Biological Sciences 11 - The Science of Life

Institution:

Dartmouth College

Subject:

Description:

08F: 9L, 10A 09W: 10A 09S: 9L 09F: 9L, 10A 10W: 10A10S: 9L Biology, like all of science, is a problem-solving endeavor. This course introduces students to a major problem in biology and considers it from many different perspectives, viewpoints and biological levels of organization. Along the way, students are exposed to many of the major concepts in biology, from molecules to ecosystems. Each offering will address a different major problem. Open to all students without prerequisite. Dist: SCI. In 08F at 9L, DNA to Diversity. We have chosen "DNA to Diversity" as a theme because we want to highlight how modern biology integrates all levels from the molecule to the diversity of life. As an organizing principle, we focus on the development of complex multicellular organisms. We will explore how cellular processes are driven by key developmental control genes, how cells communicate, and how these molecular and cellular mechanisms shape diverse forms of life. We will investigate how ecological forces drive natural selection, and how this and other evolutionary processes have sorted and sifted DNA mutations, producing DNA blueprints that direct development. Over the course of the term, students should gain a perspective on how genetic and environmental changes have produced the astonishing variety of species and life forms that now exist on earth, and how biologists are piecing that puzzle together. Jack, Peart.In 08F at 10A, Cooperation and Conflict in Biological Systems. Cooperation and conflict arise at all levels of biology-with molecules, cells, organisms and communities. Throughout the term, we will explore several examples of cooperation and conflict in biological systems and examine the cost and benefits of these two opposing forces. We will investigate theories about how cooperation and/or conflict have shaped how life began, the concept of "selfish" DNA, why cells have the structures they have as well as multi-protein complexes driving essential cellular processes. In addition, we will discuss the generation of multicellular organisms, cooperation of different cell types within the organism and examples of cellular competition that arise in specific diseased states such as cancer. We also will consider behavioral interactions among different types of organisms, and the organization of human societies. Ultimately, our goal is to guide students to critically evaluate the different ways that cooperation and conflict shape biological systems and to begin to understand the mechanisms underlying these two forces. Bickel, CalsbeekIn 09W at 10A, LUCA: the Last Universal Common Ancestor. Over the course of the last 4.5 billion years, life has faced a number of challenges, and in response has evolved a number of remarkable innovations to meet those challenges. Incorporating data and perspectives from molecular and cellular biology, macroevolutionary theory, and paleobiology, we will reconstruct the biology of the Last Universal Common Ancestor of all living organisms. Her name is LUCA and unraveling her biology will require us to work within the framework of what it means to be a living cell. We will move forward in time from the origin of life, and backward in time from the remarkable diversity of life present today. We will see that much of LUCA's biology has left "molecular fossils" in our very own DNA, and we will learn how to read this remarkable fossil record. Peterson, SlobodaIn 09S at 9L, Emerging infectious diseases: how microbes rule the world. Emerging infectious diseases, which have shaped the course of humanity and caused untold suffering and death, will continue to challenge society as long as humans and microbes co-exist. This course will explore why infectious diseases emerge and re-emerge. The viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes that cause these diseases continually evolve in response to their hosts. Dynamic interactions between rapidly evolving infectious agents and changes in the environment and in h

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.dartmouth.edu

Phone Number:

(603) 646-1110

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Quarter

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