Bio 309D Spring 2011
    I will update this page regularly with specific topics for upcoming lectures, and then the presentations that I use in class will be uploaded after class.  Sometimes I forget to upload the presentation.  If you need to access a presentation, and I have not posted it yet, please email me.  Depending on your browser, you may view the presentation on-line or download them and view them on your computer.  Please keep in mind that these figures act as a jumping off point for teaching and discussing in class, and there may be information that was discussed in class that did not have an accompanying figure.  Click on the dates to access the presentation.
    A few days before each lecture, I will post links to specific information and/or articles that I will base the lectures on.  I do not promise to cover everything in these links, but if you want to read before lecture, this will give you the areas to focus on.  Test material will come from what is presented in lecture.
1/18  Introduction to Class and What is Life?

1/20  What is life, and why does it matter?

1/25  What do scientists do? Strong Inference (article as pdf)

1/27  Carrying out an Experiment

2/1 Bonds and Cells

2/3 Biomolecule and Membrane Fluidity

These websites have information relevant to classes on 2/1-3:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26883/
http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm
http://www.johnkyrk.com/cellmembrane.html

2/8 DNA: making proteins and making copies

2/10 Evolution: What is it, how does it occur, and how did earth get covered in humans?

These websites will give you some background info for class on 2/8-10. Since your experiment proposals are due, there will NOT be an assignment over these readings, they are just to familiarize yourself with the class topics. These animations have more detail than what we will cover in class. So do not get too caught up in every minute detail and term, but try to get a feeling for how the information in DNA is used to make proteins:
http://www.johnkyrk.com/DNAanatomy.html
http://www.johnkyrk.com/DNAtranscription.html
http://www.johnkyrk.com/DNAtranslation.html

2/15 Is racism genetic? and How do nature and nurture influence us?

2/17 Nature and Nurture

End of Material for Exam 1

2/24 Cell Division, Cancer, and Telomeres

3/1 Cancer Causes and Treatments

3/3 Funding Research

3/8 Immune System: Non-specific and Specific Immunity (see http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/immuneSystem/Pages/default.aspx for background information. You will need to click through the menu on the left side of the webpage.)

3/10 More Immune System: Pathogens, Vaccines, Allergies, and Autoimmune Diseases

Enjoy Spring Break

3/22 Nutrition and Digestion

3/24 Diet in class exercise and Calorie Restriction for Increasing Longevity

3/29 Circulation and Respiration

3/31 Smoking effects on Fetal Development, plus Choosing Reliable Sources

End of Material for Exam 2

4/7 Sensing the Environment, the Brain and Dreams

4/12 How Neurons Facilitate Sensing

4/14 Muscle Movement and Consciousness

4/19 Monogamy, Mate Choice, Compatibility, and Choosing Good Genes

4/21 Reproductive Strategies: voles and oxytocin, sexual dimorphisms

4/26 Development and Stem Cells

4/28-5/3 Genetic Engineering of People and the movie GATTACA

End of Material for Exam 3

End of Semester