Biology 1341, Section 001, Fall 2015
Cell and Molecular Biology
Lecture Syllabus
Lecture Professor: Dr. Paul Chippindale
Life Science Room 440A (Office); Room 441-442 (Lab)
Physical Mailbox: I have an individual mailbox in Biology room 337
Phone: (817) 272-2703 (Office); 272-2521 (Lab)
Email:
Place and Time: Life Sciences, Room 119, M/W/F 9:00-9:50
Office hours: M/W 1:30-2:30 and 7:00-7:30 (PM) or by appointment. You are welcome to drop in
at other times (although there's no guarantee that I'll be available) but please DO NOT come to see
me right before class. Usually I'm also available for about 20 minutes after class. I’m pretty quick to
respond to email, the best way to reach me outside of class or office hours. NOTE: Please email me
from your MavMail account. This is a secure, encrypted connection, and I cannot transmit any
sensitive information to external email addresses. You can also phone me in my office or lab.
Please don't ask simple, factual questions that can be answered by reading the book or my notes, but
I will be happy to help you with any conceptual problems that you present to me clearly.
Description of course content: 1341. CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (3 hours lecture; 3
hours credit). The first of a two-part introductory biology sequence for students in the ASSURE
program, this course focuses on the chemical and molecular basis of life, including metabolism, cell
structure and function, and genetics.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Understand the essential details of cell and molecular biology at an introductory level and gain a
basic knowledge of the scientific method.
This course forms the basis for all other biology courses that you will take, so it is extremely
important that you keep up with the material. This is a very intensive and time-consuming
course.
Required textbook for lecture: Campbell Biology, 10th Ed., Reece et al. (publisher: Benjamin-
Cummings, ISBN number: 978-0321775658). The 9th edition is mostly fine too, but I can't
guarantee that it will be adequate for the next course in the Introductory Biology series (Biol
1442). If you have an earlier edition it is YOUR responsibility to keep track of any differences
between that and what is in the 10th edition.
Studying: UTA recommends that for courses such as these, students should expect to spend about 3
hours per week studying for each course credit hour -- so the University's recommendation is 9 hours
per week outside of class. This is the foundation for all other Biology classes that you will take, and
if you get the basics straight here, it will make your entire degree program easier. Given the fast pace
1
, and range of facts and concepts that we cover, this course is pretty much guaranteed to take a lot of
time. There is no way to avoid this, and it is essential that you keep up with the material or you will
get behind very quickly.
Lecture attendance: I do not take attendance. However, students who attend lecture regularly
almost always perform better on exams than those who do not.
Missed lectures: Do not expect me to inform you of material covered or provide you with
individualized notes concerning missed lectures (you all have full access to my PowerPoints).
Behavior: I expect reasonable behavior in class. Students who are disruptive will be told to
leave. And, PLEASE turn off your cell phone ringer before class!
Final drop date: You are responsible for checking the final drop date (for Fall 2015 it is
Wed. 4 November). Up until this time I will give a "W", and any of the Academic Advisors can
sign off for me. After this time, withdrawal is a complicated process that involves University
officials and is not likely to be approved except under special circumstances.
Supplemental instruction (SI): You may have a Supplemental Instructor who will hold sessions
outside lecture to help you understand the material. He or she will inform you about hours and
policies early in the semester. This is totally separate from the regular class, and I do not oversee
it. For general information on SI, see the website: www.uta.edu/utsi. Students who attend SI
often show major improvements in their grades. Note that you do not have to attend the SI
session associated specifically with this section of the course (I have not yet been able to verify
whether this class will have one); you can attend an SI session for another section of the class as
well. I will provide a complete schedule for all SI sessions once it is available to me early in the
semester.
Schedule of lecture topics and exams:
We will follow the topics in the order listed below, but we will not cover every detail of every
chapter. Exams are based on my lectures and notes, and occasionally I may tell you to read a small
amount of material from one of the chapters on your own. There are also a few sections of the course
(noted below) that are separate from the text. Exam questions are drawn from my lectures, the notes
that I provide, and anything else that I tell you to read or view.
I will make all of my lecture notes (PowerPoint) available to you early in the course.
I will inform you of each formal exam at least two weeks in advance. Exam 1 covers everything
from the first lecture through the last lecture prior to the exam, exam 2 covers every lecture after
exam 1, and exam 3 covers every lecture after exam 2. The final exam is comprehensive
(= everything).
NOTE: Estimates of exam timing given below are approximate only, and I may adjust the chapters
and material covered on each exam according to our progress. I may make minor adjustments to
course content to enhance learning; if so, I will clearly inform you of such changes.
2
Cell and Molecular Biology
Lecture Syllabus
Lecture Professor: Dr. Paul Chippindale
Life Science Room 440A (Office); Room 441-442 (Lab)
Physical Mailbox: I have an individual mailbox in Biology room 337
Phone: (817) 272-2703 (Office); 272-2521 (Lab)
Email:
Place and Time: Life Sciences, Room 119, M/W/F 9:00-9:50
Office hours: M/W 1:30-2:30 and 7:00-7:30 (PM) or by appointment. You are welcome to drop in
at other times (although there's no guarantee that I'll be available) but please DO NOT come to see
me right before class. Usually I'm also available for about 20 minutes after class. I’m pretty quick to
respond to email, the best way to reach me outside of class or office hours. NOTE: Please email me
from your MavMail account. This is a secure, encrypted connection, and I cannot transmit any
sensitive information to external email addresses. You can also phone me in my office or lab.
Please don't ask simple, factual questions that can be answered by reading the book or my notes, but
I will be happy to help you with any conceptual problems that you present to me clearly.
Description of course content: 1341. CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (3 hours lecture; 3
hours credit). The first of a two-part introductory biology sequence for students in the ASSURE
program, this course focuses on the chemical and molecular basis of life, including metabolism, cell
structure and function, and genetics.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Understand the essential details of cell and molecular biology at an introductory level and gain a
basic knowledge of the scientific method.
This course forms the basis for all other biology courses that you will take, so it is extremely
important that you keep up with the material. This is a very intensive and time-consuming
course.
Required textbook for lecture: Campbell Biology, 10th Ed., Reece et al. (publisher: Benjamin-
Cummings, ISBN number: 978-0321775658). The 9th edition is mostly fine too, but I can't
guarantee that it will be adequate for the next course in the Introductory Biology series (Biol
1442). If you have an earlier edition it is YOUR responsibility to keep track of any differences
between that and what is in the 10th edition.
Studying: UTA recommends that for courses such as these, students should expect to spend about 3
hours per week studying for each course credit hour -- so the University's recommendation is 9 hours
per week outside of class. This is the foundation for all other Biology classes that you will take, and
if you get the basics straight here, it will make your entire degree program easier. Given the fast pace
1
, and range of facts and concepts that we cover, this course is pretty much guaranteed to take a lot of
time. There is no way to avoid this, and it is essential that you keep up with the material or you will
get behind very quickly.
Lecture attendance: I do not take attendance. However, students who attend lecture regularly
almost always perform better on exams than those who do not.
Missed lectures: Do not expect me to inform you of material covered or provide you with
individualized notes concerning missed lectures (you all have full access to my PowerPoints).
Behavior: I expect reasonable behavior in class. Students who are disruptive will be told to
leave. And, PLEASE turn off your cell phone ringer before class!
Final drop date: You are responsible for checking the final drop date (for Fall 2015 it is
Wed. 4 November). Up until this time I will give a "W", and any of the Academic Advisors can
sign off for me. After this time, withdrawal is a complicated process that involves University
officials and is not likely to be approved except under special circumstances.
Supplemental instruction (SI): You may have a Supplemental Instructor who will hold sessions
outside lecture to help you understand the material. He or she will inform you about hours and
policies early in the semester. This is totally separate from the regular class, and I do not oversee
it. For general information on SI, see the website: www.uta.edu/utsi. Students who attend SI
often show major improvements in their grades. Note that you do not have to attend the SI
session associated specifically with this section of the course (I have not yet been able to verify
whether this class will have one); you can attend an SI session for another section of the class as
well. I will provide a complete schedule for all SI sessions once it is available to me early in the
semester.
Schedule of lecture topics and exams:
We will follow the topics in the order listed below, but we will not cover every detail of every
chapter. Exams are based on my lectures and notes, and occasionally I may tell you to read a small
amount of material from one of the chapters on your own. There are also a few sections of the course
(noted below) that are separate from the text. Exam questions are drawn from my lectures, the notes
that I provide, and anything else that I tell you to read or view.
I will make all of my lecture notes (PowerPoint) available to you early in the course.
I will inform you of each formal exam at least two weeks in advance. Exam 1 covers everything
from the first lecture through the last lecture prior to the exam, exam 2 covers every lecture after
exam 1, and exam 3 covers every lecture after exam 2. The final exam is comprehensive
(= everything).
NOTE: Estimates of exam timing given below are approximate only, and I may adjust the chapters
and material covered on each exam according to our progress. I may make minor adjustments to
course content to enhance learning; if so, I will clearly inform you of such changes.
2
