The Biology Series

Regardless of intelligence and innate aptitude, discovering the complexity of biology classes can be unexpected for many students. Of course, it’s no surprise that each professor teaches differently. Here is my quick synopsis of the course objectives, with resources and printable PDFs for study material. Check back for more!

Principles of Biology I

BI 211/221

At my campus students are required to complete the entire general biology series at one institution. Yes, this means if students transfer with midway through series, they’ll have to start over or consider completing the series at the original institution. If this situation sounds like you, save yourself a headache by investigating the guidelines for sequential courses such as chemistry, anatomy, or physics as well. In my opinion, the first term of biology was memorization heavy where the other classes were more conceptual. It focuses on important cellular process that were revisited in BI 213. It may not be imperative to take the series in a sequence, but I still recommend this class first. I also suggest a biology textbook for referencing throughout the course (inquire about specific with your professor). You’ll be tested on important lab skills such as how to formulate your own original experiment which is essential throughout the series. Because this class basically sets the foundation for all other biology classes, as expected, it’s important not to “dump” everything you’ve learned at the end of each semester.

Lab Tasks:

• Data entry

• Perform DNA Extractions.

• Use of Microscopes.

• SPF Testing

• Completed PCR, amplifying selected sections of DNA or RNA.

• Used agarose gels to check for PCR products and prepared media for use in testing.

Digital resources:

Encyclopedia of Life PubMed/Medline American Institute of Biological Sciences The Biology Project

Biology of Plants II

BI 213/223

Plant Biology goes into depth on the biochemical processes that were introduced in the first term including the nitrogen cycle, sugar flow, and bacterial metabolism. For me, this class was the most dense, in terms of study material. There was a slight overlap in chemistry, but students aren’t required to have prior chemistry knowledge or take it simultaneously to be successful in this class. Plant biology also covers topics in ecology such as how energy flows through an ecosystem and factors that that contribute to climate change. While we studied and researched things globally, my professor predominantly focused on ecological issues and plant species found in the Pacific North West / Oregon. We also examined other community concepts and identified different species interactions.

Important Processes:

• Energy flow & ecosystems

• The Nitrogen Cycle

• The Carbon Cycle

• Photosynthesis

• Oceanic zones/ HAB’s

• Plant anatomy; water & sugar transport, fertilization, pollination, seeds

• Ecology, Biogeography, Terrestrial Biomes & Ecoregions

• Earths energy Budget & Climate systems

• Albedo activity

• Intrinsic rates

• Species interactions

Digital resources:

Climate

Population Growth

Networks of Interacting Species

Biology of Animals III

BI 212/222

Introduction to evolution and genetics. This class was dissection and lab heavy. There were certain aspects that required memorization, but overall it was application heavy. My professor required the class to know key differences in the major animal phyla. I’ve created a study guide/table which categorizes the differences seen in each phylum (printable PDF found HERE). I did not rely on the textbook or flashcards as much for this class as I did the lecture Powerpoint slides and outside resources (click the Resources tab below). This class was less about “brute force repetition,” and more about advancing indispensable critical thinking skills. Although it was not required, I purchased the Van De Graaff’s Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory. I used this for labeling dissections in lab rather than additional study material. I found it helpful for plant bio as well. If you don’t end up purchasing the book, an alternative resource is the online dissection resources found on the Science Bank website.

Here are some types of jobs for biologists:

1. Research Scientist

2. Wildlife Biologist

3. Marine Biologist

4. Conservation Biologist

5. Environmental Biologist

6. Microbiologist

7. Botanist

8. Geneticist

9. Ecologist

10. Zoologist

11. Biochemist

12. Biomedical Scientist

13. Biotechnologist

14. Forensic Biologist

15. Field Biologist

Digital resources:

Biodiversity Heritage Library Animalbase Virtual Library of Biosciences