Biology Courses

This is a course for non-biology majors with two components, lecture and discussion section. We will explore biological principles at all levels of organization, from molecules, cells and organs to individuals, populations and the biosphere. Have you ever wondered…how basilisk lizards can literally run on water? …why we don’t yet have a vaccine against the HIV/AIDS virus? …why there is no rainforest in New England? …how bacteria help the Gulf ecosystem recover after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? We will explore these and other questions to better understand how the living world works. Assessment includes evening exams, quizzes and written assignments. Gen Ed: BS.

Second semester of a full year course for majors in the life sciences. Topics include plant and animal structure and physiology, evolution, and ecology. Prerequisite: BIOLOGY 151 with grade of C or better.

An introduction to the workings of the cell, focusing on themes of cellular structure, dynamics and energetics. This course is intended for students interested in a broad interdisciplinary approach to the biological sciences: frequent connections to chemistry, physics and mathematics will be made as the cell, its inner workings and malfunctions, are explored. In the laboratory, students will work in teams to conduct multi-week inquiry-based experiments in a laboratory 'core facility' to complement and expand on the lectures. This first semester course is prerequisite for the second semester in a full year introductory course sequence for life science majors. Gen Ed: BS.

We will investigate the process of biological evolution and the evolutionary history of life on Earth. Topics to be covered include natural selection, speciation (the formation of new species), and other causes of evolutionary change; the methods that evolutionary biologists use to investigate evolutionary processes and history; and an overview of life's history, focusing on major evolutionary innovations and transitions. Prerequisites: Grades of C or better in Biology 151, 152 & 153.

Course designed for sophomore-level majors in life sciences. Building upon concepts introduced in BIOL 100/101, consideration is given to structure and function at the cellular, subcellular, and molecular levels. The course is equally divided between aspects of molecular and cellular biology. Prerequisites: a grade of C or better in Biology 151, 152 & 153 and in Chemistry 111 & 112.

Lectures cover the physiology of humans and other vertebrates on a system by system basis (e.g. circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, etc.). Emphasis is placed on understanding fundamental physiological concepts such as diffusion, membrane potentials, biomechanics and biocontrol. Problem sets and exams give students practice working with physiological concepts. This course concentrates primarily on human physiology, but examples from other vertebrate animals are used to illustrate some physiological phenomena. Prerequisites: Grades of C or better in Biology 151, 152, & 153.

Introduction to genetics including Mendelian and molecular developmental. Examples from a wide variety of organisms. Satisfies major requirements in Biology.

We have two goals in this course. The first, and most important, is to introduce undergraduate Biology students to some of the many fascinating aspects of Plant Biology, especially as these differ from animal biology. For instance, did you know that plants are moving (on a large scale) all the time? It’s the truth, but in a very different time scale than we animals use. How do plants do that without the benefit of muscles and skeleton? Have you ever thought about how, in the absence of a pumping heart, plants’ circulatory systems work? After all, the water at the top of a tree got there from roots in the ground, but no pump was involved. Plants don’t have an immune system, and yet, they ‘stand and fight’—literally rooted to the spot—taking on all types of pathogens, as well insects and other predators. What strategies do plants use to overcome these attacks? Have you ever wondered about how biotechnology is used in agriculture? We have all heard news stories about GMO’s (genetically modified organisms). What are these and what makes them useful or dangerous? These are the types of topics we will be covering in this course.

A practical, hands-on approach to subjects within computational molecular biology. Recently, there have been huge advances in our ability to understand the genome and how different genomes interact in an environment using next-generation sequencing. Analyzing these revolutionary new datasets will be essential for molecular biology in the future. Foundational topics will include analysis of whole transcriptome, whole genome, and microbiome sequencing. No coding experience required.
Prerequisites: Open to Honors Students ONLY. C or better in BIOL 151 or 161H AND a C or better in BIOL 152 or 162H; BIOL 285 OR BIOCHEM 275 OR BIOL 283 (C or better)

This project-based laboratory course will expose students to a range of techniques that are used by neurobiologists and physiologists, including electrophysiology, imaging, and molecular biology. Research projects and exercises will focus on the mechanisms that facilitate the development and physiological activities of the nervous and endocrine systems using model animal systems like zebrafish. We will also study human sensory physiology through non-invasive participatory lab exercises. Students may also have the opportunity to pursue projects examining tissue- and cell-physiology in non-neural tissues.

Most courses present the prevailing wisdom of the field as artistically rendered figures that summarize a large body of information and present it as dogma. However, that’s not how the field actually advances. Breakthroughs occur when researchers publish original research papers in peer-reviewed journals. Sometime the importance of the work is obvious at the time of publication and sometimes it takes many years for the true significance of the work to be appreciated. The “Great Papers in Biology” course is designed to allow students to read seminal papers in biology with the goals of: 1) understanding, in detail, how the experiments were conducted; 2) how the results were interpreted; and 3) how the work changed scientists understanding of biology. Papers to be discussed will represent a wide range of fields within Biology, including: developmental biology, genetics/genomics, neuroscience, cell biology, and the mechanisms of disease.

This three-credit will be limited to 20 upper division students who will be expected to read and discuss each of the papers. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their presentation and on class participation.

This course provides an introduction to methods in field ecology, with an emphasis on rigorous experimental design, hypothesis testing, data collection, introductory data analysis, and presenting results. The ability to pose clear questions, state hypotheses, and design appropriate experiments to test these hypotheses is of fundamental importance in all research disciplines; this course takes advantages of challenges in field ecology to address these essential topics. We will use formal lectures, interactive discussions, and hands-on learning in the field and computer lab, including field data collected during the laboratory time, as examples to learn the fundamental concepts that are essential for designing effective experiments. This course will provide students with the skills to design and conduct experiments to address basic and applied ecological questions.

Learn to identify the common vascular plants and plant families of southern New England and learn about the ecology and natural history of the local flora. The class involves using keys to help identify living and dried material during the lab/lectures and field trips. A digital collection of photographs of 20-25 species of plants is required. Prerequisite: Introductory Biology or consent of instructor.

In this interdisciplinary course, we will explore the topic of imaging biological material, beginning with optics and basic microscopy. Students will perform hands-on exercises in the use of the light microscope, digital cameras, and image processing and quantification. Common pitfalls in imaging biological samples will be covered. Students will perform experiments to test and quantify various aspects of cell migration, cell cycle regulation, mitosis and endocytosis. Using the methods learned in the first portion of the class, students will design and complete a hypothesis-based experiment of their own design and present their findings. Bioimaging is a laboratory-based course.

The goal of this laboratory course is to explore how researchers address modern biological questions through the use of model organisms. The course will be taught by a team of faculty whose own research employs these model systems to answer a diverse range of biological problems, including molecular evolution, plant development, yeast genetics, embryonic development and population genetics. Students will be introduced to several different model organisms that may include representative bacterial, plant, fungal, invertebrate, and vertebrate species. Lab exercises will employ sophisticated, state-of-the-art molecular methods and will tackle a variety of current biological questions.

Prerequisites: BIOLOGY 285 or BIOCHEM 275 or BIOLOGY 311, all with a grade of 'B' or better.

This 1-credit course fulfills one component of the General Education Integrative Experience requirement for Biology majors. The course is designed to help students appreciate what their academic training has been, and where it is leading them professionally. Students will learn about career options for life scientists and develop strategies and skills to position themselves to be successful. In order to satisfy the Integrative Experience requirement, BA-Biol and BS-Biol majors must also take one of the approved 3- or 4-credit Biology courses listed on their Academic Requirements Report.

This course covers current topics in genetics and and the social, ethical and legal issues surrounding genetic technology. Topics include genome structure and evolution, genetics of disease, personal genomics, human microbiomes and epidemiology. Students will have the opportunity to submit their DNA for genome-wide SNP and gut microbiome determination. Practical skills for analyzing genetic and genomic data are taught through weekly bioinformatic sessions in the R statistical programming language.

This course focuses on the processes affecting the distribution of genetic variation in populations of organisms, through space and time. The processes studied are the ones that operate during evolutionary change. Topics covered will include the Hardy-Weinberg principle, gene flow, genetic drift, recombination and linkage disequilibrium, natural selection, the effect of mating systems on diversity, and the neutral theory of evolution. Examples illustrating key concepts will be drawn from various kingdoms of life. The course will consist of lectures and occasional in class discussion. Prerequisites: Biology 280 or 283, plus Math 127 or 128 or Statistics 111 or 240 or ResEcon 211 or 212.

In this course we explore the cellular structure and function of human tissues and organ systems. The laboratory component offers a unique opportunity for you to develop and refine your skills in microscopy and visual identification of cells, tissues, and organs as well as tissue sectioning, staining, immunohistochemistry, and imaging. This includes a semester-long group project where you will prepare samples, section, stain, and analyze an organ of your choice and explore how the histology of this organ is altered by disease. This course provides a strong background for those interested in pursing a career in health sciences or graduate school in cell biology, morphology, or physiology.

An advanced course focused on the evolution of macromolecules and the reconstruction of evolutionary history of genes, proteins and organisms. Potential topics include databases and sequence matching, molecular phylogenetics, gene duplication and divergence, genome evolution, and horizontal gene transfer. The course will consist of lectures, computer demonstrations and class discussions. Text: Molecular Evolution, W.-H. Li, 1997 and readings from primary literature. 2 hour-exams and 1 term paper. Prerequisite: Biology 280 or equivalent course.

This is an introductory course designed to familiarize students with the diversity of fishes. We will provide an overview of the biology, evolution and ecology of fishes. A phylogenetic approach will be used to look at major primitive to advanced fish groups. No prior coursework is required to take this course, but students are expected to have a general biology background and be enthusiastic in learning about this diverse group of organisms. The textbook to be used is “The Diversity of Fishes” by Helfman, Collete and Facey 2004. Only selected portions of the text will be required during the course. The lab is designed to supplement the lecture course with hands-on dissection, anatomy of preserved specimens and dry skeletons and identification of major lineages. 1 essay exam, final, 2 lecture quizzes, 2 lab practicals.

With lab. Lectures and readings on comparative biology and evolutionary relationships of mammalian groups. Lab involves detailed introduction to the New England mammalian fauna and study of selected representatives of other groups, emphasizing adaptation. Prerequisite: any life science course beyond the introductory level.

This course will explore animal communication from several biological perspectives. We will explore how animals use different modalities of communication (sound, smell, electricity, etc.) and how these modes of sending and receiving information are limited by environmental constraints and their functions. We will look at the physiological and anatomical aspects of signal production and perception. The class will discuss the different types of messages encoded in signals and how they evolved. We will explore the evolution of sexually selected forms of communication (antlers, bird song, etc.) and the theories that attempt to explain their function and evolution. The lectures/discussions will draw on examples from a diverse selection of animals (insects, fish, birds, and mammals). Students will also work on projects where they will learn how to analyze and interpret different forms of vocal and visual communication.

Physiological principles governing the function of major organ systems (nervous, circulatory, respiratory, endocrine) and their interactions in vertebrates emphasizing mammals especially humans. Lab exercises designed to illustrate physiological principles using modern approaches. Prerequisite: Biology 285 or equivalent and at least one semester of Organic Chemistry.

The role of hormones in growth, metabolism and reproduction, molecular mechanisms of hormone action, and feedback control of hormone secretion. 2 hour-exams, final, and 1 class presentation. Prerequisite: Biology 288 or consent of instructor.

Biology of nerve cells and cellular interactions in nervous systems. Lectures integrate structural, functional, developmental, and molecular approaches. Topics include neuronal anatomy and physiology, membrane potentials, synapses, development of neuronal connections, visual system, control of movement, and neural plasticity. Text and reserve readings, 2 hour-exams, final, short critique paper. Prerequisite: (Biology 285 or Biochem 285) and (Psychology 330 or Biol 372).

How do complex morphologies develop from a single-cell embryo? What makes the human hand different from the horse's hoof, the bat's wing, or the flipper of a whale? These and related questions will be addressed as we explore the genetic and developmental basis of evolutionary change.

This course will provide an on-site introduction to the world's epicenter for aquatic and terrestrial diversity, the Amazon Basin. We will examine the Amazon's fauna, flora and ecosystems and we will have a chance to interact with people in small villages. Via riverboat, we'll travel to Careiro Island on the Amazon river, and to Novo Airao in the Negro River. Most of the time will be sent canoeing on floodplains and forests, the best way to experience the diversity of animals and plants. Students will complete self-designed research projects comparing the biodiversity of different habitats of the black and white water river systems.

This course deals with evolutionary processes on molecular and genetic levels. Topics include the use of genomic data to detect natural selection, the evolution of genome size and structure, speciation, the evolution of sex, and genomic conflict. The course consists of computer-based bioinformatics lab sessions (including an introduction to Python) which provide training in analytical methods related to detecting genetic variation, phylogenetics and comparative genomics alternating with discussions of papers from the scientific literature.

This course is designed for upper-level undergraduate, honors, and graduate students interested in development of the nervous system. It will provide the fundamentals of the discipline as well as investigate the guiding principles and research methods of Developmental Neurobiologists through lectures and discussions. It covers the field of developmental neurobiology from neural induction to the modification of neuronal connections in the adult nervous system. Research using a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate model organisms will be used to demonstrate the rules by which nervous systems develop. The course takes an experimental, inquiry-based approach to the field, using primarily a molecular, cellular, and systems approach. This course is complementary to Developmental Biology, but overlaps little due to the exclusive concentration of this course on the nervous system.

There are a mind-boggling 400,000 species of plants on earth, with new species discovered every year. Plants have evolved over hundreds of millions of years to efficiently capture the sun's energy and cycle oxygen in the atmosphere. How did this diversity come to be, and why are plants so varied in form and function? Explore the plants of the world in a hands-on laboratory setting using live temperate and tropical plants from the UMass greenhouses and forests. You will use this new-found knowledge to study your favorite plant in an independent project for the web.