University of California, San Diego
Welcome to BILD 10!
Description An introduction to the fundamentals of modern biology. Some of the questions we will address in this course are: What are cells built from and how do they function? What controls cell's life and death and what goes wrong in a cancerous cell? How do our genes orchestrate our development from a single cell into a fully-grown organism? What is the use of transgenic organisms? What is the evidence for evolution?
Distibution of the overall grades for this course can be viewed here
Review Session slides can be downloaded here
Self-Quiz Lectures 6-12 (download here)
Self-Quiz Lectures 1-5 (download here)
Please note: the Final exam will include material from Lectures 1-12. Material from Lecture 13 (psychiatric disorders) will not be included in the Final. The number of questions on a certain topic will be proportional to the amount of time we dedicated to this topic in class.
TA's presentation slides can be downloaded here:
For printable version of the course syllabus, click here
For printable version of the course general information, click here
Schedule of the course
# |
Date |
Topic |
Reading |
Additional information, lecture slides |
| 1 | Mon. 6/30 | Molecules of Life | Chapter 3 | We will discuss the basic properties and functions of the four macromolecules that are the building blocks of life: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. I will assume that you have a basic knowledge of atoms, molecules and chemical bonds. To refresh you knowledge of this concepts, please read Chapter 2 of the textbook. Article for today's article digest: Download Lecture 1 slides here |
| 2 | Wed. 7/2 | Molecules of Life (continued) Cell Structure and Function |
Chapter 4 | Discussion section: Extract DNA from you favorite fruit or veggie. Please read and write down in your own words the rationale and the procedures of this experiment! For background information for this experiment click here. For the procedures, click here. Article for today's article digest: The Science of Growing Body Parts Download Lecture 2 slides here |
| Fri. 7/4 | Independence Day, no class | |||
| 3 | Mon. 7/7 | Cell Structure and Function |
Chapter 4 | Today we will discuss the major structures of a eukaryotic cell. Today's article explains how mitochondrial DNA genes can be used to trace the origins of the human kind: Download the article here Download Lecture 3 slides here |
| 4 | Wed. 7/9 | Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis First journal article digest is due |
Chapter 7-8 | Why do we breath? Where our energy is coming from? Today's article: The diet pill dilemma Discussion section: Student-led seminars begin. Topic of today's seminars: Public Health. Download Lecture 4 slides here |
| 5 | Fri 7/11 | Guest lecture, Mike Hou: Global health in transformation: Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases |
World Health Statistics 2008 (download here) |
Today's articles: choose one of the following articles. In your digest, you are free to address one of the topics of these reports, or to address the report as a whole. or Download Lecture 5 slides here |
| 6 | Mon 7/14 |
Photosynthesis (continued) Cell division, cell death and cancer |
Chapter 9 | Today we discussed the two major steps of the Photosynthesis: the Light Reactions and the Calvin's Cycle. Starting with the topic of Cell Cycle, we've learned about the different stages of the Cell Cycle and discussed the details of Mitosis. Today's article digest has two articles that report about the same progress in cancer treatment. They complement each other and I recommend you read both Man with Deadly Skin Cancer Saved by New Treatment Download Lecture 6 slides here |
| 7 | Wed 7/16 | First hour: Midterm (Lectures 1-5) Second hour: Cell division, cell death and cancer (contd) Second journal article digest is due |
Chapter 9 |
Today we will learn how the Cell Cycle is regulated and how impaired regulation of the Cell Cycle results in cancer. Today's article talks about a gene CHFR that produces a protein that is an important regulator of the Cell Cycle. View the article here Discussion section, student-led seminars: Diseases and Human Reproduction Lecture 7 slides have been combined with Lecture 8 slides (the first 8 slides of Lecture 8) |
| 8 | Fri 7/18 | Gene structure and function | Chapters 13-14 | |
| 9 | Mon 7/21 | Gene structure and function (contd) | Chapters 13-14 | Today's topic: the flow of genetic information: Gene=>mRNA=>Protein Download Lecture 9 slides here Today's article: Research in mice holds promise for cure of a type of autism (view here) |
| 10 | Wed 7/23 | Gene expression Human genetics and genetic diseases Third journal article digest is due |
Chapters 12 | Download Lecture 10 slides here Discussion section, student-led seminars: Biotechnology/Global Transformations in the 21st Century Today's article: Screen All Pregnancies for Down Syndrome, Doctors Say by RONI RABIN, New York Times, January 9, 2007 |
| 11 | Fri 7/25 | Guest lecture, Dr. Ouarda Taghli: How do we study heart disease? | Today's article: What’s Cholesterol Got to Do With It? Gary Taubes, New York Times, January 27, 2008 Download Lecture 11 slides here |
|
| 12 | Mon 7/28 | Evolution and the Origin of Life | Chapter 17 | Today's articles address the controversy that surrounds the subject of teaching Creationalism or Intelligent Design theories as an alternative to the theory of Evolution in public schools. You are free to choose one article of the two: Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy, NY Times, June 4, 2008 or an essay in PLOS Biology: Evolution and Creationism in America's Classrooms: A National Portrait (download here) Download Lecture 12 slides here |
| 13 | Wed. 7/30 | Guest Lecture, Mike Hou: Neurobiological cause, treatment, and cases of psychiatric disorders. Last journal article digest is due |
Background reading, concepts (download here) | Discussion Section, Dr. Sharon Sann: Brains Reading toward the Brains demonstration: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nsdivide.html http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/lobe.html Today's article: When Worry Hijacks The Brain by JEFFREY KLUGER, Time (view here) |
| 14 | Fri. 8/1 | Review Session | Download Review Session Slides here | |
| Sat. 8/2 | FINAL EXAM, 3-6 PM | Comprehesive. Location PETERSON HALL 102 (our regular classroom) |
For Instructions on how to prepare the Student-led seminars, click here
Download the Team Member Peer Evaluation Form here
Please fill this form and submit it to the instructor (or email it to me) after your seminar.
Your seminar grade will not be finalized without this form!
Topics of the Student-Led Seminars:
Wed. 7/9 Public Health:
1. Obesity in the developed world
2. Malnutrition in the developing world
3. Environmental degradation in the developing world
4. Vaccination/Immunizations/Health services in the developing world
Wed. 7/16 Diseases and Human Reproduction:
1. Cancer
2. AIDS in the developing world
3. Promising developments in medicine
4. In vitro fertilization (IVF)
Wed. 7/23 Biotechnology and Global transformation in the 21st century:
1. Population explosion
2. Bioengineered crops
3. Global food shortages
4. Biofuels
General Information about this course
Instructor: Dr. Ella Tour, etour@ucsd.edu, tel# 858-822-0461 (email is the best way to reach me, be sure to put
BILD 10 in the subject line
Lectures Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 2:00-3:50 pm, PETERSON 102
Office Hours Monday and Friday, 12-1 pm, 4305 Bonner Hall
Course Teaching Mike Hou, mikehou@stanford.edu or chhou@meded-mail.ucsd.edu
Assistant
TA Office Hours Friday: 11a-1:50 pm (Biomedical Library, Second Floor)
Course Website http://www.biology.ucsd.edu/classes/bild10.SU1.08/
Be sure to check the website for important announcements, especially if you missed a class
Syllabus
The lecture and discussion sections schedule is posted on the course website. The syllabus might change slightly during the course, due to the needs of the course.
Textbook Biology, 8th Edition, Sylvia Mader, McGraw-Hill, customized version,
ISBN 0-07-310955-X. Exams will primarily cover material covered in lecture. However, this may include information briefly discussed in class that is more extensively presented in the textbook.
Discussion Sections
Wednesdays, 4:15-6:15 PM, Peterson Hall 102. Attendance and active participation in the discussion sections are mandatory! The first hour will consist of a simple lab experiment, a demonstration or students-led seminars. During the second hour you will review and discuss the lecture material. Attendance and active participation in the discussion sections will contribute 20% of your grade. Section grades will be assigned by the TA.
Students-led Seminars During the first class, you will be divided into groups of 4 students. Each group will be responsible for giving a presentation on one biological topic, by preparing a very short (10 minutes maximum) presentation. Practical guidelines on how to prepare such presentation are posted on the website. Same grade will be given to every member of the group. In order to prevent the situation where some members of the group are doing all the work and some are parasitizing, each member of the group will be evaluated by her/his own group members at the end of the course (peer evaluation form will be posted on the website), and lack of participation will result in a much lower grade than that earned by the group.
Weekly Journal Article Digest Each lecture will have an accompanying electronic article on a related subject. Each Wednesday, starting from Wed. 7/9, you will have to submit a one-page digest of one of the articles from Mon, Wed or Friday of the previous week, using the format described below. Altogether, you will submit four such digests, the last on Wednesday 7/30. Your digests will be graded and the average of the three best grades will contribute 10% to your final grade. You can miss one digest, in which case your grade will be calculated from the three digests that you have submitted. Your digests are due before the start of Wednesday lecture. Submitting a digest after the lecture will result in a loss of points. Please organize your digest according to the following format:
1. What is the claim/news/conceptual advance described in this article. Provide specific details.
2. What is the evidence that supports the claim/news/conceptual advance described in Part 1 (for example, how many patients was a new drug tested on? Were there any control studies?).
3 Do you think that the evidence you've described in Part 2 supports the claim described in Part 1? Why or why not?
Exams
There will be one Midterm Exam on Wednesday, July 16th (during the regular class hours) and one Final Exam on Saturday, August 2nd between 3-6 PM (Location TBA).. The exams are closed book, no notes. The Midterm will cover the first 5 lectures, the Final will be cumulative. Please bring your Student ID to all examination sessions. No one may take the Final Exam early. All students are expected to take their exams at the scheduled times. Reasons for make-up examinations must be clearly documented (e.g., doctor’s note) and to be requested in writing. If justified, a make-up 20 min oral exam will be scheduled by the instructor.
Grading Your grade will be computed as follows:
10% Student-led seminars
10% Journal article digests
5% Active participation in class and discussion sections
25% Midterm Exam
50% Final Exam.
Lecture Notes The instructor’s lecture slides will be posted on the website by one day after the lecture.
Regrade Policy Exams must be written in pen or will not be accepted for regrade. Exams written in pen but having writing masked by any form of white-out or correction tape will not be accepted for regrade. To submit for a regrade, you must:
1. Write a cover letter specifying which specific problem should be looked at and fully describe why you think the problem was wrongly graded.
2. Include your email address in your cover letter so that the instructor can contact you regarding the decision on the regrade.
3. Attach the cover letter to the exam and deliver to the instructor. The regrade request must be delivered within 1 week after the graded exams are returned.
Course Etiquette You are expected to arrive on time, turn off phones and listen attentively. Please avoid actions that may disturb the instructor, the TA, or other students from the learning environment. These actions include: sleeping, talking, note-passing, reading, or using laptops for non-class related matters.
Ucsd Policy on All academic work must be done by the student to whom it is assigned, without
Academic Integrity unauthorized aid of any kind. Please read the official UCSD policy
http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,19400,00.html
