BIOL 121 – The Unity of Life

Instructor: DW Buckalew

Office: 305A Sciences

Office Hours: M 3:00 – 5:00 pm

F 8:00-10:00 am

Welcome aboard!

The Biosphere is the limit!!

How to Succeed in Science courses

•Attendance is a MUST – you will need to take notes!

•Timeliness is a MUST – you need to be present to take notes!

•Read the textbook from this day forward….

•Begin projects early

•Don’t be rude – turn off cell phones, refrain from talking

•Biology I is essentially Intro Biochemistry – look at the topics!

•You’ve seen/heard much of the info before? Probably so.

•You’ve had to synthesize the amount req’d for Biology I?

Probably not.

How to Succeed in Science courses

COMMUNICATE – talk with faculty when problems arise

(notice the word “IF” was not used)

“ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES” – bounce back from low test/quiz scores

DELAY IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION – the pursuit of the degree is difficult

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE – graduation is closer than you think!

Work Hard!!

1) Brett Montgomery ('03) MD program at EVMS2) Matthew Kren ('04) MS Biology – VCU; DVM Program – Ross University3) Renae Trombley ('04) Doctoral program - VCU/MCV Physical Therapy4) Richard Scherer ('04) Doctoral program - VCU/MCV Physical Therapy5) Brian Belliveau ('05) Ph.D. program in Molecular Biology at Notre Dame6) Nick Hopson ('05) Doctoral program - VCU/MCV Physical Therapy7) Amber Weems ('05) VCU School of Dentistry8) Ryan Dunn ('05) MD program in Pathology at Duke University 9) Paul Hetterich ('05) MS in Clinical Micro/Immuno at VCU/MCV10) Stephen "Matt" Akers ('04) MD/PhD program at West Virginia University11) Frankie Simmons ('03) MD program - Howard University12) Stephanie Thomas  ('04) Ph.D. Program at Old Dominion University              14) Stuart Bertsch ('05) MD program – VCU/MCV 15) Sara Lee  ('05) MS program – Forensics - Marshall University 16) Katie Wells ('05) Doctoral program - Shenandoah University Physical Therapy17) Laura Wooldridge ('05) Physician's Assistant program - Shenandoah University18) Casey Dertzbaugh ('06) Doctoral program VCU/MCV Physical Therapy19) Adrienne Hampton ('05) MD program - Northwestern University20) Kelley Jernigan (06) Nursing Program at VCU 21) Quintin Lewis (06) Ph. D. Program in Molecular Biology – VCU22) Jerry McCoy ('05) Teaching at Emporia Private High School 23) David Walker ('06) NOVA University School of Dentistry24) Carolyn Howard ('06) MS program in Occupational Therapy - JMU25) Crystal Freels ('06) Science teacher – Roanoke school district 26) Ray Stephens ('06) VCU Dental School 27) Albert Tuono ('06) DOM program - WV School of Osteopathic Medicine28) Colleen Schamber ('06) MS in Biomedical Engineering – UVA29) Nicole Woznick ('06) PharmD program - VCU

30) Kelly Brake ('06) - VCU School of Nursing31) Catherine Dunn ('05) - Molecular lab tech at Cornell Medical College32) Chelsea Norton ('05) - Lab specialist - Wyeth Pharmaceuticals33) Catherine Melvin ('05) - Ph.D program in Microbiology - GMU34) Christina Stewart ('06) - Lab technician - VCLS Richmond, VA35) Michelle Wagner ('05) - VCU School of Nursing36) Ashley Martin ('04) - MS program in Clinical Lab Sciences - VCU/MCV37) Jason Chambers (06) – MS in Marine Biology – UNC-Wilmington38) Tiffany Crane (07) – Post-Bacc – University of Cincinnati39) Jennifer Smith Doss (07) – Officer, Va DCR – Fish and Wildlife40) Michael Edwards (07) – DVM program – VA Tech41) Jason Ferguson (07) – MS program in Fisheries – Univ Tennessee42) Oscar Gonzalez (07) – Biomedical Engineering – VCU43) Jane Ashley Hawkins (07) – BS Nursing program – Univ of South Carolina44) Michael Joyce (07) – Post- Bacc – Pre-medical program – VCU45) Courtney Kreft (07) – 2nd Lt – MASH surgical unit – Afghanistan46) Joel Rowe (07) – MD program – VCU/MCV47) Amanda Simmons (07) – MS in Microbiology – ODU48) Whitney Slack (07) – MS Program in Nursing VCU/MCV49) Emily Sturgill (07) – BS Nursing Program – GMU50) Natalie Haines (07) – QC Biologist – American Type Culture Collection51) Matt Lusk (06) – UNC Coastal Studies Institute

Your name here (‘11) – attending graduate school at….

- attending professional school at…

- teaching science at……

-lab/field scientist at/for….

Your future begins today!!

Hot Topics in Biology:

Emerging/Re-emerging diseases

Hot Topics in Biology:

Global Warming

Hot Topics in Biology: Decline in Biodiversity

Hot Topics in Biology: Fetal Stem Cells

Career options – what’s out there

• Professional scientists– often immersed in research and

development

academia

government

industry

– Often requires a Ph.D. or other advanced degree degree

• Science-trained professionals– Often employed by industry,

business, education, and government in different ways

– Usually requires a M.S. or equivalent degree

You can enter many science careers with a B.S.

•Research technician

•Lab coordinator

•Regulatory agent

•Quality control specialist

•Life science product sales

Biology B.S. with additional study:

•Science journalism

•Medical technology

•1° and 2° education

•Pharmaceutical/agrichemical sales

•Bioinformatics including law enforcement

•Museum curator

Biology B.S. combined with other degree (i.e., MBA, JD)

•High tech business or hospital management

•Financial analyst of biotechnology firms

•Patent law/technology transfer/environmental law

•Environmental engineering

Biology Ph.D. :

•Average of 5-7 years beyond B.S.•College/university teacher

•Research director in academia, government, and industry

M.D.:•Average of 4 years beyond PLUS 4+ years of residency/specialized training

•Other professional medical degrees… P.A.

D.V.MPharmD.D.D.S.D.P.T.D.P.M.D.O.M.

The number of Biology Ph.D.’s employed in business and industry has increased steadily…over 50% of new Ph.D.’s are employed outside academia (Tobias, 2005)

Over 1/3 have moved into management roles

Typically obtained via paid assistantships

So let’s get started in the quest….

Chapter 1- The Science of Biology

• Biology is “the study of life”

I. Characteristics of life:– Cellular organization

– Order

– Sensitivity

– Growth, development, and reproduction

– Energy utilization

– Evolutionary adaptation

– Homeostasis

II. The Hierarchical organization of life

• At the cellular level…Atoms join to form

molecules

Molecules join to form larger molecules (e.g. organics)

Large molecules are assembled to form organelles

Organelles are contained within a larger organized cell

II. The Hierarchical organization of life

• At the organismal level…Cells organized in 3 levels:

tissue

organ

organ system

The set of organ systems form

the intact organism

II. The Hierarchical organization of life

• At the population level…Individual organisms form

populationsAll populations of a single

type of organism constitute the species

All populations of different organisms living together in one place make a community

The biological community PLUS the abiotic factors make up an ecosystem

III. The Process of Science(science = L. “to know”)

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) sought natural rather than supernatural causes for the unity/diversity of nature and, in doing so, revolutionized biology. Published the then controversial book, On the Origin of Species…etc in 1859.

The Process of Science

• Science seeks answers to natural phenomena– Activities that can be

observed and measured

– Activities that can be verified through testing

The Process of Science• Science uses 2 ways to

approach problem solving…– Inductive reasoning =

Generalization that summarizes many observations

– Deductive reasoning =Hypothesis testing and

“if-then logic” – reasoning flows from general to specific

How Science Is DoneScience is a systematic process of testing alternative hypotheses

Unifying Themes of Science

• Cell theory– Robert Hooke (1665) to Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1700) to

Schleiden and Schwann (1839)

– All living organisms are made of cells, and all living cells come from other living cells.

– Later, it was proposed that all cell came from pre-existing cells.

• Molecular theory – “central dogma of molecular biology”– DNA is the molecule of inheritance

– DNA encodes genes which make-up and control living organisms.

– DNA RNA Protein

Unifying Themes of Science

• Evolutionary change– Life-forms have evolved varying characteristics to

adapt to varied environments.

• Evolutionary conservation– Some characteristics of earlier organisms are preserved

and passed on to future generations.

Articles on reservefor 1st Article Review

• Nestle, M. 2007. Eating made simple. Scientific American. 297: 60-69. (Sept)

• Grossman, D. 2004. Spring forward. Scientific American. 290: 84-92. (Jan)

• Rennie, J. 2002. 15 Answers to creationist nonsense. Scientific American. 287: 78-85.(July)

LWU electronic reserve: http://readpac.longwood.edu/search/r?biol+121