SCI 3101 (LUOA), BIOL 101 (LUO): Principles of Biology

11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 01/29/2026

Course Description

An examination of the fundamental characteristics common among living things. Emphasis is placed upon studies of the cell, energy, metabolism, reproduction, heredity, ecology, phylogeny and the diversity of life.

Rationale

An understanding of the basic characteristics of life is a significant asset to an individual. Individuals live among and relate to myriads of life forms around, on, and within them. As individuals begin to appreciate the diversity and ecological significance of life forms, they begin to function more effectively within the sphere of dominion God has allotted them.

Course Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Discussion

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 1 Video Discussion in this course in response to the provided prompt. The student will post 1 video of 3-5 minutes of themselves responding to the provided prompt. The video should have quality audio and lighting. The student must then post 2 written replies of at least 125 words. For each thread, the student must support his/her assertions with at least 2 scholarly citations in current APA format.  This assignment aligns with the following FSLOs: Social and Scientific Inquiry 1, 3, and 4; Critical Thinking 2.

Assignment

In this course, the student will complete the Largest Bacterium on Earth Research Assignment. This assignment will use a popular online search engine to search for the phrase “the largest bacterium on earth.” The student will then respond to the instruction prompts. 

Assignment

The student will provide an AI-generated labeled diagram of mitosis and high-resolution images for each mitotic stage, with each stage labeled. Additionally, he or she will provide a description of each stage of mitosis by describing what is happening to the chromosomes in each stage. This assignment aligns with the following FSLO: Communication and Information Literacy 1 and 4.

Assignment

The student will develop a Punnett square to indicate the phenotype, genotype, and the percentage of each occurrence for a heterozygous pea plant. This assignment aligns with the following FSLO: Communication and Information Literacy 1 and 4.

Assignment

The student will describe both the Darwinian hypothesis and the Design hypothesis, then determine which of the two characteristics-simplicity and capability- seems more important to them. This assignment aligns with the following FSLO: Communication and Information Literacy 1 and 4.

Virtual Labs(9)

The virtual labs assigned in this course are designed to correlate with and enhance the module content. These labs are interactive simulations to help improve comprehension and confidence in the course material. This assignment aligns with the following FSLOs: SSI 1, SSI 3, and SSI 4.

Eight weekly quizzes will contain 25 multiple-choice questions and will be open notes. The quizzes will have a 35-minute time limit. One quiz will contain one acknowledgment.