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The Pomona College Biology Department also may offer new or special courses in addition to those listed below, and occasionally some courses are not offered due to sabbatical leave. Please consult the current course catalog or the My Pomona student portal for a complete list of courses in any given semester.

Introductory Courses:

BIOL 1A. Human Genetics. Staff. Principles and practices of human genetics and current problems and social issues related to genetic research. For non-majors. Cannot be taken if student has alredy taken BIOL 40. Next offered Fall 2008.

BIOL 1C. Biology of Garden Plants. Mr. Becker. Topics include life cycle of flowering plants, plant structures and functions, nutrition, transport of materials, photosynthesis, mechanisms for sensing the environment, propagation methods and plant pests. Societal aspects of gardening and farming discussed. Laboratory-rich course includes much hands-on experience growing and assessing plants. Not intended for biology, neuroscience or molecular biology majors. Spring semester alternate years.

BIOL 2A: Biology, Gender and Society with Laboratory. Ms. Levin. Explores the scientific method in the fields of genetics, endocrinology, physiology, development and evolution to see how biology informs our understanding of gender and identity. Discussion focuses on the uses and abuses of the information generated by biological research and how science changes as cultural values and the political climate shift. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Fall semester alternate years.

BIOL 40. Introductory Genetics. Staff. Coverage of the principles of heredity. Topics include transmission genetics, population genetics and molecular genetics. Laboratory provides opportunities for students to apply a range of experimental approaches to ask and answer genetic questions in a variety of model organisms. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite: Chemistry 1a or 51 or permission of instructor. Spring semester.

BIOL 41C. Introductory Cell Chemistry and Cell Biology with Laboratory. Staff. Introduction to components of and processes that occur in living cells. Includes cell chemistry, intermediary metabolism, energy transduction and specialized topics, including protein trafficking, cellular motility and signal transduction. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 40; Chemistry 1A,B or 51. Previously numbered 41M. Fall semester.

BIOL 41E. Introductory Ecological and Evolutionary Biology with Laboratory. Staff. Introduction to the origins of and interactions among organisms in their natural environments. Includes evolutionary and population biology, behavioral and community ecology, and conservation biology. Laboratory projects include field experiments and apply statistical treatments in data analysis. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 40. Spring semester.

Upper-Division Courses:

NEUR 102. Neuroethology: Mechanisms of Behavior with Laboratory. Ms. Levin. A comparative approach to observing how the nervous system supports behavior. Topics include the evolution and organization of the nervous system, neural-endocrine interactions, and mechanisms underlying the detection and recognition of behavioral signals and the generation of a behavioral response to them. Prerequisites: BIOL 40 and either BIOL 41C or 41E. Spring semester alternate years.

NEUR 103. Introduction to Neuropharmacology. Ms. Parfitt. Overview of the major neurotransmitter systems, drug-receptor interactions and synaptic transmission. Emphasis on the mechanisms of actions of psychoactive drugs including drugs of abuse, disease. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Fall semester alternate years.

BIOL 104. Conservation Biology. Mr. Fowler. Biological approaches to the conservation of species and ecosystems. Topics include current problems in conservation at global through local scales, the origin and maintenance of biodiversity, population dynamics of rare or exploited species, and the influence of human values on wildlife conservation. Prerequisites: BIOL 41E or Environmental Analysis 51, or permission of instructor. Spring semester.

BIOL 109. Molecular Evolution with Laboratory: The Tree of Life. Mr. Martínez. Examines the major transitions in the evolution of life on Earth from a molecular perspective. Topics include the evolution of the eukaryotic nucleus, the evolution of mitochondria, the evolution of chloroplasts, the evolution of introns, the evolution of higher plants, the Cambrian explosion and the origin of animals, the evolution of tetrapods. Laboratory introduces students to a variety of molecular biology techniques. Computer lab emphasizes sequence assemblage, sequence alignment and phylogenetic reconstruction. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C or 41E. Fall semester.

BIOL 112. Advanced Animal Ecology with Laboratory. Ms. Karnovsky. This course covers population, community, and ecosystem ecology of animals in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Topics include mechanisms that regulate population size, organize communities and the processes that characterize ecosystems. Students will conduct their own studies in the field and laboratory. Field trips are required. Prerequisite: BIOL 41E. Fall semester alternate years.

BIOL 116. Ecology and Evolution of Plants with Laboratory. Ms. Hanzawa. The ecology of plant populations, examined in an evolutionary context. Topics include population dynamics; ecology and evolution of interactions between plants and pollinators, herbivores and seed dispersers; evolution of plant structure; conservation of rare species. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 41E. Spring semester alternate years.

BIOL 119. Research Laboratory in Organismal, Ecological, Evolutionary Biology. Ms. Levin. Provides the opportunity to conduct research on independently chosen topics in organismal, ecological or evolutionary biology. Involves development of a grant-style research proposal, execution and analysis of proposed work, and formal presentation of results in an intensive peer-review environment. Half-course, laboratory only. Prerequisites: BIOL 41E and permission of instructor. Spring semester.

BIOL 121. Insect Ecology and Behavior with Laboratory. Ms. Hanzawa. Insect Ecology and Behavior with Laboratory. Ms. Hanzawa. Explores the interaction of insects with their biotic and physical environments from an evolutionary perspective. Topics include insect population ecology; mating, foraging, and social behaviors; ecology of insect pollination, herbivory, and parasitism; and insect diversity. Prerequisite: 41E. Fall semester alternate years.

BIOL 125. Animal Behavior with Laboratory. Ms. Levin. Examines maintenance, reproductive and social behaviors of animals from evolutionary, ecological and mechanistic perspectives. Topics include behavioral ecology and sociobiology, behavioral genetics, behavioral endocrinology and neuroethology. Laboratory includes field observations of free-living animals. Prerequisite: BIOL 41E. Fall semester.

BIOL 130. Vertebrate Sensory Systems with Laboratory. Mr. Johnson. Vertebrates possess remarkable adaptations for exploring their external environment. We will examine the senses of smell, taste, touch, vision and hearing at molecular, cellular and systems levels, with particular focus on the development of these systems. Topics will also include comparative anatomy, physiology, neural coding and exotic sensory systems. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Spring semester.

BIOL 131. Invertebrate Biology with Laboratory. Mr. Wright. Explores the taxonomy, phylogeny and functional morphology of the major invertebrate phyla. Select topics include some of the most pervasive evolutionary questions: insect-plant co-evolution, the evolution and biomechanics of insect flight, host-parasite co-evolution and the Cambrian explosion. Laboratories explore comparative anatomy, physiology and ecology through a combination of experimental and observational projects and field trips. Prerequisite: BIOL 41E or 41C. Spring semester.

BIOL 132. Vertebrate Biology with Laboratory. Ms. Karnovsky. Vertebrate ecology, evolution and current conservation crises. Aspects of vertebrate anatomy and physiology will be covered to highlight strategies vertebrates use to meet challenges of metabolism, thermoregulation, locomotion, prey capture, predator avoidance, mating, reproduction and migration. Labs are focused on modern techniques for studying vertebrate populations. Field trips required. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 41E. Fall semester.

BIOL 140. Animal Physiology with Laboratory. Mr. Wright. The physiology of animals at the biochemical, cellular, organ and whole-animal level, stressing comparative solutions to common problems across animal groups. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 41C or permission of instructor. Spring semester.

BIOL 144. Comparative Endocrinology. Mr. Fowler. Examines the role of the endocrine system in regulating physiology and the maintenance of homeostasis in whole organisms. Topics include osmoregulation, growth and development, digestion, reproduction, behavior and responses to environmental changes, as well as mechanisms of chemical communication. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C or 41E. Fall semester.

BIOL 147. Biochemistry: Metabolomics and Regulation. Ms. Hoopes. The pathways by which small molecules are interconverted to synthesize macromolecule subunits and macromolecules are synthesized, with emphasis on regulation. Concentrations of most metabolites in the cell under specific conditions (metabolomic analysis) will be studied. Laboratory work will include affinity purification and functional studies of an epitope-tagged protein kinase. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Spring semester alternate years.

BIOL 163. Cell Biology with Laboratory. Mr. Telzer. Discussion of the organization, function and biochemistry of the organelles and macromolecules of eukaryotic cells. Special emphasis will be given to cell membranes, protein synthesis and trafficking among organelles, and intracellular motility. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Spring semester.

BIOL 164. Genetic Regulation in Eukaryotes with Laboratory. Ms. Hoopes. Major themes in the regulation of gene action in eukaryotic cells will be explored using research papers. Topics will emphasize transcription factors and chromatin packaging and will highlight their roles in development and cancer. Students will discuss the assigned papers and a term paper will be required. Discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite (or concurrent): BIOL 40 and 41C. Spring semester.

BIOL 165A. Molecular Genetics of Cancer. Mr. Seligman and Ms. Hamlett. This course examines the genetic changes that underlie the conversion of healthy cells to cancer cells. Emphasis will be placed on studies identifying key genes in humans, as well as research in model organisms that has enabled an understanding of how changes in these genes lead to cancers. This is a literature-based course that emphasizes oral presentations. Juniors and seniors only. Prerequisite: BIOL 040C and BIOL 041C or permission of the instructor. Semester varies.

BIOL 166. Plant Physiology with Laboratory. Mr. Becker. The physiology and biochemistry unique to plants, with emphasis on mechanisms. Whole-plant processes such as mineral uptake and transport and water relations, and intracellular processes such as photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, cell-wall synthesis and synthesis of secondary compounds. Mechanisms for coping with environmental stresses. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Spring semester.

BIOL 167. Microbial Genetics with Laboratory. Mr. Seligman. Examines fundamental genetic processes such as DNA repair and mutagenesis, genetic exchange and recombination in prokaryotic organisms. Student-led discussions of primary research literature and laboratory featuring a combination of classical microbial genetic and modern molecular approaches. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Fall semester alternate years.

BIOL 169. Developmental Biology with Laboratory. Ms. Cheney. The events and processes of animal development, including the regulation of differential gene expression, the molecular mechanisms that govern them, and the molecular basis of pattern formation and determination. Lecture, discussion and laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Fall semester..

BIOL 173. Genomics and Bioinformatics with Laboratory. Mr. Cavalcanti. Introduction to prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes, biological information systems and data analysis. Topics: comparative genomics, biological databases, sequence alignment, similarity searching, phylogenetic reconstruction, models of evolution, genome remodeling and molecular visualization. Laboratory incorporates computer-based exercises and student research projects. Prior computer experience is not required. Prerequisite: BIOL 41E or 41C (or 41M) or permission of instructor. Fall semester.

BIOL 178. Neurobiology with Laboratory. Ms. Parfitt. Introduction to the biology of the nervous systems of vertebrates and invertebrates. Emphasis on cellular and molecular approaches. The ionic basis of electrical signaling in excitable cells, the physiology and biochemistry of synaptic transmission, the physiology of sensory and motor systems, and the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory, and selected topics in the field. Prerequisite: BIOL 41C. Fall semester.

Other Courses for the Major:

BIOL 189. Selected Topics in Biology. Staff. Seminars, discussions and/or laboratory exercises conducted as small discussion groups in specialized topics not offered in formal courses and of mutual interest to students and staff. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Course or half-course. May be repeated. Each semester.

BIOL 191. Senior Library Thesis. Staff. Design of a research protocol to answer an original question. Written in the form of a grant proposal. Open to students whose preliminary written project proposals have been approved by the department. Preliminary proposals due one week prior to pre-enrollment in the preceding semester. Half-course. Each semester.

BIOL 194A,B. Senior Experimental Thesis. Staff. A two-semester laboratory or field project that addresses an original question. Open to students whose written preliminary project proposals have been approved by the department. Preliminary proposals due one week prior to pre-enrollment in the spring of the junior year. 194A, half-course, first semester; 194B, full-course, second semester.

BIOL 198. Summer Reading and Research. Staff. May consist of a reading program in a specific field of biology and/or a field or laboratory research project conducted under faculty member’s supervision. Open to any student who receives faculty and departmental approval. See faculty areas of interest listed below. Course or half-course. Summer.

BIOL 199. Independent Study/Research in Biology. Staff. Directed independent research under the supervision of a faculty member. Open to students whose written project proposals have been approved by the department; proposals due one week before pre-enrollment. Course or half-course. Each semester.