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Course Criteria
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1.00 Credits
As the principal source of light in galaxies today and as drivers of chemical evolution, stars play a critical role in the universe. It is important to understand their structure and evolution. Fortunately, we have a fairly well-developed and tested theory of stellar structure covering both their interiors and atmospheres. In this course, we will provide an introduction to that theory and examine its key results, including a basic description of how stars evolve.
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0.50 Credits
The elements of good teaching will be discussed and demonstrated through lectures, practice teaching sessions, and discussions of problems encountered in the actual teaching environment. The staff consists of faculty and experienced graduate students. An integral part of the course is a required one-day workshop BEFORE the first day of formal classes.
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1.00 Credits
This course is featured as a general education course within the Department of Biology. Serving to complement courses currently offered within biology that only touch upon the subject of sex, this course will dive into specifics regarding sexual behavior and will serve to highlight new discoveries that have been facilitated by novel scientific techniques and approaches. As we study the biology of sex in the animal world, it becomes apparent that sex is achieved in a multitude of ways, many appearing rather bizarre and flamboyant. Yet under these guises, animals are still able to mate and reproduce. Sex is often defined according to sexual reproduction, whereby two individuals that are male and female mate and have offspring. However, many organisms engage in asexual reproduction and/or a combination of the two reproductive strategies. Reproductive anatomy and behavior will be addressed as we explore a variety of organisms, ranging from marine mollusks and their "sex changes" to the (female) marmoset monkey that can give birth to chimeras (an offspring with more than two parents). As an organism pursues sex, what are the mating strategies? Are all genes selfish (individual selection vs. group selection)? And, what are the chemicals of sex (pheromones and hormones)? By examining the biology of sex in detail, we will also debate age-old topics such as whether sexual reproduction is sexist, and whether differences in the male and female brain dictate male and female behavioral profiles.
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1.00 Credits
This service-learning course in the life sciences is open to sophomores interested in careers in the health professions by POI. Learning and experience will come from civic engagement at Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH). Students will be introduced to the psychiatric rehabilitation plan that is patterned after the Psychiatric Rehab Consultants (PRC) program of Dr. Robert Liberman, MD, of UCLA. Students will be trained to administer the diagnostics tool developed by PRC called clients' assessment of strengths, interests, and goals (CASIG). Then each student will administer the CASIG to one or more CVH patients. The results of the CASIG will be reported to the patient's treatment team. In following years, students may volunteer at CVH and assist the same patient(s) in achieving the goals that were identified in the CASIG. CVH will offer skills training to increase strengths in the patients. The students can assist in this endeavor and observe the results of the recovery effort of the patient and the staff. This would constitute an extended clinical experience for Wesleyan students.
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1.00 Credits
This course will focus on the major concepts in the field of animal behavior. We will discuss the selection pressures that shape animal behavior and whether the study of primate social and mating systems can provide insight into human behavior. Other questions include, Why do certain animal species exhibit altruistic behavior and others do not? What are the limiting resources for male and female animals, and why do they behave so differently? This is but a sampling of the subjects to be covered in a course that is specifically designed for students to gain a clearer understanding of the mechanisms that drive the natural world around them. We will commence with the early pioneers in ethology who were the first to describe the behavioral repertoire of a single species and progress onto the more current, comparative approach, in which two animals are compared for a more fine-tuned analysis. Biological jargon will be defined as original research is discussed.
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1.00 Credits
This course is about the intersection of botany, ecology, and the world's food plants. Using readings, videos, and class discussions, we will explore issues such as ecologically sound agricultural practices, genetic and taxonomic diversity of crop plants, and why some plants make it big as sources of human nutrition while others remain relatively obscure. Along the way students will investigate fundamentals of plant physiology (including the process that is the ultimate basis for all we eat), morphology (have you ever wondered why strawberries have their seeds on the outside?), and evolution. Each week will include a detailed, hands-on examination of locally available food plants.
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1.00 Credits
This course covers current areas of research in evolutionary biology. Topics include the evidence for evolution, the nature of variation, adaptive and random evolutionary processes in natural populations, mechanisms of speciation, origin of major groups, reconstruction of the history of life through comparative analysis of morphological and DNA sequence data, coevolution of plant-animal interactions, and the application of evolutionary principles to conservation biology.
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1.00 Credits
This course covers the mechanisms of development at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. Special attention will be paid to the process of scientific discovery: the experiments. Students will read and discuss both original research articles and the secondary review literature. We will discuss ethical considerations for some of the topics covered.
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1.00 Credits
This course will focus on the biology of conservation rather than cultural aspects of conservation. However, conservation issues will be placed in the context of ethics, economics, and politics. We will cover the fundamental processes that threaten wild populations, structure ecological communities, and determine the functioning of ecosystems. From this basis, we will explore important conservation issues such as population viability, habitat loss and alteration, food web alteration, invasive species, and climate change. We will use readings from the primary literature and field projects to learn about current research methods used in conservation biology.
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1.00 Credits
The course is intended to present current issues from the biomedical professions that pose difficult questions and problems for the scientist or practitioner.
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