208-124 Biology

The subject covers areas including:

• cell structure and function - membranes, transport, organelles, dehydration and hydrolysis; complex molecules; food groups; carbon, nitrogen cycles; catabolism and anabolism, cytoplasm; organelles - structure and function; cell control and organisation; communication; adhesion and connection, differentiation; mitosis, meiosis;

• organic molecules - monomers and polymers, enzymes;

• respiration and fermentation - chemical processes; aerobic, facultative and anaerobic; substrates and products;

• micro-organisms - structure; simple classification; adaptation and survival; energy processes, products of fermentation and respiration; replication, binary fission; virus;

• animal structure and function - tissues, circulation, nutrition, gas exchange, excretion, reproduction, coordination, Immune system and disease resistance, animal growth (briefly);

• growth and development - surface area, organisation, specialisation; zygote to embryo; differentiation; hypertrophy, hyperplasia and accretion; early developmental stages- various species; algometric growth; pregnancy in placental;

• plant structure and function: roots, stems, leaves, meristems, flowers and seeds; plant cells and tissues, anatomical diversity; transpiration and translocation; nutrient uptake; primary and secondary growth;

• introduction to biodiversity and evolution: populations, communities and ecosystems; adaptation; phylogeny and evolution (brief introduction only);

• practicals: will emphasise the handling and identification of biological material and the use of microscopes and other instruments;

• inheritance: protein synthesis and gene expression; brief description of DNA, RNA, the double helix, recombination and mutation; Mendelian genetics.

Mid-semester examination (20%), final examination (60%), practicals (20%), pass in practical component required.

• N Campbell and J Reece, Biology. Benjamin Cummings, 2002.