Study Plan and Course Description of Biology and Biotechnology Department (2008)

Bachelor of Science in Biology Major

Biotechnology Minor (B.Sc.)

(1) B.Sc. Specialization Requirements 

To be admitted to the program, the student must fulfill the following requirements:

1) Successful completion of all general biology courses 24101, 24107,24102, and 24108 with a cumulative grade average of no less than 70%.

2) Successful completion of general chemistry courses 23101, 23107,23102, 23108.

In case of competition among applicants, priority of admittance will be selected according to their academic standings.

(2) Graduation Requirements 

To earn a B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences, the student must successfully complete 137 credit hours. These include university requirement compulsory and elective courses, college requirement courses, and department requirement courses.

A. Biology Compulsory Courses: 41 credits 

B. Chemistry Compulsory Courses: 9 credits 

 C. Biotechnology Compulsory Courses:  22 credits

D. Elective Courses: 9 credits 

The 9 elective credits may be selected from a wide variety of courses listed. This flexibility allows students to take extensive course work in one particular area of specialization or sample courses in a variety of areas.

 DA = Department Approval

3. Course Description

 24101 - General Biology I
A discussion of biological activity at the level of the cell, including cell structure,chemical constituents, architecture, material exchange with the environment, the role of the cell membrane, major energy generating biochemical pathways,cellular respiration, photosynthesis, control of cellular activities and basic concepts in genetics. 

24102 - General Biology II
A discussion of biological activity at the level of the organism, including structure and function of body parts, and responses of organisms to their biological and physical environments.

24107 - Practical General Biology I

This course covers scientific background and practical procedures for the various experiments on biological principles discussed in General Biology I (24101).

24108 - Practical General Biology II

This course covers scientific background and practical procedures for the various experiments on biological principles discussed in General Biology II (24102).

24222 - Microtechnique

This course covers various techniques used for slide preparation of plant and animal tissues.

24231 - Genetics

This course presents the principles and experimental evidence leading to our understanding of the gene concept and the role of DNA as genetic material. Patterns

of inheritance, the relationship between genotype and phenotype, and transmission,coding, and expression of genetic information are also included.

24255 - Plant Diversity

Fundamentals of plant biology including growth, reproduction, structure and functions of plants, and morphological studies of typical plants are all covered in this course.

24256 - Non-Vascular Plants

This course is a study of the morphology, reproduction and habitats of the nonvascular plants with emphasis on classification.6

24257 - Vascular Plants

This course surveys major vascular plant groups with emphasis on identification,classification, and phylogeny of flowering plants.

24264 - Zoology

This course is a survey of the animal kingdom with an emphasis on its history and organization. Particular attention is paid to special structures and mechanisms evolved by

selected representatives of major phyla for solving problems of life in various environments.

24267 - Invertebrates

This course focuses on the structure, function, classification, and life history of major groups of invertebrate animals.

24268 - Vertebrates

This course focuses on structure and evolutionary relationships of vertebrates.

24311 - Biochemistry

This course covers fundamentals of biochemistry including structure and properties of biomolecules with special emphasis on proteins, enzymatic catalysis, membrane assembly and function and introduction to bioenergetics.

24314 - Biochemistry of Metabolism

This course covers the basic metabolic pathways of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. The regulation mechanisms and integration of the different metabolic pathways are also discussed.

24321 - Cell Biology

Topics covered include structure and function of cells and organelles, including membrane structure and transport; biogenetics of mitochondria and chloroplasts; cell motility; DNA replication; protein synthesis and transport; mitosis and meioses. In addition, the course includes various modern techniques used in cell biology.

24322 - Cell Culture

This course covers principles of plant and animal tissue and organ culture techniques to study these tissues structurally, biologically and physiologically. Laboratory experience is gained in culturing techniques and preparation of culture media.

24341 - Microbiology

This course covers morphology, physiology, classification, and cultivation of bacteria and viruses, with introduction to microbial genetics, pathogenesis, and immunology.

24346 - Fermentation Industry

This course focuses on biological (especially microbiological) systems by which materials and energy can be interconverted (e.g., waste products into useful chemicals or fuels, or antibiotic production). Manipulation of microorganisms capable of producing high value industrial substances is also discussed.

24351 - Plant Physiology

Plant-soil-water relations, transport, mineral nutrition, plant biochemistry, and the environmental and hormonal control of plant growth and development are discussed.

24361 - Animal Physiology

This course is a study of functions of the major tissue types and organ systems of multicellular animals, with emphasis on human physiology in health and disease. The use of invertebrate and vertebrate animal models in research, and comparisons of functional adaptations in non-human systems will also be covered.

24363 - Medical Parasitology

Major parasitic diseases of humans, important features of the etiologic agents as well as the epidemiology, transmission and mechanisms of pathogenesis and diagnosis

are covered.

24371 - Principles of Ecology

This course is an introduction to fundamentals of ecology. Principles related to populations, communities and ecosystems. Particular emphasis is placed on the many dimensions of interdependence within ecosystems.

24392 - Molecular Biology

This course is a study of gene structure, function and control at the molecular level. Molecular techniques used to analyze nucleic acid and protein activity and diversity are also discussed.

24393 - Techniques in Molecular Biology

This laboratory course aims at applying molecular techniques to investigate a variety of biological questions. Techniques include cloning, DNA/Protein fingerprinting, RFLP, Blotting,PCR, and DNA sequencing.

24405 - Developmental Biology

A detailed survey of the processes of animal development, including fertilization, cleavage and organogenesis. Emphasis is placed on current techniques for studying development, such as recombinant DNA technology.

24413 - Protein Purification

A laboratory course in protein isolation and purification techniques.

24421 - Histology

This course is a study of the basic types of tissues and organs at the microscopic level. Structure and associated functions are emphasized. The laboratory concentrates on the light microscopic study of tissues and offers students the opportunity to perform basic histological techniques.

24441 - Medical Mycology

Major medically important fungi, important features of the etiologic agents as well as prevention, diagnosis and treatment are covered.

24444 - Virology

This course covers molecular/cell biology of viral structure, function, and evolution, with emphasis on pathological mechanisms of various human disorders.

24490 - Recombinant DNA Technology

This course presents the fundamental aspects of techniques for DNA cloning, including gene engineering and introduction into host cells, isolating a gene from a cellular chromosome,detection of specific DNA sequences, and DNA sequencing. Polymerase chain reaction, an alternative to cloning, will be included.

24491 - Seminar

Studies and discussions of modern biological problems carried out by students.

24494 - Applied Biotechnology 1

An overview of the possibilities in which biotechnology may play an important role in producing vital compounds with medical applications, such as enzymes, hormones, etc.. Human gene therapy will be emphasized.

24497 - Biotechnology in Biological Control

This course covers recombinant DNA technology for engineering various organisms to be used for controlling plant and animal pest populations.

24498 - Applied Biotechnology 2

This course is a continuation of Applied Biotechnology I (24494) with topics selected to emphasize techniques for engineering multicellular organisms to improve their productivity and adaptability to their environment, with emphasis on domestic animals and plants.

24499 - Research Project

Department directed research in a field of biology/biotechnology.