Biology 2201
Course Description
This course begins the study of introductory biology. Topics include the cell and cellular transport, diversity of life, homeostasis of human biology systems and population biology.
Authorized Learning Resource
Homework Central
Thurs Oct 22: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic G - Human Population Growth: (4) population pyramids for (a) expansive populations, (b) constrictive populations and (c) stable populations. Review our discussion of the human ecological footprint, biocapacity and ecological overshoot. Be familiar with 3 types of biodiversity: (a) species diversity, (b) genetic diversity and (c) ecosystem diversity.
Assign 6 - Human Population Growth (Due Mon) Unit 1 Test - Wed, Oct 28th
Wed Oct 21: Please review our introduction to Topic G - Human Population Growth. Note that humans have an extreme k strategy with a long life span, late sexual maturity, few young and high parental care. Be familiar with the J shaped curve which describes population growth for humans and note significant dates on this curve (Bubonic Plague, Industrial Revolution). Also review how we can measure population growth: (1) percent population growth, (2) doubling time, (3) demographic transition model - Stage 1 - pre-transition, Stage 2 - Demographic Trap, Stage 3 - Demographic Transition, Stage 4 - Post Transition and Stage 5 - negative population growth...to be continued.
Unit 1 Test - Wed, Oct 28th
Mon Oct 19: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic F - Interactions in Communities: (2) Predator-Prey Interactions which follow cycles and (3) Symbiosis (a) mutualism, (b) commensalism and (c) parasitism and (4) interactions of non-native invasive species.
Assign 5 - Ecological Interactions (Due Wed)
Fri Oct 16: Students setup Lab 4 - Competition which examines plant growth (cm) as a measure of competition.
Thurs Oct 15: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic F - Interactions in Communities. (1) Competition (a) intraspecific competition - within one species. Note ways that organisms reduce intraspecific competition (dispersal of seeds or dominance hierarchies) (b) interspecific competition - between 2 different species. Note the possibilities of coexistence (overlapping niches and competitive exclusion with identical niches. (2) Predator-Prey Interactions which follow cycles...to be continued.
Tues Oct 13: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic E - Changes in Populations. Be familiar with 2 different life strategies or reproductive patterns of organisms: (1) r strategy - short lifespan, many young, no parental care, early reproductive age, small organisms, in unstable environments using a Type III survivorship curve. (2) k strategy - long lifespan, few young, high parental care, late reproductive age, larger organisms in stable environments with a Type I survivorship curve. Also review our introduction to Topic F - Interactions in Communities. (1) Competition (a) intraspecific competition ...to be continued.
Assign 4 - Changes in Populations (Due Thurs)
Wed Oct 7: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic E - Changes in Populations. Be familiar with 2 scenarios for population growth: (2) population growth curves in limited environments. This is common in nature and produces a S-shaped curve with lag phase, exponential phase and equilibrium phase. Be able to recognize the carrying capacity on this graph. Also review 2 types of limiting factors that keep populations below carrying capacity: (1) density dependent factors (biotic) and (2) density independent factors (abiotic). Collectively, these are called environmental resistance. Also review our introduction to life strategies of organisms...to be continued.
Tues Oct 6: Please review our introduction to Topic E - Changes in Populations. Note the definition of demography and the formula for changes in population size (births / natality, deaths / mortality, immigration and emigration). We worked through sample problems to calculate this change and the new population size. Note the definition of a population explosion or infestation and examples with green crab. Be familiar with 2 scenarios for population growth: (1) population growth in unlimited environments with species reaching their biotic potential. This is not common in nature but can be controlled in a lab setting creating a J-shaped population growth curve. Be able to describe the lag phase and the exponential phase. (2) population growth curves in limited environments. This is common in nature and produces a S-shaped curve...to be continued.
Mon Oct 5: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic D - Population Sampling: (3) Mark Recapture Sampling. Note the definition, formula and 5 requirements for accuracy. We worked through a sample problem and completed Lab 3 - "Mark Recapture Sampling".
Lab 3 - Mark Recapture (Due Tues)
Thurs Oct 1: Students completed Lab 2 - Quadrat Sampling. We discussed the differences between accuracy and precision.
Lab 2 - Quadrat Sampling (Due Mon)
Mon Sept 28: Students wrote Unit 1 Quiz 1. Also review our notes and discussion of (2) Quadrat Sampling...to be continued.
Fri Sept 25: Students completed Lab 1 - "Line Transect Sampling". We also discussed various distribution patterns for organisms (a) clumped distribution, (b) uniform distribution and (c) random distribution.
Quiz 1 - Monday Sept 28
Lab 1 - Line Transects (Due Mon)
Thurs Sept 24: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic D - Population Sampling. Be familiar with why we samples organisms (too numerous), the importance of taking many samples and averaging (increasing precision) and the importance of random samples. We discussed sampling methods: (1) Line Transect and worked through a sample problem.
Quiz 1 - Monday Sept 28
Tues Sept 22: Please review our continued discussion of Topic C - Canadian Biomes. (2) Marine Biomes - (b) intertidal zone (upper intertidal zone, middle intertidal zone, lower intertidal zone). (c) estuaries. (3) Freshwater Biomes (a) lakes and ponds (littoral zone, limnetic zone, benthic zone) and (b) rivers. Also review our introduction to Topic D - Characteristics of Populations. Note the difference between population size and population density. Also review how we count organisms through (a) direct observations, (b) indirect observations (tracks, nests, burrows, feces) or (c) sampling when numbers are large...to be continued.
Assign 1 - Canadian Biome Research (Due Thurs)
Quiz 1 - Monday Sept 28
Mon Sept 21: Please review our continued discussion of Topic C - Canadian Biomes. Note characteristics of (1) Terrestrial Biomes (a) tundra, (b) boreal forest, (c) temperate deciduous forest and (d) grasslands. (2) Marine Biomes (a) Pelagic Zone (open ocean) - made of (i) neritic zone over the continental shelf and (ii) oceanic zone beyond the continental shelf (b) Intertidal Zone...to be continued.
Assign 1 - Canadian Biome Research (Due Thurs)
Thurs Sept 17: Please review our introduction to Topic C - Canadian Biomes. Be familiar with the definition of a biome and the factors that determine the distribution of biomes: (1) climate, (2) latitude, (3) soil, (4) altitude. Note the factors that determine the distribution of species in biomes: (1) abiotic factors and (2) an organism's range of tolerance. Be familiar with an ecotone as an overlap region between two biomes with high biodiversity. Note characteristics (location, temperature, precipitation, indicator plants, indicator animals and adaptations) of (1) Terrestrial Biomes (a) tundra, (b) boreal forest...to be continued.
Wed Sept 16: Please review our notes and discussion of Topic B - Energy in Ecosystems. Be familiar with the producer / consumer levels as well as trophic levels and autotroph / heterotroph terms. (2) Food Webs - These include all feeding relationships, are common in nature and are stable. (3) Pyramid of Energy - Note the shape of the pyramid and be able to explain in terms of the Rule of 10. Note reasons for inefficient energy transfer such as energy being converted into other forms (kinetic energy for movement and thermal / heat energy) and lack of energy release from bone, fur and other waste.
Assign 2 - Energy Flow (Due Thurs)
Tues Sept 15: Please review our notes and discussion of Topic B - Energy in Ecosystems. Note the equations for the 2 processes that allow energy to enter the ecosystem: (1) photosynthesis and (2) chemosynthesis. Also note the equation for the process that uses energy in ecosystems: (1) cellular respiration. We stated that energy has a continuous supply from the sun and moves in a 1 way flow through an ecosystem. Ecologists use several diagrams to represent this energy flow: (1) food chain. These indicate one set of feeding relationships, are not common in nature and are fragile. ...to be continued.
Fri Sept 11: Please review our continued notes and discussion of Topic A - Biosphere and Hierarchal Levels: (1) organism (species), (2) population, (3) community, (4) ecosystem, (5) biome and (6) biosphere.
Assignment 1 - Biological Hierarchy
You should complete these sample questions.
Remember that questions for in-class assignments come from here!
Thurs Sept 10: Welcome to Biology 2201. I am looking forward to working with you throughout the year. This was an introductory class. We distributed course descriptors and explained how you will be evaluated in this course. The Google Classroom Code was provided and this electronic classroom will display all course content and is where assignments, quizzes and test dates will be posted. We introduced Unit 1 - Ecosystem Interactions and Population Dynamics. Topic A explores the Biosphere and its organization into hierarchical levels. Be familiar with the definition of ecology, an ecologist and the various hierarchical levels: (1) organism (species)...to be continued.
