BI 103 - General Biology

4 Credit(s)

BI 103 topics: ecology, evolution and the classification and natural history of organisms. Lab included. Only one BI 103 can be used to meet requirements for any Lane degree, regardless of letter option.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1- Apply scientific inquiry to biological sciences

2- Describe the steps involved in scientific inquiry and distinguish between a hypothesis and a theory

3- Evaluate and critique scientific information from various sources (journals, magazines, newspapers, television, the internet) for scientific reliability and validity

4- Engage in logical methodology and communicate via mathematical and graphical models

5- Describe the phylogenetic relationships among organisms and arrange them on a phylogenetic tree

6- Describe natural selection and speciation and be able to describe the evolution of a novel trait/species

7- Relate the structure of phylogenetic trees to the history of biological evolution

8- Describe the ecosystematic roles of organisms, populations and communities

9- Diagram the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems

10- Evaluate selective advantages of various organismal interactions

11- Relate patterns of population growth to ecosystem dynamics

12- Define sustainable resource use and describe the role of humans in ecosystems

13- Make accurate measurements and be proficient at using biological tools such as microscopes, pipettes, etc.