SYLLABUS

Modern Biology I
Biology 1320 (007) Fall 2016
Instructor: Dr. Michael Huston
Office Hours: Tues/Wed 1-2:30pm
Office: Supple 246
or other times by appointment
Phone: 512-245-2129
E-mail: hustonma@txstate.edu
Lecture Time and Location: Tues / Thurs 5:00 pm 6:20 pm
Prerequisites: none
Laboratory: none

Supple Bldg. Room 116

Required Textbook: Biology: Concepts & Investigations, 3rd edition, by M. Hoefnagels + CONNECT Access Code
from McGraw-Hill Education. This is a special version of the book produced specifically for Texas State University
(ISBN - 1259687546). I recommend purchasing an e-book directly from McGraw-Hill instead of a hard copy of the
text. When you get your CONNECT Access Code, you will have full access to the ebook which has all the material in
the hard copy textbook. A hard copy is NOT REQUIRED, although some students may prefer to have a copy they
can carry around.

Required Technology: Access to CONNECT | Biology. Access is provided free with purchase of a new textbook or
e-book. To access the resources for this class, use the Connect course URL:
http://connect.mheducation.com/class/m-huston-fall-2016. NOTE: You should use the FIREFOX browser to get
CONNECT access and register for this course. Other browsers may not work.

Classroom Interaction Technology: All students are required to purchase a Top Hat Access Code, to be used for
taking attendance during class. The Access code costs $12 per semester, or $14 for the entire year. To purchase your
TopHat access, go to Tophat.com and use the 6-digit course code: 342407 TopHat may already have contacted you
with instructions about how to register.
Course Description: BIO 1320 Modern Biology I. Molecules, Cells, and Physiology. (3.0) Bio 1320 provides nonscience majors with an understanding of basic scientific and biological principles. Current problems in biology and the
ethics of science are presented with perspectives of public policy from a scientific viewpoint. This course, when
accompanied by Biology 1421, will fulfill the Natural Science Core Component. This class may not be credited toward a
biology degree.
My primary goal in this class is to provide each of you with an introduction to important concepts in the field of
biology. Even if you have no intention of becoming a biologist, you still live on the planet Earth, which is the only
location in the entire universe where life is known to occur. If you want to understand what is happening on this planet
and in your own body, you need to understand biology (as well as some other things). For your own health, enjoyment
of life, and understanding of social, political, and environmental issues, it is very important that you have a good
working knowledge of biology. Biology- related issues such as medical breakthroughs, disease, famine, extinctions, crop
failure, pollution, forest fires, etc, are discussed every day in newspapers, magazines, on television and in politics.
Medicine is based on the principles of biology. The most important thing you can do in this class to be successful is to
realize right from the start that this material is important and relevant to you, even though it might be outside of your
major. Biology affects every aspect of our daily lives whether you are immediately aware of it or not!
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes: The following are the course objectives for this class. Upon completion of
the class students should demonstrate competency in the following areas.
A. To understand the nature of science, the scientific method, and hypothesis testing.
B. To understand cell diversity, structure, and function with an emphasis on the role of the cell membrane.
C. To understand basic chemical principles, the nature of organic molecules, and the function of chemicals
within cells.
1

SYLLABUS
D. To understand the role of energy in maintaining life and to learn how cells acquire and use energy.
E. To understand the structure and function of DNA especially as it pertains to protein synthesis.
F. To understand the principles of inheritance (genetics) and explore patterns of inheritance in humans.
G. To understand the principles of cell division, the regulation of cell division, and the consequences
of malfunctions in the regulation of cell division (e.g. cancer).
H. To understand aspects of biotechnology and to discuss the role that biotechnology plays in our world, to
include an exploration of the ethics and consequences of emerging technologies.
I. To understand the anatomy and physiology of the human reproductive system.
Special Accommodations: Students who believe they may need special accommodations for lectures and /or exams in
this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services at (512) 245-3451 as soon as possible to ensure that
such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Students with documented needs should identify themselves
as early as possible in order to facilitate appropriate accommodations, such as taking exams in quiet rooms at the testing
center to reduce distractions or needing extra time for the exams.
TRACS: We will use the universitys online course information system, called TRACS, frequently in this class. You
should learn to check TRACS regularly for announcements and other information. This will require an internet
connection. Lecture notes, announcements regarding syllabus changes, grades, and other material relevant to the course
will be posted here. The TRACS link is near the top of the Texas State web page.
CONNECT: CONNECT | Biology is an online tutorial and homework program provided by McGraw-Hill, the publisher
of your textbook (see pages 7-10 of this syllabus). It is designed to help you learn biology by providing you with a wide
variety of study tools including animated videos, on line chat help, practice problems, tutorials and other material.
CONNECT provides feedback and hints designed to help you learn the material without simply giving you the answer. In
this course we will use CONNECT for preparing for class, for graded homework assignments and for extra credit
opportunities. Take some time to explore all of the resources the program provides you. CONNECT maintains its own
gradebook for assignments and extra credit activities. After each in-class exam I will update the TRACS gradebook by
exporting points earned using CONNECT into TRACS. The program provides me with statistics and data regarding
student performance on the assignments that I can use to help focus on areas where you might be struggling. Each of the
CONNECT assignments and extra credit opportunities will be available only for a limited time. Make sure you note the
deadlines for finishing the assignments that are listed with each CONNECT assignment). In general, the LearnSmart
and Homework assignments for each chapter will be closed after the last lecture on that chapter. No late assignments
will be accepted, so if you don't finish the assignment by the close date and time, you will not get the points from those
assignments. I highly recommend using a reliable internet connection when attempting to use CONNECT. I lost my
internet connection is not an acceptable excuse for not completing and submitting an assignment on time. WHEN YOU
ENTER YOUR TEXAS STATE ID in CONNECT you MUST use the format A0 or A00 plus the 5 or 6
numbers of your Texas State ID, e.g., A0123456 or A0012345.

Connect course URL: http://connect.mheducation.com/class/m-huston-library-course_1

Handouts: Note-taking is one of the most important skills that you must develop to succeed in college. Therefore, I will
not provide complete copies of my Powerpoint lectures - neither before nor after the material is covered in class. There
are no exceptions to this policy, so please do not ask. However, to assist you in taking organized, complete notes, printed
paper copies of skeleton handouts will be provided before class for each chapter we cover in lecture. These handouts will
contain headings that follow the order of lecture material and important figures that you might want to draw on or take
note of. ANY figure I show you in class that is not from the assigned textbook will be available on the handouts. Space is
available on these handouts for you to add your own notes. The handouts alone will not be sufficient for studying the
material; you should use all the study and review opportunities provided by CONNECT. You are under no obligation to
use these handouts, only use them if you find them helpful.
2

SYLLABUS
E-mail tool in TRACS: Because you are expected to obtain any notes you have missed from classmates I will activate
the class E-mail tool in TRACS. This email tool is to ONLY be used for class purposes, and it should be used
judiciously. Students are strictly forbidden from sending emails to the class that do not directly involve the class. This
includes such things as emails seeking renters/leasers/subleasers for apartments, emails advertising activities or events,
emails soliciting business or advertising a business etc. I am copied on all emails sent though this tool and violators of
this policy will be punished.
Cheating and Plagiarism: As a student at Texas State University you are expected to abide by the Texas State Code of
Student Conduct. These standards are published in the student handbook and at the following website:
http://www.dos.txstate.edu/TxState-Handbook/Rules-and-Policies/Code-of-Conduct.html. As stated in the standards,
students guilty of cheating or plagiarizing are subject to disciplinary action including probation, suspension and
expulsion. You are also expected to abide by the Texas State Honor Code which can be found at the following website:
www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html. Any student found cheating on an exam will receive a score of 0
for that exam, and may be subject to other disciplinary action including expulsion.
Cell phones: Cell phones (or notebooks) with Top Hat access are required in class, but should only be used for Top Hat
during class. All other electronic devices (e.g. mp3 players) must be turned off during class as a courtesy to your
instructor and your classmates. NO CELL PHONES or any electronic devices are allowed during exams. Any cell phone
seen during an exam will be confiscated immediately and a score of 0 will be given for that exam. No mp3 players may
be worn during exams.
Success in this class:
Anyone can be successful (learn biology and earn a good grade) in this course IF you attend class regularly, take good
notes, study effectively (especially with other serious students), and make good use of the tools available in CONNECT
and LearnSmart. You should be sure to read each Chapter using LearnSmart BEFORE the first lecture on that chapter.
LearnSmart and CONNECT assignments are ONLY AVAILABLE for SEVEN DAYS. If you do not get the
assignments completed within the 7 day time period, you will NOT GET FULL CREDIT. The beginning and end dates
for each assignment are listed on the CONNECT Website for this class.
If you learn everything in your text book, you will know more about biology than most people in the world today. A
good rule of thumb is to spend 2 hours outside of class studying for every hour you spend in class. Study regularly. You
will be introduced to lots of new vocabulary words and concepts in this course. Biology is a tough subject to cram in the
night before an exam. Remember that I am here to assist you beyond just standing in front of the classroom twice a week.
Come see me during my office hours, ask questions in class, and be proactive in your education! If you would like
additional tutoring, considering visiting the Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC) in the Alkek library. They have
biology tutors available most days, one of whom is the highest-scoring student who has ever taken my 1320 class.
Homework and Quizzes: Homework is assigned for every chapter that you should do BEFORE you come to class,
because there will be quiz questions during class that you will only be able to answer IF you have read the book and done
the homework. The best way to read your textbook is to read it online using the "LearnSmart" program that is provided
with CONNECT. LearnSmart helps you focus on the most important information in each chapter and quizzes you to be
sure you are learning what you need to know. After you read the chapter using LearnSmart, you should do the
HOMEWORK assignment, which has questions based on what you should know from the chapter. These HOMEWORK
assignments are REQUIRED and will contribute to the point total that will be used to determine your grade for the class.
Additional quiz questions will be asked during lectures.
Exams:
Three in-class exams will be given during the semester. You must bring your Texas State ID to each exam. I will drop
the lowest exam score for each student and only the two highest in-class exam scores will count towards the final grade.
3

SYLLABUS
THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS GIVEN. NO EXCEPTIONS.
If you know in advance that you will miss an exam for one of the following reasons: 1) university-sanctioned event (field
trip or other class activity, athletic event, performance, conference, etc. associated with Texas State) 2) scheduled
medical appointment or hospitalization 3) funeral, we can discuss having you take the exam early. If you need to take
an exam early, you must discuss this with me at least 2 class periods (basically, one week) in advance. Notice of
less than 2 class periods will be considered a last minute emergency and no early exam will be possible. I will
require documentation of the event (doctors note, funeral notice, letter from professor/coach/advisor) in order for you to
receive credit for the exam. Documentation must be provided no later than one week after the exam is taken. No
exceptions.
My policy to drop the lowest exam score is designed to protect students from unexpected emergencies that require them
to miss an exam or to do poorly because of extenuating circumstances. I strongly advise students not to skip an exam you
could otherwise take with the intention of dropping the 0 for that exam. If an emergency occurs later in the semester,
causing you to miss a second exam, there will be no recourse.
The final exam is comprehensive. The final exam will be given ONLY during the assigned final exam period. Unless you
can document that you have three final exams on the same day, you MUST take the final exam on the designated day and
time, no exceptions. The final exam cannot be dropped.
All exams will be scored using scantron forms that will be provided to you (bring your own # 2 pencil). You may write
on the exam, but only answers marked on the scantron will be counted. Both the exam and the scantron MUST BE
TURNED IN for you to receive credit for the exam. Exams will use a combination of question types including, but not
limited to: multiple choice, true/false, matching, and labeled diagrams.
For all exams including the final, no student will be allowed to enter the classroom and begin the exam more than 20
minutes after the official start of the class, or after the first student in the class turns in his or her exam and leaves the
classroom, whichever comes first. It is your responsibility to be on time to class on exam days. The digital clock in the
classroom will be used to determine when the twenty minute grace period has expired. If the digital clock is
malfunctioning, the clock on the computer in the classroom will be used.
Attendance: Attendance in lecture is strongly encouraged and role will be taken each class period (except the first week)
throughout the semester. You will earn 2.5 points for each class period you are in attendance when role is taken. The vast
majority of the quiz and exam material will be based on notes taken in lecture. Test performance is correlated with
attendance in most cases students grades are better if they attend class than if they do not. If you miss a lecture, it is
YOUR responsibility to obtain notes, handouts, etc... from the missed class from one of your classmates.
Grading scale:
A = 90-100 % (631 700 pts)
B = 80-89 %
(561 - 630 pts)
C = 70-79 %
(491 - 560 pts)
D=60-69%
(421- 490 pts)
F < 60 %
(fewer than 421 pts)
There will be no curve used in this class because extra credit is offered. There will be no plus/minus
grading system used in this course.
Class Points Breakdown:
2 best of 3 in-class exams @ 120 points each
1 comprehensive final exam @ 180 points
Class attendance 26 @ 2.5 points each
4

240
180
65

SYLLABUS
LearnSmart Use and Performance
CONNECT | Biology Homework Quizzes
TOTAL

110
105
700 (plus 35 points extra credit)

Extra Credit: Extra credit opportunities will be provided with through in-class quizzes and other activities. This
extra credit is designed to help students near the top of each grade level to bump their grade up to the next highest
grade. As a general rule there is no curved grading used in this class since so much extra credit is offered. Keep in
mind that there is a final due date for all assignments. Once the final due date has passed, you will NOT be able
to go back and attempt to get credit for an assignment. You will need to pay attention to all the due dates for the
CONNECT assignments.

Critical Dates During the Semester:

Sept. 14 Official 12th Class Day / Last Day to Drop with 100% Refund (Ends at 11:59 p.m.)
Oct. 30 Last Day to Drop a Full Term Class
Automatic W Deadline (Both End at 11:59 p.m.)
Nov. p29 Withdrawal Deadline, Go to Zero Hours Enrolled (Ends at 5:00 p.m.)
Dec. 15 (Thursday)

FINAL EXAM for Bio 1320 - 007

8:00 pm - 10:30 pm in Supple 116

THE FINAL STARTS AT A DIFFERENT TIME than the class

Make sure you will be here for the final. There is no makeup for the final.
Dec. 20 Final Grades Available

General Education Core Curriculum Objectives (Code 030)

Life & Physical Sciences Component Outcomes
Students will be able to describe interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific
principles on the physical world and on human experiences.

Core Objectives/Competencies Outcomes:

Critical Thinking
o Students will demonstrate creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation
and synthesis of information.
Communication
o Students will effectively develop, interpret and express ideas through written, oral and
visual communication.
Empirical and Quantitative Skills
o Students will manipulate and analyze numerical data or observable facts resulting in
informed conclusions.
Teamwork
Students will recognize different points of view and work effectively with others to support a
shared purpose or goal.
5

SYLLABUS
Biology 1320 Lecture Schedule for Fall 2016
(Schedule may be modified if necessary)
Week

Date

Tues Aug 30

1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
15

Thur Sep 1
Tues Sep 6
Thur Sep 8
Tues Sep 13
Thur Sep 15
Tues Sep 20
Thur Sep 22
Tues Sep 27
Thur Sep 29
Tues Oct 4
Thur Oct 6
Tues Oct 11
Thur Oct 13
Tues Oct 18
Thur Oct 20
Tues Oct 25
Thur Oct 27
Tues Nov 1
Thur Nov 3
Tues Nov 8
Thur Nov 10
Tues Nov 15
Thur Nov 17
Tues Nov 22
Thur Nov 24
Tues Nov 29
Thur Dec 1
Tues Dec 6
Thur Dec 8

Topic of Discussion
Text Chapter
Mastering Biology
Syllabus, CONNECT | Biology, Class
See CONNECT | Biology
Expectations
Schedule for due dates for
Intro. to Biology
1
Intro. to Biology, Basic chemistry
1,2
LearnSmart and
Basic chemistry
2
Homework
Biological molecules
2
for each Chapter
Cell Types and Life on Earth
3
Cells Membranes and Organelles
3
Stem Cells and Medicine
3, 11.3
Exam 1 (Chapters 1-3)
Energy
4
See CONNECT | Biology
Schedule for due dates for
Photosynthesis
5
Photosynthesis and Respiration
5&6
LearnSmart and
Respiration
6
Homework
DNA
8
for each Chapter
DNA Replication and Cell Division
8
Gene Expression/Regulation
7
Gene Expression/Regulation
7
Exam 2 (Chapters 6-8, 11-12)
Cellular Reproduction
9
See CONNECT | Biology
Schedule for due dates for
Cellular Reproduction
9
Cellular Reproduction/ Inheritance
9&10
LearnSmart and
Inheritance
10
Homework
Inheritance
10
for each Chapter
Biotechnology
11
Biotechnology/Human Reproduction
11 & 35
NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING
Human Reproduction
35
Human Reproduction
Review for Third Exam and FINAL
Exam 3 (Chapters 9-11 and 35)
9-11, 35
Final exam date and time for BIO 1320 - 007 is

Thursday, Dec 15 from 8:00 pm - 10:30 pm in Supple 116

(Note that THE FINAL STARTS AT A DIFFERENT TIME than the class does!)
Make sure you will be here for the final. There is no makeup for the final.

Online Homework (LearnSmart and CONNECT) Assignments and DUE DATES

If you have...
Difficulty paying
for school

Contact these people for help...

Student Business Services (http://www.sbs.txstate.edu/) and
Financial Aid (http://www.finaid.txstate.edu/) can talk to you about
options that may be available.
You can participate in financial coaching free of charge. The coaches

Difficulty

are AFCPE (Association for Financial Coaching and Planning

managing

Education) trained counselors who can provide you with the resources

money

and knowledge to help you reach your money management goals.

Click here for more information.
Your academic advisor can advise you about options:

Trouble with

Undergraduates: http://advising.txstate.edu

grades or

Graduates: http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/steps.html

keeping up with
coursework

The Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC) can help with

tutoring and other services: http://www.txstate.edu/slac/
The Counseling Center provides free, confidential counseling
services: http://www.counseling.txstate.edu/

Stress or
personal issues

Retention Management and Planning can help identify resources and

services to help you:
http://www.studentsuccess.txstate.edu/
If you live in on-campus housing, you can also talk to your Resident
Director.

An emergency
(prolonged
illness, death in

The Dean of Students Office provides consultation services to

the family,

students in emergency situations:

natural disaster

http://www.dos.txstate.edu/services/emergency.html

or major life
event)