BIO 3300 Cell&Molecular Biology - Koke, Summer 06 Syllabus

Exams and Grading:

In-class exams (3, including final) will be short answer-essay in format and may require problem solving.

Written answers on exams MUST be in the form of complete, legibly written sentences composed using correct grammar and spelling. Use of jargon or incomplete word fragments such as "w/o" for without, etc., will incur a grade penalty.

The final exam may be comprehensive. A calculator will be essential during the exams. Ask about the "cheat sheet." Credit will be allocated as follows:

Item	Points Possible
In-class exam I	100
In-class exam II	100
Final Exam	100
Total	300

Current Grade Reports will available in your TRACS grade book throughout the semester. Note that the TRACS grade book is FYI, and is not the official grade book for the course. To encourage improvement in exam performance, at the end of the course a highest subsequent grade will replace a (one) previous lower score. If the highest score is the first exam score, then no replacement will occur. This "grade replacement" does not apply to a 0 (zero) resulting from an unexcused absence.

A student's letter grade will be determined by the percentage of 300 points earned, where 90 or better = A, 80 - 89 = B, 70 - 79 = C, 60 - 69 = D, and below 60 = F. Decimal fractions are rounded up to the next higher whole number; thus 89.1 would become 90. Make-up exams are not available. See the instructor if you have a valid reason for missing an exam. Note that the above exam dates are firm (the material covered may vary) and that if you know in advance that you must be absent on one of those date, arrangements may be made to accommodate the situation.

A grade of W will be given to any student that withdraws (drops) from the course prior to automatic W date. Note that this is a 10 week course that spans both summer sessions - check with the Registrar's office to find out the auto W date that applies. Please note that it is not possible to drop after the automatic W date. All drops must be done by CATS. Dropping all classes is NOT the same as withdrawing from the University. Students wishing to withdraw from all their classes must do it in person or by mail.

A grade of I (incomplete) can only be awarded if arrangements are made before the last exam. I grades are only given to students with passing averages who are physically unable to complete a significant portion of the course. A student receiving an I grade must complete the missed portion of the course within two long semesters, and should not re-enroll in this course. Students should be aware that an I grade averages as an F, and will affect eligibility for financial aid.

IMPORTANT - READ THIS: Notice of Intellectual Property Rights: The text and images on this page and pages linked to it are protected by copyright. My lectures and my 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 Tuesday, June 2, 2009.

Fundamentals of structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Course includes cell and organelle structure, basic biochemistry, principles of thermodynamics and energy transformation, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, enzyme kinetics, cell motility and cell signaling. This page last updated Tuesday, June 2, 2009. Lecture policies and Do's and Don'ts for this class - read this! Dr. Koke's prescription for how to make an "A" in this course.	The objectives of this course are (1) to give students an overview of cell biology and molecular techniques applied to understanding cells, and (2) to help students develop as scientists by promoting analytical thinking and an appreciation for research, both current and historical.
Dates, Lecture Topic. PDF versions of lecture illustrations will be available in the TRACS Resources folder for this course. Many students have found it useful to print these and bring them to class for note-taking. Please note that the PowerPoint presentations posted in your TRACS resources are similar, but NOT the same as the lecture notes. They are posted as an additional resourse and correspond chapter by chapter to the Textbook.	Chapter References
Section 1. June 8 - June 26. 1-1: Introduction to Cells	Section 1. Chapter 1
1-2: Chemical Components of cells, Protein Structure and Function, DNA, Chromosomes and Chromatin	Chapters 2, 4, 5
1-3: DNA Structure and Function, Replication, Transcription, Translation	Chapters 6, 7
1-4: Control of Gene Expression, Genomes and Evolution	Chapters 8, 9
In class EXAM 1 - Monday, June 22
Section 2. June 22 - July 17 2-1: Thermodynamics and Catalysis	Section 2. Chapter 3
2-2: Anaerobic and Aerobic Metabolism, Energy Conservation in Mitochondria and Chloroplasts	Chapters 13. 14
2-3: Membranes, Cytoskeleton	Chapter 11, first part of 12, first 3/4 17
2-4: Protein Sorting and Vesicular Traffic	Chapter 15
2-5: Electrical Cell Signaling, Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Muscle	Second part of 12, last 1/4 of 17
In class EXAM 2 - Monday, July 20
Section 3. July 22 - August 3 3-1: Chemical Cell Signaling	Section 3. Chapter 16
3-2: The Cell Cycle, Mitosis, Apoptosis, Mitogens	Chapter 18
3-3: Molecular Basis of Mendelian Genetics and early Development	Chapter 19
3-4: Tissues and Cancer	Chapter 20
Final Exam - Wednesday, August 5