SCI 131 Introduction to Life Science

Content

This course concerns the fundamental characteristics of life on earth. All biological life is composed of cells, and all cells come from preexisting cells. Cells are the basic building blocks of life and its properties can be explained in physical and chemical terms. Cells take in energy and nutrients from their environment and convert it to biologically useful forms. Genetic information in the form of nucleic acids, which encode all cellular activities, is transmitted from one generation to the next. Mutation and recombination of genetic material, however, cause genetic variation, which in turn enables evolution by natural selection.  Emphasis will be on concepts  in molecular biology, cell biology and physiology that are of high relevance in biomedical science. 

Instructor

Dr. Karine Steketee and Prof. Dr. Cees Cornelisse

Track

Life Sciences

Period

Fall / 2008

Evaluation/Assessment

The grading of the course will be based on:

• Three exams (counting as follows: first 15%, second 20%, third 25%). These written examinations will test your ability to clarify the important biological and biomedical ideas and principles presented in the book. The level will be comparable to the challenging questions that are posed to you during the interactive introductions.
• The quality of your literature discussion (30%, being 10% per oral presentation).
• The quality of your participation in the interactive discussions and the handling of assignments (10%). This part of the assessment will reflect your ability to cooperate and communicate with fellow students as well as your ability to participate in a critical scientific debate. At the end of the semester an overall grade will be determined.

Course Material

Required:

• Life, The Science of Biology, by W. K. Purves, G. H. Orians, H. G. Heller, and D. Sadava, published by W. H. Freeman and Company, seventh edition 2004 (ISBN hardcover 0-7167-9856-5, with CD-ROM).
• Access to the Medline/Pubmed databases on biomedical scientific literature will be provided via the UU library.

Recommended:

• Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary by William Dorland, Alexander Newman, 30th edition 2003 (ISBN hardcover 0-7216-0146-4).

Additional Prerequisites

Companion courses: ACC110 (major), ACC120, SCI101, SCI125, SCI133, SCI191 (major).

Required for

This course is required in order to take the following courses:

• SCI 226 Biochemistry
• SCI 231 Molecular Biology and Cell Biology
• SCI 234 Human Physiology
• SCI 261 Mechanisms of Disease
• SCI 291 Life Science Laboratory
• SCI 332 Cellular and Molecular Physiology
• SCI 337 Pharmacology
• SCI 362 Infection and Immunity
• SCI 363 Molecular Pathology and Genetics