This is a course for non-biology majors with two components, lecture and discussion section. We will explore biological principles at all levels of organization, from molecules, cells and organs to individuals, populations and the biosphere. Have you ever wondered…how basilisk lizards can literally run on water? …why we don’t yet have a vaccine against the HIV/AIDS virus? …why there is no rainforest in New England? …how bacteria help the Gulf ecosystem recover after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? We will explore these and other questions to better understand how the living world works. Assessment includes evening exams, quizzes and written assignments. Gen Ed: BS.

Introduction to biological principles underlying current social problems. Designed to provide non-biology majors with the basic scientific knowledge that an informed citizen requires to develop thoughtful positions on sometimes controversial questions related to topics including medical ethics, environmental degradation, agriculture, biotechnology, conservation, and evolution. Not for Biology major credit. Gen Ed: BS.

This course explores the evolution, extinction, and conservation of biodiversity on earth. We will survey the diversity of both ecosystems and organisms found throughout the globe. The generation of biodiversity will be explained by both ecological and genetic approaches to evolution. The loss of biodiversity due to historic extinctions and current human activity will be examined. We will use examples from all over the world, but will focus on many examples from New England and Massachusetts. One section will survey the history of wildlife in Massachusetts since European colonization. Not for Biology major credit. Gen Ed: BS.

An introduction to the workings of the cell, focusing on themes of cellular structure, dynamics and energetics. This course is intended for students interested in a broad interdisciplinary approach to the biological sciences: frequent connections to chemistry, physics and mathematics will be made as the cell, its inner workings and malfunctions, are explored. In the laboratory, students will work in teams to conduct multi-week inquiry-based experiments in a laboratory 'core facility' to complement and expand on the lectures. This first semester course is prerequisite for the second semester in a full year introductory course sequence for life science majors. Gen Ed: BS.

Process of biological evolution and the evolutionary history of life on earth. Historical framework of evolutionary thought from pre-Darwinian times to Darwin and through the development of the modern evolutionary synthesis (Neo-Darwinism). Major features of biological evolution including microevolution (the evolution of biological populations), speciation (the origin of species), and macroevolution (evolution above the species level). Biological systematics, including phylogeny reconstruction and classification. Cosmic or inorganic evolution-- the origin and evolution of the physical universe, including evolution of the elements, stars, the earth's crust, atmosphere, and oceans. Chemical evolution and the origin of life. Geologic time and the fossil record. Microbial, plant, and animal evolution. Primates and the evolution of humans; cultural evolution. Origin of major evolutionary innovations stressed, including evolution of photosynthestic, oxygen-releasing bacteria, nucleated cells, sexual reproduction, true roots and leaves, woody plants, the seed and flowers, animals with a true body cavity, insects and their societies, and the vertebrate jaw, the transition from fins to limbs, the evolution of the shelled land egg, vertebrate flight and warm bloodedness, and bipedalism and the human mind. Prerequisites: a grade of C
or better in Biology 100 and 101.

The basic objective of this laboratory is to introduce the methods and pleasures of genetic investigations, using a variety of organisms. It also reinforces Introductory Genetics (Biology 283). Topics include: Mendelian genetics, gene maps, variation in both DNA and in proteins, mutation induction and selection and DNA polymerase chain reaction. Prerequisite: BIOL 283 (may be concurrent).

A course in general ecology designed for undergraduate majors in biology. The course will cover the following topics: how the world works, its structure, history, and evolution; the Earth in space and extra-terrestrial influences; the energy budget and atmospheric circulation (weather); ecosystems and the flow of energy; biomes of the Earth; biogeochemical cycling; adaptations of plants and animals to their environments; population dynamics; interactions between organisms including the concepts of symbiosis and succession; human technology and ecological problems; and ideas for developing new relationships between human technology and ecological problems; and ideas for developing new relationships between humans and the natural systems we need for future survival. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in BIOL 100 &101 or 102 & 103.

Please click through to view descriptions of different instructors' versions of the writing course.

We have two goals in this course. The first, and most important, is to introduce undergraduate Biology students to some of the many fascinating aspects of Plant Biology, especially as these differ from animal biology. For instance, did you know that plants are moving (on a large scale) all the time? It’s the truth, but in a very different time scale than we animals use. How do plants do that without the benefit of muscles and skeleton? Have you ever thought about how, in the absence of a pumping heart, plants’ circulatory systems work? After all, the water at the top of a tree got there from roots in the ground, but no pump was involved. Plants don’t have an immune system, and yet, they ‘stand and fight’—literally rooted to the spot—taking on all types of pathogens, as well insects and other predators. What strategies do plants use to overcome these attacks? Have you ever wondered about how biotechnology is used in agriculture? We have all heard news stories about GMO’s (genetically modified organisms). What are these and what makes them useful or dangerous? These are the types of topics we will be covering in this course. The second goal for this course is to provide a convenient way for UMass Biology majors to accomplish their plant biology course requirement. The course is open to any student who has successfully (with a C or better) completed the Introductory Biology series Biol 100 and Biol 101.

This fundamental ecology course emphasizes the quantitative skills needed to understand and conduct field research. The lectures introduce major ecological concepts, local vegetation types, and methods and techniques of gathering and analysing data. In laboratories, students collect original data at sites in the Connecticut Valley and write an original scientific paper. Prerequisite: an introductory biology course or consent of instructor.

Vertebrate collections are indispensable to the teaching of all whole organism biology courses. They are the repositories of Study of DNA, study skins, hides, preserved specimens, and comparative osteological material. Collections contain regional and global reference collections, provide secure storage for specimens of regional and historic importance, support a library of DNA samples and the specimens from which they were collected and also serve as the repository for type specimens. Maintenance of biological collections not only requires space and money but also require a highly dedicated and trained staff in order to be useful. Without constant maintenance even the smallest collections will deteriorate to the point of uselessness. Today many collections are being orphaned and/or discarded by colleges and universities. Qualified preparators, collections managers and curators are few and far between. During the course of this semester we will learn how to legally obtain, prepare, catalogue, and store new specimens and maintain an historic collection of vertebrate specimens. There will be one weekly lecture and at least 3 additional hours of lab per week. Lectures meet for 2.5 hrs. (6:00 ¬ 8:30 PM).

In this interdisciplinary course, we will explore the topic of imaging biological material, beginning with optics and basic microscopy. Students will perform hands-on exercises in the use of the light microscope, digital cameras, and image processing and quantification. Common pitfalls in imaging biological samples will be covered. Students will perform experiments to test and quantify various aspects of cell migration, cell cycle regulation, mitosis and endocytosis. Using the methods learned in the first portion of the class, students will design and complete a hypothesis-based experiment of their own design and present their findings. Bioimaging is a laboratory-based course. Enrollment is limited and requires permission of the instructor.

Honors course in Tropical Biology. Introduction to the ecology, behavior, taxonomy, and physiology of tropical organisms, with emphasis on close observation of living organisms in nature. Includes hands-on investigation of coastal and marine ecosystems. Students will participate in a field trip to Costa Rica during the Spring Break. Prerequisite: permission of instructors.

This course focuses on the processes affecting the distribution of genetic variation in populations of organisms, through space and time. The processes studied are the ones that operate during evolutionary change. Topics covered will include the Hardy-Weinberg principle, gene flow, genetic drift, recombination and linkage disequilibrium, natural selection, the effect of mating systems on diversity, and the neutral theory of evolution. Examples illustrating key concepts will be drawn from various kingdoms of life. The course will consist of lectures and occasional in class discussion. Prerequisites: Biology 280 or equivalent; Math 127 or Statistics 240 or equivalent.

Introduction to vertebrate history emphasizing fossil forms. Topics include: changes in locomotory, feeding, and defense structures, modes of life of extinct animals, such as dinosaurs, faunal changes over time, and relationships among the various groups of vertebrates. Lectures at Amherst College Pratt Museum, with study in lab of display and other fossil specimens. Requirements: 2 hour exams, final, lab quizzes. Prerequisite: introductory course in biology, geology, or physical anthropology.

An advanced course for students who have already taken an introductory course in evolution and who are willing to make an active contribution to classroom discourse. We will discuss both evolutionary mechanisms and evolutionary history. Potential topics include evolutionary genetics, the role of chance in evolution, speciation and species concepts, the origin of life, the tempo of evolution, extinction, the evolution of behavior, evolutionary history of selected groups, research methods in evolution. Prerequisite: Biology 280 or equivalent course.

The course provides an overview of the systematics, anatomy, and evolution of all the major, living lineages of amphibians and reptiles, with an emphasis on the herpetofauna of Eastern North America and New England. The laboratory is organized around three approaches: anatomical studies; studies of live organisms; and studies of regional and global amphibian and reptile diversity. If weather permits, there will be one field trip near the end of the semester. Some dissection is required. Prerequisite: Biology 521 or permission of the instructor.

Lecture: origin of birds, speciation, diversity, flight, territoriality, migration, navigation, communication, conservation. Lab: bird identification, anatomy, field studies. Text and field guide required. Lab practicals, 2 lecture exams plus final. Prerequisite: upper level biology course or consent of instructor.

Animals have evolved a remarkable diversity of behavioral patterns, used in a wide range of ecological and social contexts. Our first goal in this course will be to examine the mechanisms responsible for the expression of behavior: for example, how do birds locate prey; how do crayfish avoid becoming prey; and how to crickets and birds develop species-specific communication signals? To help answer these questions we will make use of neurobiological, hormonal, genetic, and developmental perspectives. Our next goal in the course will be to examine the evolutionary bases of behavior, asking for example why animals move, forage, hide, communicate, and socialize as they do. To address these questions we make use of optimality theory and other behavioral ecological perspectives. Other topics in the course will include sexual selection, human behavior, and the role of behavior in establishing biodiversity. Prerequisite: introductory biology or psychology course; or consent of instructor and at least sophomore level standing.

Physiological principles governing the function of major organ systems (nervous, circulatory, respiratory, endocrine) and their interactions in vertebrates emphasizing mammals especially humans. Lab exercises designed to illustrate physiological principles using modern approaches. Prerequisite: Biology 285 or equivalent and at least one semester of Organic Chemistry.

The role of hormones in growth, metabolism and reproduction, molecular mechanisms of hormone action, and feedback control of hormone secretion. 2 hour-exams, final, and 1 class presentation. Prerequisite: Biology 297A or consent of instructor.

Biology of nerve cells and cellular interactions in nervous systems. Lectures integrate structural, functional, developmental, and molecular approaches. Topics include neuronal anatomy and physiology, membrane potentials, synapses, development of neuronal connections, visual system, control of movement, and neural plasticity. Text and reserve readings, 2 hour-exams, final, short critique paper. Prerequisite: Biology 285 or 523; or both Psychology 330 and Biology 100.

This course covers current topics and advanced concepts and techniques in genetics and their use in answering fundamental questions in biology. Theoretical background and experimental approaches will be emphasized. Topics will include, but are not limited to, gene and genome structure and function, tools and approaches of genetic analysis, recombination and mapping, and developmental and quantitative genetics. Prerequisite: Biology 283 with grade of C or higher.

Earth's environment from Archean times to the present; the planetary impact of the origin and evolution of life. Microbial communities, metabolic and cell evolution. International faculty accessible via the interactive lecture-electrowriter system. Class discussion and oral presentation. Limited to senior science majors.