the components of photosynthesis and the main steps and products of each
component.
8. Understand how plant hormones allow plants to respond to environmental cues.
9. Know basic features of the major groups of fungi, including structure, growth and life
cycles.
10. Understand fungal ecological roles, relationships with humans and uses by humans.
Ecology
1. Explain exponential population growth and intraspecific competition.
2. Use simple models to describe unlimited (exponential) and limited (logistic) population
growth.
3. Provide examples of how biological interactions (competition, predation, mutualism)
structure communities.
4. Explain why community or food web structure is likely to change if a top predator is
removed.
5. Explain how humans are altering the global nitrogen (biogeochemical) cycle.
6. Interpret animal social behaviour in the light of natural selection (costs and benefits).
7. Provide an example of a life history trade-off.
8. Explain why small population size is of concern to conservation biologists.
Animal Biology
1. Explain core biological concepts in the context of animal biology, using appropriate
examples.
2. Define an animal using the shared characteristics of animals.
3. Describe basic animal body plans, and relate different tissue types to their functions.
4. Define homeostasis and explain its maintenance through negative feedback mechanisms,
using appropriate examples.
5. Describe early developmental processes in model animals (sea urchins, frogs).
6. Compare and contrast signaling in the nervous and endocrine systems, and explain how
the mechanisms allow for body-wide communication and coordination of a variety of
functions.
7. Describe mechanisms used by animals to obtain energy and nutrients, highlighting form
and function in digestive systems of a variety of animals.
8. Describe mechanisms used by animals to exchange gases with their external
environment, highlighting form and function in respiratory systems of a variety of
animals.
9. Describe the long distance transport of materials within animal bodies, highlighting form
and function in circulatory systems of a variety of animals.
10. Describe mechanisms of osmoregulation and thermoregulation in a variety of animals.
11. Describe basic elements of immune systems and how they function to protect animals
from pathogens.
12. Describe skeletal muscle structure and function; describe various forms of locomotion
with respect to their biomechanics and energetics.
13. Provide examples of the interconnected functioning of multiple organ systems.
Laboratory
1. Identify the design elements of an existing experiment, with particular attention to the
role of controls.
2. Collect both quantitative and qualitative data through careful observations.
3. Use and know when to make use of common biological research tools such as
compound microscopes, pipettors, balances, and enzyme assays.
4. Present data using written descriptions, graphs, tables, and sketches; and interpret
published visual representations of biological data.
5. Write a properly formatted CSE-style (Council of Science Editors) citation for a
website, article or book; quote from and/or cite published material as appropriate.
6. Read and interpret a recent primary research article from a scientific journal and discuss
its content with classmates, understanding the role of each major section of a scientific
article (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion).
7. Analyze data using basic statistical concepts (mean, standard deviation, standard error, n,
95% confidence interval).
8. Use mathematical analysis to evaluate the effects of interspecific competition and to
determine population size and growth patterns.
9. Interpret data (e.g., graphs and tables) to assess hypotheses and generate conclusions.
Course Materials
Textbook
The textbook for this course is called Campbell Biology, 2nd Canadian Edition, 2017 by Reece et al.
(Pearson Benjamin Cummings, Menlo Park, CA), and is available at the Dalhousie University Bookstore.
Secondhand copies of the textbook are suitable for the class. We will also provide page numbers for
readings from the previous edition of the textbook (8th, 9th or Dalhousie edition of Campbell Biology). A
few copies of the text are on reserve in the Killam Library. Please plan to make regular use of the
textbook. We do not use the Mastering Biology online resource that comes with new copies of the
textbook for any class assignments although you are welcome to use it as an additional resource for
studying.
BIOL 1011 Brightspace site
The Brightspace site is accessible at dal.brightspace.com or via my.dal.ca. Login using the same
information that you use to access your Dalhousie e-mail. This site provides lecture information, study
aids, Powerpoint presentations from lectures, marks for labs and exams, and important announcements.
You are expected to check Brightspace, as well as your Dalhousie e-mail, frequently.
Course Assessment
The exams in this course are multiple choice format and they evaluate several skills, including
knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis of information. Success in the course requires that
you both remember and understand the class material. Most professors will provide practice questions,
and other questions and problems are also available at the end of each chapter in the textbook.
Of the 100 marks available in BIOL 1011, 66 are allotted to the lecture component and 34 to the
laboratory as follows:
Midterm exam February 5, 2020 22% for lecture portion, 4% for lab portion
Final Exam Scheduled by Registrar 44% for lecture portion, 9% for lab portion
Laboratory * Ongoing during term 21% for weekly lab quizzes and assignments
* The distribution of laboratory marks is described in the laboratory manual, which must be purchased
from the campus bookstore prior to your first laboratory session.
You must bring your Student ID card to all FINAL exams. All electronic devices, including calculators,
cell phones, and electronic translators, are prohibited at exams. If English is not your first language and
you require a dictionary, you may bring with you to exams a paper language-to-language translation
dictionary, which must be approved by an instructor prior to use. The midterm exam only covers
lecture material from the Plant Biology unit (I), while the final exam only covers lecture material from
the Ecology (II) and Animal Biology (III) units.
The Registrar’s Office has scheduled the final examination period from April 10-26, 2019. The dates,
times and locations of the final exam are arranged by the Registrar’s Office, and posted well in advance
of the end of term. It is very important that you not make arrangements for travel during that time.
Dalhousie’s policy on alternative final exam times is as follows:
“A student requesting an alternative time for a final examination will be granted that request only in
exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances include illness (with medical certificate) or other
mitigating circumstances outside the control of the student. Elective arrangements (such as travel plans)
are not considered acceptable grounds for granting an alternative examination time…This policy may
also be applied at the discretion of the instructor to tests and examinations other than final
examinations.” (Undergraduate Calendar, 2011-12, p. 19)
Other course requirements
Laboratories are usually held each week; please check the schedule in your lab manual. There are 30
students in each laboratory with one Learning Assistant (LA) who answers questions and instructs
students on how to conduct laboratory exercises; as well, an Instructor is supervising three lab rooms
at any one time. You must attend the laboratory in your scheduled room and time slot. There are
quizzes and assignments to be completed throughout the term and laboratory exam questions on both
the midterm and final exams. Assignments must be handed in at the end of the laboratory period. If you
find it difficult to finish laboratories in the allotted time, please speak to a lab instructor.
Conversion of numerical grades to Final Letter Grades follows the Dalhousie Common
Grade Scale:
A+ (90-100) B+ (77-79) C+ (65-69) D (50-54)
A (85-89) B (73-76) C (60-64) F (<50)
A- (80-84) B- (70-72) C- (55-59)
Please note: a grade of C or better in BIOL 1011 is required for entry into the second year biology
classes BIOL 2003 and BIOL 2060. A C or better in both of BIOL 1010 and 1011 is required for entry
into the second year biology class BIOL 2004. Please note that this has changed from the previous
requirement of C+ (65%).
Course Policies
Make-up Examinations
Make-up exams will take place after the scheduled exam, with time and location of make-up exams
announced on the course Brightspace site. Make-up exams are intended for students who miss a
scheduled exam because of illness or some other legitimate reason. They are not available to
students who do poorly on the regular examination and want to improve their mark. Students must
provide appropriate documentation to the Course Coordinator within one week of the scheduled exam
in order to write the make-up exam. Students who miss the make-up final exam due to ongoing illness
may write a make-up during the first week of winter term.
Absences
It is the responsibility of students who are absent from lectures and laboratories to ascertain what was
missed, including announcements of tests and other information. If you miss one or more lectures for
medical reasons, contact the course coordinator to discuss options for catching up on missed lecture
material. Absence from a lab at which a quiz or assignment is due requires that you contact Todd or
Gillian within 48 hours of your absence to avoid losing marks.
OUTLINE OF LECTURES
Unit Date Topic Lecturer
PLANT BIOLOGY Jan. 7 Introduction; Plants and the Colonization of Land M. Johnston
Jan. 9 Major Groups of Land Plants; Plant Reproduction
Jan. 14 Plant Reproduction, Structure, and Growth
Jan. 16 Primary Growth, Secondary Growth, and Transport
Jan. 21 Transport II; Photosynthesis
Jan. 23 Photosynthesis II; Control Systems
Jan. 28 Fungi
Jan. 30 Plants Review Class
ECOLOGY Feb. 4 Terrestrial Communities and Population Growth D. Tittensor
February 5: midterm test (details to be announced)
Feb. 6 Limits to Growth
Feb. 11 Aquatic Communities and Competition
Feb. 13 Community Dynamics and Predation
February 17-21: Study break (no classes)
Feb. 25 Ecosystem Dynamics
Feb. 27 Behavioural Ecology
Mar. 3 Conservation Biology
ANIMAL BIOLOGY Mar. 5 Important Concepts in Animal Biology M. Cooper
Mar. 10 Animal Development
Mar. 12 Communication and Coordination Systems
Mar. 17 Nutrition and Energetics
Mar. 19 Circulation and Gas Exchange
Mar. 24 Regulation of Temperature and Solutes
Mar. 26 Immune System
Mar. 31 Locomotion
Final exam to be scheduled by Registrar.
ACCOMMODATION POLICY FOR STUDENTS
Students may request accommodation as a result of barriers related to disability, religious obligation, or
any characteristic protected under Canadian Human Rights legislation. The full text of Dalhousie’s
Student Accommodation Policy can be accessed here:
http://www.dal.ca/dept/university_secretariat/policies/academic/student-accommodation-policy-wef-sep--
1--2014.html
Students who require accommodation for classroom participation or the writing of tests and exams
should make their request to the Advising and Access Services Centre (AASC) prior to or at the
outset of the regular academic year. More information and the Request for Accommodation form are
available at www.dal.ca/access.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic integrity, with its embodied values, is seen as a foundation of Dalhousie University. It is the
responsibility of all students to be familiar with behaviours and practices associated with academic
integrity. Instructors are required to forward any suspected cases of plagiarism or other forms of
academic cheating to the Academic Integrity Officer for their Faculty.
The Academic Integrity website (http://academicintegrity.dal.ca) provides students and faculty with
information on plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty, and has resources to help students
succeed honestly. The full text of Dalhousie’s Policy on Intellectual Honesty and Faculty Discipline
Procedures is available here:
http://www.dal.ca/dept/university_secretariat/academic-integrity/academic-policies.html
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
Dalhousie University has a student code of conduct, and it is expected that students will adhere to the
code during their participation in lectures and other activities associated with this course. In general:
“The University treats students as adults free to organize their own personal lives, behaviour and
associations subject only to the law, and to University regulations that are necessary to protect
• the integrity and proper functioning of the academic and non – academic programs and
activities of the University or its faculties, schools or departments;
• the peaceful and safe enjoyment of University facilities by other members of the University and
the public;
• the freedom of members of the University to participate reasonably in the programs of the
University and in activities on the University's premises;
• the property of the University or its members.”
The full text of the code can be found here:
http://www.dal.ca/dept/university_secretariat/policies/student-life/code-of-student-conduct.html
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. I am having trouble accessing the Brightspace site. How do I get help?
Contact the Killam Help Desk at 494-2376 or
[email protected] or find them in person at the South
Learning Commons of the Killam Library.
2. I missed my laboratory. What should I do?
You should talk to either Todd or Gillian as soon as possible to explain your absence in order to avoid
losing marks.
3. I missed an exam because I was sick. What should I do about writing the make-up exam?
Do I need a doctor’s note?
You should contact Gillian concerning permission to write the make-up exam. A note from your doctor
indicating the period you were ill is required and should be brought to the make-up exam.
4. My team is playing a game out of town the day of the mid-term exam. What should I do
about writing the make-up exam?
You should contact Gillian for permission to write the make-up exam. You will need a signed note from
your coach to verify the reason for your absence.
5. I have questions about the lecture material. How do I get help?
You should contact the person giving the lectures for that unit.
6. I’m not sure what material will be on the lecture exam. How do I get this information?
You should contact the person giving the lectures for that unit.
7. I have trouble with multiple choice exams. What should I do?
You may wish to attend a Study Skills Workshop on “Writing Multiple Choice Exams” offered
through the Studying for Success program (www.dal.ca/sfs). Students sometimes find certain types of
multiple choice questions more difficult than others. By reviewing your BIOL 1011 midterm exam, you
can determine whether you tend to get a particular type of question wrong more often than other
types. If so, then you should make an effort to get as much practice as possible with that form of
question (e.g. do questions at the end of text chapters, talk to the professor teaching the unit regarding
sample exam questions, work with friends and create practice questions).
10. May I make an audio recording of the lectures?
If you wish to make an audio recording, please make sure to first get permission from the person giving
the lecture.
11. I’m not satisfied with my grade in the course. Can I do an extra assignment to get
more marks?
No. The labs, quizzes and exams are the only graded material in the course, so do your best work on
each assignment throughout the term.
SERVICES AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS
The following campus services are available to help students develop skills in library research, scientific
writing, and effective study habits. The services are available to all Dalhousie students and, unless noted
otherwise, are free.
Service Support Provided Location Contact
General Help with Killam In person: Killam Library Rm G28
Academic - understanding degree Library By appointment:
Advising requirements and academic Ground floor - e-mail:
[email protected] regulations Rm G28 - Phone: (902) 494-3077
- choosing your major Bissett Centre - Book online through MyDal
- achieving your educational for Academic
or career goals Success
- dealing with academic or
other difficulties
Dalhousie Help to find books and Killam In person: Service Point (Ground floor)
Libraries articles for assignments Library
Help with citing sources in Ground floor
By appointment:
the text of your paper and Identify your subject librarian (URL below) and
preparation of bibliography Librarian
offices contact by email or phone to arrange a time:
http://dal.beta.libguides.com/sb.php?subject_id=34328
Studying Help to develop essential Killam To make an appointment:
for study skills through small Library 3rd - Visit main office (Killam Library main floor, Rm G28)
Success group workshops or one-on- floor - Call (902) 494-3077
(SFS) one coaching sessions
Coordinator - email Coordinator at:
[email protected] or
Match to a tutor for help in Rm 3104 - Simply drop in to see us during posted office hours
course-specific content (for a
reasonable fee) Study Coaches All information can be found on our website:
Rm 3103 www.dal.ca/sfs
Writing Meet with coach/tutor to Killam To make an appointment:
Centre discuss writing assignments Library - Visit the Centre (Rm G25) and book an appointment
(e.g., lab report, research Ground floor - Call (902) 494-1963
paper, thesis, poster) Learning
- email
[email protected] - Learn to integrate source Commons &
material into your own work Rm G25 - Book online through MyDal
appropriately We are open six days a week
- Learn about disciplinary
See our website: writingcentre.dal.ca
writing from a peer or staff
member in your field
