Biology: Human Biology

For nonscience majors. Selected biological topics relevant to humans, such as cancer, human genetics, environmental toxicants; biological concepts necessary for understanding these problems. No laboratory. Credit not awarded for both BIOL 1105 and BIOL 1100.

PACE students only; Degree students see BIOL 1105 OL1. Lecture-only course; for lab version, see BIOL 1100. Colocated w/ BIOL 1105 OL1; Total combined enrollment = 110. Asynchronous online. Credit not awarded for both BIOL 1100 and 1105.

This course is a online N1 offering that replaces and expands on the old Biol 003 (Human Biology) course. This “new” course is an introductory level presentation of a life science course, designed primarily for non-science university level students. We will be covering much of the same material that might be found in a general introductory biology course, but will use a Human focus. Topics to be covered will include; basic chemistry, cells, certain body systems, general genetics, human genetics, molecular genetics, body defense systems and evolution. You should note, here, a theme around the processes and characteristics of inheritance. At the end of this course, it is hoped that the student would have a basic understanding of the scientific method, the chemical and cellular components of the body, the function of body systems in health and disease as well as an understanding of the importance of genetics in these processes.

The course will be run via the UVM Brightspace web site for Biol 1105. In order to participate in this course, the student must purchase an eText/learning program for Human Biology. This required component may be: “Human Biology” by Johnson and Long published by Pearson, or a similar text. (This purchase MUST be made via the course Brightspace web site.) The design of the course will parallel that of a standard “in person” lecture course. However, it will have recorded lecture material, lecture notes/figures (a mini-text), and online videos, exercises/assignments etc. Overall, including the extensive online "homework" etc., a student should expect to spend as much time on this course as university policy would suggest for a standard 3cr hr course.

The course will be divided into four sections. An exam (objective and “open response” elements) and a “Homework” component will contribute to the grade for each section. Note: the fourth exam, at the end of the course, will not be cumulative. The homework component will have videos, general exercises and gradable questions on all topics covered in the course. It is a significant component of the grade. The final course grade will come from a combination of the exam scores and the grades for the four homework exercises.