Biology Courses

Prerequisites & Notes

Not open to students who have credit for BIO 111/113 or 112/114 except by permission of the chair.

Introduction to the science of biology designed to meet science requirements of non-science majors.  Course content and emphasis will vary with instructor.  No laboratory. 

Satisfies the Liberal Studies requirement. 
 

Prerequisites & Notes

Not open to students who have credit for Biology 103, 111/113, or 112/114 except by permission of the chair.

Instructor
McNally

Introduction to the science of biology by examining microscopic organisms and their influence on human health.  Designed to meet science distribution requirement of non-science majors.  One laboratory meeting per week.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes

Not open to students who have credit for BIO 111/113 or 112/114 except by permission of the chair. 

Instructor
McNally

Introduction to the science of biology by exploring human health, physiology, and disease.  Designed to meet science requirements of non-science majors.  One laboratory meeting per week.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes

Students with credit for BIO 113 may not enroll in BIO 111.

Instructors
Barsoum, Bernd, Hales, Wessner

Introduction to the unifying principles of biology at the levels of organization from molecules through cells.  The main topics include biochemistry and bioenergetics, cell structure and physiology, and Mendelian and molecular genetics.  A laboratory, emphasizing planning, performing, and presenting experiments, meets once each week. Students may take BIO 111 with either BIO 112 or BIO 114 to complete biology introductory course requirements.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes

Students with credit for BIO 111 may not enroll in BIO 113.

Instructors
M. Campbell, El Bejjani, Rosemond, Sarafova, B. Thurtle-Schmidt, D. Thurtle-Schmidt, 

Introduction to biology's core concepts from molecules through cells including information, evolution, cells, emergent properties, and homeostasis.  The weekly laboratory emphasizes core competencies of the process of science, the interdisciplinary nature of modern biology, data interpretation, quantitative skills, communication in multiple formats, and experience with large databases.  Students may take BIO 113 with either BIO 112 or BIO 114 to complete biology introductory course requirements.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes

Study at some centers meets the cultural diversity requirement. See http://www.bio.davidson.edu/sfs/

Twelve-week, four-course semester program at one of five School for Field Studies research centers.  Grading is Pass/Fail. BIO 184 does not count for biology major credit. 

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 is required.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group A.

Instructor
Wessner

An introduction to the diverse world of microbes.  Topics include the structure, metabolism, identification, and genetics of archaeons, bacteria, and viruses.  Special emphasis is placed on interactions between microbes and humans, both in terms of pathogenesis and biotechnology.  Laboratory focuses on isolating, identifying, and characterizing bacteria and viruses using a series of classical and molecular techniques.

Prerequisites & Notes

Does not carry Mathematics major credit. 
Not open to students with credit for CSC 120 (=DIG 120), CSC 121 or CSC 200 (= PHY 200).  

Instructor
D. Thurtle-Schmidt

(Cross-listed with CSC 209.)  An interdisciplinary introduction to computer science and structured programming using the Python programming language in the context of biological datasets and applications, including algorithms for analyzing genomic data.

Satisfies a requirement in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114

Instructor
Paradise

Biology of insects and related arthropods, structured around application and investigation of the relationship between humans and insects. Significant broad topics include medical and veterinary entomology, forensic entomology, the role of insects in human history and culture, biodiversity of and ecosystem services provided by insects, and conservation.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 112/114 or permission of instructor is required.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group B. Counts towards the Psychology major as a Research Methods course in the Cognitive/Neuroscience column.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 233.

Instructor 
Stanback 

An evolutionary approach to the study of animal behavior.  Laboratories include research projects on the behavior of animals in captivity and in the natural environment.   

Prerequisites & Notes

BIO 111 or BIO 113. General knowledge of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure and function is assumed.

Instructor
Sarafova

This course will focus on the co-evolution (still in progress) of the protective mechanisms of organisms against a variety of pathogens and the pathogens' evasion mechanisms of immune surveillance. Topics will include the nature of pathogens, mucosal surfaces as the first barrier to pathogens in vertebrates, evolution of the immune response to pathogens in the plant and animal kingdom, co-evolution of evasion mechanisms in viruses, bacteria, and protozoa to bypass or neutralize the immune response, diagnosis and treatment of microbial disease. Students will research a pathogen of their choice throughout the semester and will present their findings in poster format.

Satisfies a major requirement in Biology.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 112/114 or permission of instructor is required.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 223.

Instructor 
Stanback 

Behavioral ecology represents the intersection of Animal Behavior, Evolutionary Biology, and Ecology.  Behavioral ecologists are particularly interested in the fitness consequences (the adaptive significance) of the behavior of animals.  In this course, we will investigate foraging behavior, anti-predator behavior, territorial behavior, conflict, sexual selection, mating systems, parental care, and social systems.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 is required.  Students with credit for BIO 208 may not enroll in BIO 238.

Instructor
Bernd

In order to coordinate function within multicellular eukaryotic organisms, organelles and cells utilize an array of molecular transport and communication mechanisms.  Students compare wild type and altered signaling from phenotype to changes in the signaling mechanism.  Examples draw from human genetic variation and changes due to exposure to environmental toxicants.  No laboratory.

Prerequisites & Notes

Prerequisites and/or permission of the instructor vary by course. 

Series of courses numbered BIO 250-259 & BIO 350-359 introducing students to methods and techniques of biological research.  Courses may serve as background to student decisions for optional research experiences.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 112/114 or BIO 223/233 is required.

Instructor
Stanback

This group investigation course focuses on the behavioral ecology of Eastern bluebirds, Carolina chickadees, and Eastern screech-owls, examining aspects such as clutch size, nest vulnerability, brood parasitism, human activity, neophobia, egg quality, and food caches.  Class activities include data analysis, literature review, and manuscript production through group and individual meetings.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 112/114, ENV 201, or permission of instructor is required.

Instructor
Peroni

This group investigation course provides a survey of the taxonomy of woody plants and an introduction to the major forest biomes of the mountain and piedmont regions of North Carolina and southwestern Virginia.  Students learn how to identify trees, shrubs, and woodly vies using summer and winter characteristics.  Class meetings emphasize time spent in the field.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 plus at least one other Biology course or CHE 115 are required.  Restricted to sophomores and juniors.

Instructor
Lom

A seminar course examining the research investigating how physical activity influences the brain at multiple levels (molecular, cellular, physiology, behavioral).  Emphasis is placed on developing strategies for identifying, reading, analyzing, and discussing a variety of literature on the topic (reviews, basic research, government documents, clinical research, public health studies, popular press reports, etc.).  Oral communication, visual communication, and/or writing skills are also emphasized as ways to share scientific research with audiences of scientists and non-scientists. 

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114.

Instructor
Stanback

Evolutionary concepts help explain why we remain vulnerable to disease, how pathogens and cancer cells evolve, and how the diseases that affected our evolutionary ancestors have shaped our biology.  In this seminar, we will read and discuss a new book by Stearns and Medzhitov (2015): Evolutionary Medicine.  Topics include defense mechanisms, pathogen evolution, cancer, reproductive medicine, mismatch, and mental disorders.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113, BIO 112/114, or ENV 201 is required.  

Instructor
Bernd

Environmental health focuses on the factors external to people that have health implications.  In this seminar students develop skills in literature research, critical analysis, and communication exploring the intersection between cell biology, public health, and the environment.  Broad topics include regional and global examples investigating air quality, water quality, and exposure to environmental chemicals.  In groups, students define sub areas of interest such as home air quality, water purification byproducts, or mercury.  Students use research, creativity, and communication skills to compile materials and write case studies that are appropriate for use in undergraduate cell biology courses.

Satisfies depth or breadth course requirement in Natural Science Track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114 or permission of the instructor is required.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group B.

Instructor
Putnam

Microanatomy of the cell with particular reference to organelles that are altered in the process of development of the four major tissues of the body (epithelial, connective, muscular, and nervous).

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113, CHE 115, and one of the following: BIO 201, 202, or 208/238 are required.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 337.  Limited to sophomores, juniors, and seniors or permission of instructor.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group A.

Instructor
Sarafova

Introduction to the immune system with an emphasis on mammalian models.  Course focuses on the cellular and molecular levels of the immune system in health and disease.  Topics include recognition of antigens, development of lymphocyte repertoires, and adaptive immune responses.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113, BIO 112/114, and CHE 115 are required.  Successful completion of at least one of the following is recommended:  BIO 208/238, BIO 303, CHE 220, CHE 230, PHY 120 and 220, or PHY 130 and 230.

Instructor
Barsoum

An advanced discussion of the integrated biology of humans. Students consider physiological phenomena from the molecular and cellular to the systemic level. Topics include the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and reproductive systems. The biochemical and biophysical principles underlying the function of these systems are examined. Anatomy is introduced as a means to understanding function. Students analyze and present primary research literature in mammalian physiology.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114, ENV 201, or permission of instructor is required.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group B.

Instructor 
Paradise

Biology of insects and related arthropods, structured around application and investigation of issues such as medical entomology, evolutionary history, biodiversity and systematics of insects, forensic entomology, conservation, and ecology.  Major emphasis in the laboratory involves an independent research project, field trips, and the making of a collection of local insects.

Satisfies depth or breadth course requirement in Natural Science Track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of PSY 101 or BIO 111/113 and 112/114 as well as permission of the instructor are required. 

Instructor
Ramirez

(Cross-listed as PSY 303)  Role of the nervous system; sensory and motor mechanism; physiological bases of motivation and emotion; sleep and arousal; and physiological bases of learning, memory, and language.  Extensive laboratory training.  Work with animals is required.

Prerequisites & Notes

BIO 111/113 and one of the following: BIO 201 (strongly recommended), 208/238, 306/336, 309, or 331 are required.  Not open to first-year students.  Satisfies Group A.

Instructor
El  Bejjani

An advanced examination of neurons at the cellular and molecular levels. Topics include the structure of neurons and glia, neurogenesis, synapse formation, and the molecular basis of neuronal signaling and communication. Special attention is paid to nervous system development, degeneration, and the molecular basis of common neurological disorders. Laboratory projects will utilize the nematode C. elegans to investigate molecular and cellular neurobiology questions using genetic methods.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and one of the following:  BIO 201, 202, or BIO 208/238 are required.  Students with credit for BIO 307 may not enroll in BIO 337. 

Instructor
Sarafova

Introduction to the immune system with an emphasis on mammalian models.  The course focuses on the cellular and molecular levels of the immune system in health and disease.  Topics include recognition of antigens, development of lymphocyte repertoires, and adaptive immune responses. No laboratory.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114, plus one of the following:  BIO 201, 202, 208/238, 209, 303, 306/336, 307/337, 309, or 333 are required.  Satisfies group A only in combination with BIO 309.

Instructor
M. Campbell, D. Thurtle-Schmidt

In this lab-only course, students participate in a real genome sequencing project (sequencing performed off-site).  Students analyze sequences and annotate genes in the genome.  This original research is computer intensive and contributes to the growing body of knowledge in genomics.  Students participate in collaborative research projects and generate reports of their findings.  May be taken simultaneously with BIO 309.

Counts as an elective in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 is required.

Instructor
El Bejjani

Very recently revolutionary new techniques made it possible to edit the genomes of living organisms directly.  Scientists can now, theoretically, engineer any living cell in very specific manners.  This group investigation course explores the technical literature on genome editing and current uses of the methods in research and in the repair of genetic diseases.  In parallel, students design experiments to edit the genome of C. elegans animals and engineer worms for research purposes. 

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of CHE 115, BIO 111/113, and at least one BIO 200+ course are required.

Instructor permission is required to register for the course.

Restricted to juniors and seniors

Instructor
Bernd

Pairs of students will investigate whether altering hookah configurations changes the resulting smoke's affect on cultured lung cells, as measured by biochemical analysis of cellular viability metrics. The group investigation will include significant experimental design and bench research as well as oral presentations to different audiences, preparing and presenting a scientific poster, and writing a research article. 

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114 or permission of instructor are required.

Instructor
Case

Advances in medical science give us an ever-increasing mastery of our "natural" reproductive processes.  Technologies for controlling our fertility, diagnosing and treating the fetus, and allowing premature neonates to complete their development ex-utero challenge our traditional ideas of parenthood, family, and even personal identity.  This seminar course addresses a myriad of economic, sociocultural, ethical, and legal questions by the new reproductive technologies.  The course is discussion-based, includes a semester-long project, and involves technology applications.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 201, 202, 208/238, 303, 306/336, or 307/337 is required.  Restricted to juniors and seniors.

Instructor
Sarafova

This seminar course builds upon the knowledge from Immunology (BIO 307/337) in which basic immunology vocabulary and concepts are first introduced.  Students use case studies of immunological disorders to synthesize and apply knowledge to actual cases, become familiar with the techniques used to investigate immune system dysfunction in clinical research and in animal models of human disease, and learn to evaluate experimental design critically by presenting and evaluating scientific arguments from the primary literature.  Students integrate these newly acquired skills by writing a short proposal for a clinical or research study.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 112/114, ANT 101, ENV 201, or ENV 202 is required.

Instructors
Lozada, Paradise

This interdisciplinary seminar course focuses on developing a scientific understanding of renewable natural resources such as fisheries and forests and how resources are then used, overused, managed, and conserved by humans.  The course primarily consider smodern methods of resource management, including adaptive and ecosystem-based management.  The course builds upon knowledge gained in the foundation courses of Anthropology, Biology, or Environmental Studies.  It addresses natural resource and environmental issues from ecosystem and policy perspectives.  Through case studies, readings, class discussions, and knowledge construction, students gain deep knowledge of ecosystem ecology and management policies and approaches.  Students then apply their knowledge to identify management principles that are consistent with a more holistic ecosystem approach and develop a case study of one natural resource and how it is managed.

Satisfies depth or breadth course requirement in Natural or Social Science track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor or the breadth requirement of the Humanities track.

Prerequisites & Notes

Permission of the instructor is required.  Fee.

Instructor
Case

An interdisciplinary examination of the impact of disease on the people in sub Saharan Africa.  The course includes a one-month cultural and medical experience in Mwandi, Zambia during the summer, preceded by preparatory meetings during the spring semester and culminating in a seminar in the fall semester following the trip.  Students submit applications and are interviewed for the course during the fall semester preceding the next summer's trip.

Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of at least one course above BIO 200.

Field, bench, or modeling laboratory investigative work or other original research under the direction and supervision of a Biology faculty member who reviews and approves the research topic and methodology.  Research is presented at the end of the semester in a scientific paper, poster, and/or oral presentation.  Admission is by consent of the supervising faculty member who also evaluates the student's work.  The student develops a written plan of study (syllabus) in collaboration with the faculty member following the guidelines on the Independent Course Contract form available through the Registrar.  BIO 371 may be repeated on a different project in a different research lab.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 371 and BIO 372.

A third semester of continued , original field, bench, or modeling laboratory or other original research under the direction and supervision of a Biology faculty member who reviews and approves the research topic and methodology.  Research is presented at the end of the semester in a scientific paper, poster, and/or oral presentation.  Admission is by consent of the supervising faculty member who also evaluates the student's work.  The student develops a written plan of study (syllabus) in collaboration with the faculty member following the guidelines on the Independent Course Contract form available through the Registrar. 

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 371 and prior departmental acceptance of a thesis proposal.

A student with prior departmental approval of a biology thesis proposal registers for this course during the semester in which the research is completed and the thesis is written, presented, and defended (all following department thesis guidelines delineated in the Biology Major Handbook and in consultation with Biology's Thesis Coordinator).  Admission is by consent of the primary reader/supervising faculty member who also evaluates the student's work.  The student develops a written plan of study (syllabus) in collaboration with the faculty member following the guidelines on the Independent Course Contract form available through the Registrar. 

Prerequisites & Notes

See bio.davidson.edu/sfs.  

Twelve-week, four-course semester program (BIO 184, 381, 382, and 383) at one of five School for Field Studies research centers.  Grading is Pass/Fail.  BIO 382 may be counted for major credit.

Prerequisites & Notes

Permission of the instructor required.  See bio.davidson.edu/programs/sfs/sfshome.htm.

One-month intensive field work course for science majors during the summer in selected School for Field Studies locations around the world.  Grading is pass/fail but may be counted for major credit.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 201, 202, 208/238, 303, 306/336, 307/337, or 333 is required.

Instructor
Sarafova

This seminar course explores the biological and chemical principles behind the newest biotechnology tools in medicine. Topics such as nanotechnology based drug delivery approaches, 3D organ printing for transplantation, cancer immunotherapy approaches, and molecular diagnostic tools will be selected based on student interest. Students will analyze primary literature, then organize and present findings in oral presentations and term papers.

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO111/113 and BIO303 or CHE230; or permission of instructor.

Instructor
B. Thurtle-Schmidt

How do ribosomes really synthesize proteins? How do proteins transport cargo-filled vesicles along the cytoskeleton? How do some bacteria manage to swim in solution? The answers to these questions are provided by the study of molecular machines. In this seminar class, students will analyze primary literature to learn how tiny molecular machines power so many essential biological processes

Prerequisites & Notes

Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114 are required.

Instructor
Peroni

This upper-level seminar examines on how ecological theory can contribute to understanding and preventing the emergence and progression of disease.  Students use literature from ecology, epidemiology, microbiome research, and physiology to explore diseases of vertebrate animals.  Writing intensive.

Satisfies depth or breadth course requirement in Natural Science track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.