Graduate Courses for Biology (BIOL)

Schedule of Classes: Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer
(Only current and next semester available)

BIOL 502 Life Science for Middle School Teachers II (4 credits)
Three lectures and three hours of laboratory per week.. Prerequisite: BIOL 501.
A second-level lecture/laboratory course that provides a general introduction to the classification, anatomy and physiology of plants and animals, with a special emphasis on humans.

BIOL 503 Life Science for Middle School Teachers III (4 credits)
Three lectures and three hours of laboratory per week.. Prerequisite: BIOL 502.
A third-level laboratory/field course that investigates the ecology and natural history of the Chesapeake Bay and human's relationship to it.

BIOL 600 Ethics in Scientific Research (2 credits)
Prerequisite: Completion of at least one year of graduate study. For LFSC majors only. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 600 or ZOOL 600. Formerly ZOOL600.
Issues of sceintific integrity with emphasis on investigators in the laboratory sciences, including mentoring, scientific record keeping, authorship and peer review, ownership of data, use of animals and humans in research, and conflict of interest.

BIOL 608 Biology Seminar (1-2 credits)
Repeatable to 08 credits if content differs. Formerly ZOOL608.

BIOL 609 Special Problems in Biology (1-6 credits)
Repeatable to 06 credits if content differs. Formerly ZOOL609.
One seminar per week for each subject selected: A-Cell Biology; B-Developmental Biology; C-Estuarine and Marine Biology; D-Genetics; E-Parasitology; F-Physiology; G-Systematics and Evolutionary Biology; I-Behavior; J-General; K-Endocrinology; L-Ecology.

BIOL 613 Recombinant DNA (3 credits)
Prerequisites: BSCI230 or BSCI330, and BSCI222; or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL613 or ZOOL652. Formerly ZOOL652.
An advanced course presenting the tools and procedures of genetic engineering. Theory and practical applications of recombinant DNA techniques to understanding eukaryotic gene structure and expression.

BIOL 615 Developmental Genetics (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Courses in molecular genetics and developmental or cell biology; or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 615 or ZOOL 642. Formerly ZOOL642.
Differential gene function and its regulation in developing systems. Genes and the analysis of developmental processes.

BIOL 620 Cell Biology (3 credits)
Prerequisites: BSCI230/BSCI330/ZOOL211 or BCHM461, BSCI222/BIOL222, and CHEM233 or permission of instructor.
Offered with laboratory as BSCI 421. Molecular basis of cell structure and function in eukaryotes.

BIOL 622 Membrane Transport Phenomena (3 credits)
Prerequisites: MATH220 and (BSCI230, BSCI330 or ZOOL421) or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL622 or ZOOL622. Formerly ZOOL622.
The fundamental phenomena related to solute movement in bulk solution and across interfaces. Examination of natural and artificial membrane transport systems, with emphasis placed on their mechanism of action.

BIOL 625 Biological Ultrastructure (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Cell Biology or Histology; or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 625 or ZOOL 615. Formerly ZOOL615.
The ultrastructure of cells and tissues, with emphasis on interpretation and correlation of ultrastructure and function.

BIOL 641 Comparative Physiology (4 credits)
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisites: One year of biology, one year of organic chemistry, and one semester of physiology. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 641 or ZOOL 621. Formerly ZOOL621.
Cellular and biochemical processes used by animals to interact with both the external and cellular environment. Water balance, intermediary metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, anaerobic metabolism, thermal regulation, nerve and muscle physiology in cells from a broad variety of animal species are considered.

BIOL 646 Hearing (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BSCI230 or BSCI330; or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL646 or ZOOL636. Formerly ZOOL636.
Principles of hearing, covering the auditory periphery, the physiology and anatomy of the central auditory system and psychoacoustics.

BIOL 651 Physical Chemistry for Biologists (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BIOL 230 or equivalent.
Mechanistic and quantitative aspects of chemical and physical processes, including diffusion, ligand-receptor binging, DNA melting, sedimentation, redox reactions, kinetics, fluorescence, osmosis and electrophoresis.

BIOL 660 Theoretical Population and Community Ecology (3 credits)
Prerequisite: One year of college calculus and BSCI 462 or equivalent. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 660 or ZOOL 675. Formerly ZOOL675.
Application of simple dynamic systems and optimization models to understand the dynamics of populations and ecological communities; population growth, predator-prey interactions, competition, food webs, foraging theory, and evolution of life histories. Instruction and use of the program Mathematica.

BIOL 662 Concepts in Animal Ecology (4 credits)
Three hours of lecture and two hours of discussion/recitation per week. Prerequisite: A course in ecology (BSCI 462 or equivalent). Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 662 or ZOOL 670. Formerly ZOOL670.
A graduate-level treatment of ecological processes and their evolutionary implications. Review of classical and contemporary literature, with emphasis on current developments in ecological theories, and their testing in the laboratory and in the field.

BIOL 663 Ecology of Marine Communities (4 credits)
Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisite: BSCI 462 or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 663 or ZOOL 677. Formerly ZOOL677.
An evaluation and extension of our current knowledge of marine communities and how their component populations are limited and interact with one another.

BIOL 665 Behavioral Ecology (4 credits)
Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisites: A course in ecology and a course in behavior; or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 665 or ZOOL 676. Formerly ZOOL676.
Use of evolutionary theory to study life history and social behavior in animals and humans.

BIOL 667 Mathematical Biology (4 credits)
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 667 or ZOOL 625. Formerly ZOOL625.
Mathematical methods of analyzing deterministic and stochastic biological processes from a variety of areas (including population and evolutionary biology, neurobiology, physiology, and morphogenesis). Qualitative aspects of dynamical systems which are usually given as difference or differential equations. The computer program Mathematica will be used to obtain the numerical solutions of these equations.

BIOL 670 Concepts in Evolution (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BSCI 470 or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 670 or ZOOL 671. Formerly ZOOL671.
A review of current theory and experimental analysis in evolutionary biology.

BIOL 671 Molecular Evolution (3 credits)
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 671 or ZOOL 645. Formerly ZOOL645.
Basic foundations through advanced concepts in molecular evolution, including patterns and processes of DNA sequence variation, transposable element dynamics, gene duplication and loss, and genome organization. Relevant concepts from genetics, biochemistry, and phylogenetics also will be covered.

BIOL 701 Teaching Biology (1 credits)
For LFSC graduate students only. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 701 or ZOOL 701. Formerly ZOOL701.
Introduction to instructional methods and strategies, University and College policies, and campus resources for new LFSC graduate teaching assistants.

BIOL 708 Advanced Topics in Biology (1-4 credits)
Repeatable to 08 credits if content differs. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 708 or ZOOL 708. Formerly ZOOL708.
Lectures, experimental courses and other special instructions in various zoological subjects.

BIOL 710 Plant Ecological Genetics (3 credits)
Prerequisites: BSCI 222 and BSCI 472; or BSCI 470; or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 710 or PBIO 745. Formerly PBIO745.
Plant ecological genetics is focused on the processes responsible for evolution in plant populations. Covers the basic principle of population genetics, then quickly shifts towards understanding how allele frequencies can change in an ecological context. Emphasis is placed on the role of drift and selection in evolution, and particular attention is placed on plant mating system evolution.

BIOL 744 Neurophysiology (3 credits)
Prerequisites: BIOL 230/ZOOL 211, CHEM 233, and PHYS 122.
The physiology of nerves, muscles, an sensory receptors, and aspects of central nervous system physiology.

BIOL 760 Plant Population Biology (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BSCI 472 or permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 760 or PBIO 740. Formerly PBIO740.
An examination of current theoretical and empirical research covering topics such as demography, reproductive strategy, clonality, seed banks,interspecific competition and plant-herbivore interactions.

BIOL 762 Physiological Plant Ecology (2 credits)
Prerequisite: BSCI 460 or equivalent. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 762 or PBIO 755. Formerly PBIO755.
Environmental effects on plant ecophysiology. Microclimatology, leaf energy balance, plant responses to temperature and radiation, physiological adaptations, water relations and plant gas exchange.

BIOL 765 Sociobiology (4 credits)
Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisite: A course in behavior and permission of instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 765 or ZOOL 665. Formerly ZOOL665.
Deals with the description and analysis of animal social organizations the adaptive nature of animal societies, the effects of early experience, and the role of communication in the integration of animal groups.

BIOL 767 Behavioral Endocrinology (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BSCI 342 or BSCI 447. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: BIOL 767 or ZOOL 627. Formerly ZOOL627.
The interactive effects of hormones and behavior. Emphasis on the reproductive and stress hormones as they affect the brain and behavior.

BIOL 799 Master's Thesis Research (1-6 credits)
Formerly ZOOL799.

BIOL 898 Pre-Candidacy Research (1-8 credits)

BIOL 899 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1-8 credits)
Formerly ZOOL899.