Boston University Department of Biology

600-Level Biology Courses

GRS BI 607 Animal Behavior Ethological approach to animal behavior. Physiological, ontogenic, and phylogenic causes and adaptive significance of behavior are examined within an evolutionary framework, minimally including humans. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Wasserman. 4 cr. 1st sem.        
           
GRS BI 610 Cellular Aspects of Development and Differentiation Comtemporary aspects of development, drawing from current literature. Emphasis on the use of experimental approaches to address topics such as polarity in the egg, body axis specification, embryonic patterning and organogenesis. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Deshler, McCall. 4 cr. 1st sem.

GRS BI 614 Ornithology Examines the behavior, ecology, and morphology, physiology, classification, and evolution of birds. Flight, navigation, migration, territorial courtship, nesting, and parental behavior. Field trips. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion and demonstrations. (Offered alternate years.) Wasserman. 4 cr. 2nd sem.

GRS BI 615 Biology of Mammals Examines the behavior, ecology, morphology, distribution, physiology, systematic, conservation and evolution of mammals. Research paper and one weekend field trip required. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. Kunz. 4 cr. 1st sem.

GRS BI 617 Biology of Lakes and Rivers Examines interrelational and biological parameters that determine the function of lakes and rivers as ecosystems. Limnology encompasses an interdisciplinary research area that combines elements of geography, geology, hydrology, physics, chemistry, and biology. Theoretical aspects and practical applications are considered. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. Golubic. 4 cr. 2nd sem.

GRS BI 621 Biochemistry I Introductory biochemistry. Protein structure and folding enzyme mechanisms, kinetics, and allostery; nucleic acid structure and chemistry; recombinant DNA; lipids and membrane structure; bioenergetics; vitamins and coenzymes; introduction to intermediary metabolism. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion, four hours laboratory, graduate project. Tolan. 4 cr. 1st sem.

GRS BI 622 Biochemistry II (CM) Cell metabolism, with special emphasis on the uptake of food materials, the integration and regulation of catabolic, anabolic and anaplerotic routes, and the generation and utilization of energy. Lectures will include consideration of events in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Three hours lecture, four hours lab, 1 hour discussion. Kornberg. 4 cr. 2nd sem.

GRS BI 623 Marine Biogeochemistry Oceanic nutrient and biogeochemical cycling in the context of the marine response to global change. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Topics include oceanic productivity, iron limitation, oceanic glacial carbon dioxide budget, biogenic particle fluxes, oceanic glacial-interglacial biogeochemistry. Murray. 4 cr. 2nd sem.

GRS BI 625 General Endocrinology Chemical and physiological principles of hormonal integration in animals, emphasizing chemistry, biosynthesis, mechanisms of action, and homeostatic function of vertebrate hormones. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. I. Callard. 4 cr. either sem.

GRS BI 642 Physiology and Biochemistry of Reproduction Physiology and biochemistry of the ovarian cycle, spermatogenesis, and fertilization. Hormonal control of gametogenesis and gestation. Biochemistry of accessory sex glands. Fertility and sterility. Problems of population control, birth control, and abortion. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. (Offered alternate years) I. Callard. 4 cr. either sem.

GRS BI 643 Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Prereq: CAS BI 107 or CAS ES 101, or CAS ES 105 and CH 101/102, or consent of instructor. The patterns and processes controlling carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Topics include net primary production, nutrient use efficiency, and biogeochemical transformation. Finzi. 4 cr. 1st sem.

GRS BI 645 Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology Cellular and molecular basis of neural excitability and synaptic transmission. The molecular understanding at the cellular level is extrapolated to higher brain functions such as learning, memory, and sleep. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Lin. 4 cr. 1st sem.

GRS BI 646 Biology of the Cell Cycle Temporal organization and regulation of cellular function. Includes theory and analysis of methodologies applicable to cell proliferation kinetics, cell synchrony, and FACS sorting; molecular genetics, biochemistry, and physiology of cell cycle phases. Emphasis is placed on the molecular regulation of growth and differentiation in eukaryotic organisms, from yeast to humans. Readings in original research literature. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Monette. 4 cr. either sem.

GRS BI 648 Biodiversity and Conservation Biology The study of biological diversity and modern methods to protect endangered plant and animal species. The environment, population, genetic, and human factors which affect the survival of species examined for temperate and tropical communities, as well as terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Primack. 4 cr. either sem.

GRS BI 655 Developmental Neurobiology Fundamental principles of developmental neurobiology. Course stresses molecular mechanisms that underlie early neural development, differentiation, process outgrowth, and behavior. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Man 4 cr. 2nd sem.

GRS BI 668 Marine Microbial Ecology Survey of the diversity of marine bacteria, algae, protozoan, fungi, and metazoan. Focus on fundamental role of their communities in the flow of materials and energy through aquatic ecosystems from Arctic to deep sea vents. Laboratory exercises examine the theory and application of many methodological advances in the area of field microbial ecology. Golubic. 4 cr. either sem.

GRS BI 673 Variety of Life: Aquatic Diversity An introduction to the patterns of structural and functional variation among aquatic organisms and communities. Preparation for more specialized courses in organism biology through appreciating patterns of biological diversity, analysis of responsible forces, and study of human activities that influence these forces. Kaufman. 4 cr. 1st sem.

GRS BI 678 Experimental Marine Biology Offers an opportunity for students to conduct in-depth individual research projects in marine biology. Students present their scientific results in a symposium. Lectures concentrate on experimental design, presentation of results, and ethics of science. TBA. 4 cr. either sem.

GRS BI 681 Molecular Biology of the Neuron The study of interactions between neurotransmitters and receptors in the nervous system. Topics include electrical properties of neurons, a survey of neurotransmitters, molecular structure and function of receptors, synaptic transmission, intracellular signaling, and the molecular biology of sensory transduction. Tsunoda. 4 cr. either sem.

GRS BI 685 Protists as Cells and Organisms Prereq: CAS BI 203 & CAS BI 206, or consent of instructor. Free-living, symbiotic and pathogenic unicellular eukaryotes: their taxonomy, distribution, structure, reproduction, life-cycles, metabolism, feeding, development, physiology, behavior, and use as experimental models in cell biology. Tamm. 4 cr. 2nd sem.

GRS BI 686 Biological Design for Sustainable Development Study of biological constraints on the problem of human society’s relationship with the ecosystems, terrestrial and marine, that sustain it. Case studies combining natural history, ecological theory, dynamical modeling, and experimental design in the search for workable solutions. Kaufman. 4 cr. 2nd sem.

GRS BI 699 Teaching College Biology I The goals, contents, and methods of instruction in biology. General teaching-learning issues. Required of all teaching fellows.
TBA. 2 cr. either sem.

Courses marked with a cross (†) satisfy natural sciences divisional studies requirements. An asterisk (*) indicates that the course does not count toward concentration credit in biology.