General Biology I with Lab Course Descriptor

Course Summary

This is an introductory course that explores some of the basic principles of biology, with a focus on features shared by all living organisms and comparing prokaryotes (bacteria and archaebacteria) and eukaryotes (plants, animals, fungi and protists). Some of the areas explored might include cell structure and function, membranes and transport, biological molecules including nucleic acids and enzymes, cell division and simple genetic mechanisms. Content is complementary to a subsequent foundation course in organismal biology.

The course offers students an opportunity to understand how the scientific method has been developed, and how it is used to address biological questions. Accompanying laboratory classes offer students an opportunity to collect quantitative data through hands-on experimentation as well as simulations. 

Course Aims

This course aims to: 

• Develop the knowledge necessary for further study in biology and related disciplines.  
• Provide a critical overview of heredity, cellular and biochemical processes.
• Provide opportunities to collect and analyse biological data.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Professional Skills

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning strategies for this course will include: 

A minimum of 50 contact hours, typically to include interactive group teaching, co-curriculars, individual meetings, in-class presentations and exams.

Course information and supplementary materials are available on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Students will receive individualised developmental feedback on their work for this course.

Students are required to attend and participate in all the formal and timetabled sessions for this course. Students are also expected to manage their directed learning and independent study in support of the course.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be formatively assessed in class through class activities, worksheets and laboratory tasks, and during office hours. Formative assessments are ones that do not count towards the final grade but will provide students with developmental feedback.

Summative

Further information on the structure of summative assessment elements can be found in the Summative Assessment Briefs.

Feedback

Students will receive feedback in a variety of ways: written (including via email correspondence); oral (within office hours or on an ad hoc basis) and indirectly through class discussion.

Feedback on examinations is provided through generic internal examiners’ reports and these are made available to the student on the VLE. For all other summative assessment methods, feedback is made available to the student either via email, the VLE or another appropriate method.   

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is used as part of the approval/modification process only.

Books 

Urry, L. et al. (2017). Campbell Biology (11th ed.). London: Pearson

Alberts, B. et al. (2015). Molecular Biology of the Cell (6th ed.). New York: Garland Pub

Indicative Topics

Students will study the following topics: 

• Cellular Organisation
• Energy Metabolism
• Heredity
• Biological data collection and analysis