The content, assignments, and assessments for Biology for Non-Majors I are aligned to the following learning outcomes. A full list of course learning outcomes can be viewed here: Biology for Non-Majors I Learning Outcomes.

Module 1: Introduction to Biology

Define biology and apply its principles

• List the defining characteristics of biological life
• Describe classification and organizational tools biologists use, including modern taxonomy
• Identify the main branches of biology
• Describe biology as a science and identify the key components of scientific inquiry

Module 2: Chemistry of Life

Identify the principles of chemistry that are integral to biology

• Define atoms and elements
• Classify different types of atomic bonds
• Demonstrate familiarity with the pH scale

Module 3: Important Biological Macromolecules

Identify and describe the main features of the four main classes of important biological macromolecules

• Discuss why it is said that life is carbon-based and the bonding properties of carbon
• Summarize the roles carbohydrates play in biological systems
• Illustrate different types of lipids and relate their structure to their role in biological systems
• Describe the structure and function of proteins
• Discuss nucleic acids and the role they play in DNA and RNA
• Discuss macromolecules and the differences between the four classes

Module 4: Cellular Structure

Identify and explain a variety of cellular components

• State the basic principles of the unified cell theory
• Compare prokaryotes and eukaryotes
• Identify membrane-bound organelles found in eukaryotic cells

Module 5: Cell Membranes

Describe and explain the structure and function of membranes

• Describe the structure and function of membranes, especially the phospholipid bilayer
• Explain how substances are directly transported across a membrane
• Describe the primary mechanisms by which cells import and export macromolecules

Module 6: Metabolic Pathways

Explain the metabolic pathways involved in the capture and release of energy in cells

• Discuss energy and metabolism in living things
• Describe how cells store and transfer free energy using ATP
• Identify the reactants and products of cellular respiration and where these reactions occur in a cell
• Illustrate the basic components and steps of fermentation
• Identify the basic components and steps of photosynthesis
• Discuss the connections between metabolic pathways

Module 7: Cell Division

Describe and explain the various stages of cell division

• Understand chromosome structure and organization in eukaryotic cells
• Identify the stages of the cell cycle, by picture and by description of major milestones
• Identify and explain the important checkpoints that a cell passes through during the cell cycle
• Understand how sexual reproduction leads to different sexual life cycles
• Identify the stages of meiosis by picture and by description of major milestones; explain why meiosis involves two rounds of nuclear division
• Describe and explain a range of mechanisms for generating genetic diversity
• Examine karyotypes and identify the effects of significant changes in chromosome number

Module 8: DNA Structure and Replication

Relate DNA structure to the process of DNA replication

• Explain how DNA stores genetic information
• Explain the role of complementary base pairing in the precise replication process of DNA
• Identify different viruses and how they replicate

Module 9: DNA Transcription and Translation

Describe the conversion of DNA to RNA to proteins

• Outline the process of transcription
• Summarize the process of translation
• Identify the central dogma of life
• Recognize the impact of DNA mutations

Module 10: Gene Expression

Explain the regulation of gene expression

• Define the term regulation as it applies to genes
• Understand the basic steps in gene regulation in prokaryotic cells
• Discuss different components and types of epigenetic gene regulation

Module 11: Trait Inheritance

Complete monohybrid and dihybrid crosses and family pedigrees, and explain the inheritance of various traits

• Identify the impact of Gregor Mendel on the field of genetics and apply Mendel’s two laws of genetics
• Explain complications to the phenotypic expression of genotype, including mutations
• Explain the conventions of a family pedigree and predict whether a disease will be passed through a family in one of three modes
• Discuss the role environment plays on phenotypes

Module 12: Theory of Evolution

Explain the theory of evolution, which documents the change in the genetic makeup of a biological population over time

• Describe the work of Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands, especially his discovery of natural selection in finch populations
• Describe how the theory of evolution by natural selection is supported by evidence
• Recognize that mutations are the basis of microevolution; and that adaptations enhance the survival and reproduction of individuals in a population
• Read and analyze a phylogenetic tree that documents evolutionary relationships

Module 13: Modern Biology

Describe and discuss techniques used in modern biology

• List key technologies enabling modern uses of biology
• Identify societal uses of biotechnology
• Discuss the risks and benefits involved in applications of genetic and genomic science