General Information | The Program | Requirements | Courses | PDF File

Courses in Biological Sciences (BIS)

Lower Division Courses

1A. Introductory Biology (5)

Lecture—4 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: Chemistry 2B (may be taken concurrently). Introduction to biological molecules, bioenergetics, cell structure and function, elements of molecular biology and genetics, and viruses. Interdisciplinary course for majors in the biological sciences.

1B. Introductory Biology (5)

Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Introduction to evolution and animal diversity, including transmission and population genetics, micro and macroevolution, systematics, classification, and a survey of major animal groups.

1C. Introductory Biology (5)

Lecture—4 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Survey of diversity within the plant, protista, and fungi kingdoms, emphasizing flowering plant structure, function, evolution, and ecology. Ecological principles, including population dynamics, life history patterns, community interactions and composition, ecosystems, and world biomes. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—I.

2A. Introduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth (4)

Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Essentials of life including sources and use of energy, information storage, responsiveness to natural selection and cellularity. Origin of life and influence of living things on the chemistry of the Earth. Not open for credit to students who have completed course 1A with a grade of C- or better.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Roth

2B. Introduction to Biology: Principles of Ecology and Evolution (5)

Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 1A or 2A. Introduction to basic principles of ecology and evolutionary biology, focusing on the fundamental mechanisms that generate and maintain biological diversity across scales ranging from molecules and genes to global processes and patterns. Not open for credit for student who have completed Biological Sciences 1B with a grade of C- or better.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Grosberg, Holyoak, Keen, Patricelli, Rosenheim, Schwartz, Stachowicz, Stanton, Strong

2C. Introduction to Biology: Biodiversity and the Tree of Life (5)

Lecture—4 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 1B or 2B. Introduction to organismal diversity, using the phylogenetic tree of life as an organizing theme. Lectures and laboratories cover methods of phylogenetic reconstruction, current knowledge of the tree of life, and the evolution of life's most important and interesting innovations. Not open for credit to students who have completed course 1C with a grade of C- or better.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Eisen, Keen, Maloof, Shaffer, Wainwright, Ward

10. General Biology (4)

Lecture/discussion—4 hours. Concepts and issues in biology. Emphasis on composition and structure of organisms; regulation and signaling; heredity, evolution and the interaction and interdependence among life forms and their environments. Designed for students not specializing in biology. Not open for credit to students who have completed course 1A, 2A or 10V. GE credit: SciEng.—I. (I.) Goldberg

10V. General Biology (4)

Web virtual lecture—3 hours; web electronic discussion—1 hour. Concepts and issues in biology. Emphasis on composition and structure of organisms; regulation and signaling; heredity, evolution and the interaction and interdependence among life forms and their environments. Significant writing is required. Designed for students not specializing in biology. Not open for credit to students who have completed course 1A or 10. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—III. (III.) Westerdahl

11. Issues in the Life Sciences (2)

Lecture—1 hour; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: enrollment limited to BUSP students, consent of instructor. The range of subjects and approaches in the field of biology, including both basic and applied research topics.—I. (I.)

11L. Basic Life Sciences Laboratory (2)

Laboratory—6 hours. Prerequisite: enrollment limited to BUSP students, consent of instructor. Basic laboratory skills in life sciences research, including microbiology, molecular biology, and genetics.—IV. (IV.)

20Q. Modeling in Biology (2)

Lecture—1 hour; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: Mathematics 16B (may be taken concurrently). Introduction to the application of quantitative methods to biological problems. Students will use a mathematical software package to tackle problems drawn from all aspects of biology.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Wilson, Mogilner, Sutter

92. Internship in Biological Sciences (1-12)

Internship—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: lower division standing and consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)

98. Directed Group Study (1-5)

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Primarily for lower division students. (P/NP grading only.)

99. Special Study for Undergraduates (1-5)

Prerequisite: lower division standing and consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)

Upper Division Courses

101. Genes and Gene Expression (4)

Lecture—4 hours. Prerequisite: courses BIS 1A and 1B, or 2A, 2B and 2C (2C may be taken concurrently); Chemistry 8B or 118B or 128B (may be taken concurrently). Nucleic acid structure and function; gene expression and its regulation; replication; transcription and translation; transmission genetics; molecular evolution.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Bowman, S. Chan, Dvorak, Gottlieb, Heyer, O'Neill, Quiros, Rodriguez, Rose

101D. Genes and Gene Expression Discussion (1)

Discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 101 concurrently. Discussion and problem solving related to fundamental principles of classical and molecular genetics as presented in course 101. (P/NP grading only.)—I, II, III. (I, II, III.)

102. Structure and Function of Biomolecules (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Chemistry 8B or 118B or 128B. Structure and function of macromolecules with emphasis on proteins; enzyme kinetics; supra-molecular assemblies; membranes; cytoskeleton; cell motility and cell division.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Cheng, Etzler, Fairclough, Gasser, Hilt, Leary, Theg Toney

103. Bioenergetics and Metabolism (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 102. Fundamentals of the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles in nature, including key reactions of biomolecules such as carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, and nucleotides, and of energy production and use in different types of organisms. Principles of metabolic regulation.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Abel, Callis, Doi, Fiehn, Hilt, I. Segel, L. Segel

104. Regulation of Cell Function (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 101; 102 or 105. Membrane receptors and signal transduction; cell trafficking; cell cycle; cell growth and division; extracellular matrix and cell-cell junctions; cell development; immune system.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Edwards, Etzler, Kaplan, S. Lin, Myles, Privalsky, Shiozaki, Starr

105. Biomolecules and Metabolism (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: courses 1A, 1B, and 1C, or 2A, 2B, and 2C; course 101; Chemistry 8B or 118B or 128B. Fundamentals of biochemical processes, with emphasis on protein structure and activity; energy metabolism; catabolism of sugars, amino acids, and lipids; and gluconeogenesis. One unit of credit for students who have completed course 102 or 103. No credit for students who have completed both courses 102 and 103.—II, III. (I, II, III.) Murphy, Theg

120. Developmental Biology of Marine Invertebrates (4)

Lecture—30 hours total; laboratory—30 hours total. Prerequisite: Molecular and Cellular Biology 150-150L, Biological Sciences 102 and 103; course 123 concurrently. Phylogenetic patterns of reproduction and development among the marine invertebrates. Emphasis on both modern and classical approaches to understanding gametogenesis, gamete interaction and fertilization, cleavage, cell differentiation, morphogenesis, and larval development and metamorphosis. Course offered at Bodega Marine Laboratory. (See above description for Bodega Marine Laboratory Program.)—III. (III.)

120P. Developmental Biology of Marine Invertebrates/Advanced Laboratory Topics (6)

Laboratory—150 hours total; discussion—10 hours total. Prerequisite: course 120 concurrently. Students pick a research topic for intense study. Research will be related to a topic covered in course 120 and will be conducted at the Bodega Marine Laboratory with close supervision of resident faculty. (See above description for Bodega Marine Laboratory Program.)—III. (III.)

122. Population Biology and Ecology (3)

Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: courses 1A, 1B, 1C, or 2A, 2B, 2C; residence at Bodega Marine Laboratory required. Biological and physical processes affecting plant and animal populations in the rich array of habitats at the Bodega Marine Laboratory ecological preserve. Emphasis on field experience, with complementing lectures to address population and community processes. See Bodega Marine Laboratory Program.—III. (III.) Morgan, Strong

122P. Population Biology and Ecology/ Advanced Laboratory Topics (5)

Laboratory—12 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 122 concurrently. Residence at Bodega Marine Laboratory required. Training in scientific research, from hypothesis testing to publication, including methods of library research. Research related to topic covered in course 122. Final presentation both oral and written. (See Bodega Marine Laboratory Program.)—III. (III.) Chang, Cherr, Morgan

123. Undergraduate Colloquium in Marine Science (1)

Seminar—1 hour. Prerequisite: enrolled student at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. Series of weekly seminars by recognized authorities in various disciplines of marine science from within and outside the UC system. Includes informal discussion with speaker. Course will be held at Bodega Marine Laboratory. (P/NP grading only.) (See above description for Bodega Marine Laboratory Program.)—III. (III.)

124. Coastal Marine Research (3)

Laboratory—6 hours; fieldwork—6 hours; laboratory/discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor; concurrent
enrollment in at least one course from Environmental Science and Policy 124, 152, Evolution and
Ecology 106, 110, 114; residence at or near Bodega Marine Lab required. Student must
complete the application available at http://
www.bml.ucdavis.edu. Independent research on topics related to the accompanying core Bodega Marine Laboratory summer courses. Students will select one instructor to be primary mentor, but integrative topics that draw on the expertise of several BML faculty members will be encouraged. May be repeated two times for credit.—IV. (IV.) Gaylord, Hill, Largier, Morgan, Sanford

132. Introduction to Dynamic Models in Modern Biology (4)

Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—2 hours. Prerequisite: Mathematics 16C, Statistics 13, one lower division course in biology, or the equivalents. Dynamic modeling in the biological sciences, including matrix models, difference equations, differential equations, and complex dynamics. Examples include classic models in ecology, cell biology, physiology, and neuroscience. Emphasis on understanding models, their assumptions, and implications for modern biology. GE credit: Wrt.—I. (I.) Hom

133. Collaborative Studies in Mathematical Biology (3)

Lecture/discussion—3 hours. Prerequisite: Mathematics 16ABC or the equivalent, one course from course 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 10 or the equivalent in biology, consent of instructor. Interdisciplinary research and training that uses mathematics and computation to solve current problems in biology. Not offered every year. May be repeated six times for credit.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.)

192. Internship in Biological Sciences (1-12)

Internship—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing and consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)

194H. Research Honors (2)

Independent study—6 hours. Prerequisite: senior standing. Students majoring in Biological Sciences who have completed two quarters (3-5 units per quarter) of 199 and who qualify for the honors program as defined by the current catalog. Opportunity for Biological Sciences majors to pursue intensive research culminating in the writing of a senior thesis with the guidance of faculty advisers. (P/NP grading only.)

195A. Science Teaching Internship Program (4)

Lecture/discussion—2 hours; internship—6 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing in a science major or consent of instructor. Basic teaching techniques including lesson planning, classroom management, and presentation skills. Interns spend time in K-12 science classrooms working with a master teacher observing, assisting with labs and activities, managing students, and teaching lessons. (P/NP grading only.)

195B. Science Teaching Internship (1-5)

Internship—3-15 hours. Prerequisite: course 195A. Reinforcement of teaching techniques learned in 195A with additional classroom experiences in K-12 science classrooms working with a master teacher observing, assisting with labs and activities, managing students, and teaching lessons. May be repeated once for credit with consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)

197T. Tutoring in Biological Sciences (1-5)

Discussion—2-6 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing and consent of instructor. Assisting the instructor by tutoring students in one of the Biological Sciences’ regular courses. May be repeated for credit. (P/NP grading only.)—I, II, III. (I, II, III.)

198. Directed Group Study (1-5)

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)

199. Special Study in Biological Sciences
(1-5)

Prerequisite: upper division standing and consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)

Graduate Course

298. Group Study (1-5)

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. College of Biological Sciences staff members may offer group study courses under this number.