BY 131. Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology Block 8. Was Nancy Huang, now Joe Koke This site works best in Safari or Firefox Visit this page frequently for schedule updates! Always hit "reload." Last updated Wednesday, May 8, 2013 . The textbook is "Essential Cell Biology", 3rd edition, Alberts et al. See below for more information. Structures and functions of biomacromolecules, organelles, and cells and the flow of energy and information within and among them. Laboratory and lecture course designed to provide an introduction to molecular and cellular biology, with emphasis on how to address questions experimentally. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Scientific Investigation of the Natural World lab or field requirement. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Prerequisite: Chemistry 107 or consent of instructor. No credit after Biology 210. Professor – Joseph Koke, PhD Meets in Olin 473.

Professor: Dr. Joseph R. Koke - Paraprof: Katie Wolfson. She will provide office hour information at the first lab meeting. Ms. Wolfson can also provide you with information about tutoring and help with writing.

Text books - strongly recommended - Essential Cell Biology, Alberts et. al. Click here for chapter-by-chapter resources to accompany this text. The book can be purchased or rented or downloaded as a PDF from several sources. Or read on your iPad. To shop around - Google essential cell biology 3rd edition. New - amazon.com has a Kindle edition (which can also be read using the Kindle app on an iPad - rent 49.88, buy $116.37). Amazon's new price for hardbound - $109.95, used hardbound - $69.94). Also check the Biology Facebook Page - look below the owl under education for "Looking for a Bio book? - Textbook Exchange requires signing up for Facebook (if you haven't already).

Office hours: Dr. Koke: During block 8, usually 3:30 - 5:00 TWH. To be sure, check the calendar at the bottom of this page. Click on the "week" tab.

Electronic Access. You must use your CC account as proof of identity to participate, and e-mail messages regarding this course originating from non-CC accounts will be ignored. Be sure to use a salutation (like "Dear Dr. Koke") and "sign" your message with your real name and your CC ID#. Grade information will only be available during office hours.

Exams and Grading. Grades in this course are based on the percentage of points you earn from the 500 possible, where: As a percent score… 100-94 (A); 93-90 (A-); 89-87 (B+); 86-83 (B); 82-80 (B-); 79-77 (C+); 76-73 (C); 72-70 (C-); 69-65 (D+); 64-60 (D); No Credit below 60. Click here -->for a sample exam - from block 3, this same course. (with answers).

• Exam 1 = 100 points possible
• Exam 2 = 100 points possible
• Exam 3 = 100 points possible
• Lab total = 200 points possible.
• Total possible points = 500, see above regarding how the letter grade is determined.

Labs and lab notebook - You may use a traditional paper note book. See the images at right. Do not use a spiral bound notebook. The blue one is commonly found in research labs but does not have "automatic backup." The brown one has carbonless backup capability - alternating white and yellow sheets and when you write on the white sheets it copies onto the yellow sheets. It is a good idea to put a blank sheet of paper between the yellow sheet being copied to and the next white sheet, to prevent copying through to several pages. You write your lab report in the lab notebook and submit the lab notebook for grading when each report is due. Or you may use your lap top or iPad (or similar) to electronically keep your lab notebook. Note that the cameras in these devices and your cell phone can be very useful in collecting data and illustrating your lab report. Even better, the new Mac OS (mountain lion) supports dictation so you can talk to your computer while you're doing lab, then edit the resulting text into your lab report. The lab reports would then be submitted for grading as Word files attached to e-mail messages. Be sure your name and ID# appear in the subject line.

Class participation and Preparation:  Please come prepared to lab with the lab instructions printed. Students arriving at lab without the exercise may be counted absent. Quizzesmay be given at the beginning of every lab that will cover the previous lab, current lab and lecture material.  Please also keep in mind that participation will be considered when determining your lab write-up grade, this will include contributing to your group, clean-up and overall effort.  The purpose of this lab is to inspire creative and collaborative scientific thought. 

Attendance: Students are expected to attend courses regularly and are responsible for course work whether present or not. The College believes in giving students as much freedom as is consistent with their academic progress. However, excessive absence, excluding illness or emergency, may result in a special probation or dismissal from the course with no credit.

Lab is from 1:15 to 3:30 as indicated in the schedule above. Attendance is mandatory. Students that miss lab will lose one letter grade on their final grade for the course for each day that is missed. If you miss lab due to illness, a legible note from a doctor that specifically states that you are too sick to attend lab will be required. However, if you are genuinely sick with something contagious, DO NOT COME to lecture or lab until the Dr. says you are no longer contagious.

All exams must be taken on the scheduled date and time indicated on the course schedule. There are no make-up and no early exams. If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero for that exam grade. Under extenuating circumstances, you must inform me before the exam that you will miss it and we will try to make some arrangements.

Integrity and Academic Dishonesty: Group discussions and collaborative thinking are encouraged to accomplish many aspects of this course.  Plagiarism, however, is not. Dishonesty of any kind on exams, in the laboratory, or on written assignments (including fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism) may result in investigation by the Colorado College Honor Council and may result in a grade of No Credit or dismissal from the College. This statement constitutes the first warning. There is no second warning.

The Honor System and Code. The Honor System is a bond of mutual understanding between students and faculty that is codified through the Honor Code (see below). Before matriculating, all students sign a statement acknowledging that they will abide by the guidelines set under the Honor Code. Students are thus completely responsible for knowing and upholding the Honor Code. As a result, in the event of a potential violation, ignorance of the Honor Code is not considered to be a valid proof of innocence.

On my Honor, I have neither given, nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment.
Honor Code Upheld.

Notice of Intellectual Property Rights: The text and images on this page and pages linked to it are protected by copyright. Lectures and examination questions are also protected by copyright law. They are my own original expression and are properly recorded to bring them under the protection of the U.S. copyright laws. You are authorized to take notes in class and to use the on-line materials I provide, thereby creating derivative works from my lectures and other materials. However, this authorization extends only to making one set of notes or answers for your own personal use and no other use. You may record my lectures for your personal use, but you are not authorized to provide copies, notes or examination questions to anyone else, or to make any commercial use of them without my prior written consent.

This page last updated Wednesday, May 8, 2013 . All rights reserved.