Overview
Biology 207 is the second of two introductory courses in general biology that will prepare students for senior-level biology courses. Designed to help students learn more about the nature of life, the main topics of this course include the diversity of organisms, including fungi, plants, protists, animals, and bacteria. The course will emphasize evolution as the overriding biological principle. This course also includes a four-day in-person lab component.
Outline
BIOL 207 covers two main units (Evolution and Diversity), divided into six units:
- Unit 1: Principles of Evolution (Evolutionary theory; natural, artificial and sexual selection; microevolution; population genetics; macroevolution)
- Unit 2: Evolutionary History (Chemical evolution, evolution of cells, history of life, human evolution)
- Unit 3: Diversity of Life I (Prokaryotes, viruses, prions)
- Unit 4: Diversity of Life II (Protists, fungi, plants)
- Unit 5: Diversity of Life III (Animals)
- Unit 6: Conserving and Utilizing Biodiversity (Conservation of biodiversity, domestication)
Simulation exercises of evolutionary processes include dog domestication and sickle cell alleles in African malaria areas (using SimBio software).
Laboratory Outline
The intensive four-day onsite lab covers topics from both BIOL 204 and BIOL 207 and includes the following main lab activities: microscopy; microbiology; sterile techniques; enzyme lab; electrophoresis; spectrometry; molecular biology; restriction enzymes; diversity of fungi, animals, plants, and protists; evaluation of experiments; and lab report writing, among others.
Students who have attended an equivalent lab at another institution may qualify for a lab exemption.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to
- explain evolutionary theory and the mechanisms of evolution, including population genetics, selection, and micro- and macroevolution.
- outline the history of life, including chemical and biological evolution and human evolution.
- describe aspects of prokaryote diversity, including bacteria and Archaea.
- provide an overview of eukaryote diversity, including the protist, fungi, animal, and plant kingdoms.
- explain why humans depend on biodiversity, and understand the need for biodiversity conservation.
- apply basic biological laboratory techniques.
Evaluation
To receive credit for BIOL 207, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent), a grade of at least 50 percent on the lab evaluation, and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 10% |
| Assignment 2 | 10% |
| Simulation exercises | 15% |
| Lab evaluation | 25% |
| Midterm exam | 15% |
| Final exam | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
The midterm and final examinations for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Russell, P. J., et al. (2016). Biology: Exploring the diversity of life (3rd Canadian ed.). Nelson Education.