General Biology

This program is intended to help students fulfill General Biology requirements necessary for advanced work in environmental studies and the natural sciences, particularly for those who will focus their studies in part-time offerings to earn a degree or certificate in the sciences. The program will use a hybrid model of instruction with online learning (asynchronous and synchronous work) and weekly, in-person laboratory or field sessions (concentrated at the beginning of the quarter).

The content of the program will emphasize evolution as the framework that connects the biological sciences across scales -- from individual cells, to multi-cellular organisms, up to populations and communities of interacting organisms within ecosystems. We will explore the origins of life on Earth and the tree of life to better understand biodiversity. We will incorporate Pacific Northwest natural history to deepen our understanding of biology and focus on the process of science. We will also gain a deeper understanding of cellular and molecular biology, genetics, genomics, gene regulation, biomolecules (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids), energetics, metabolic processes, and cellular respiration.

For the majority of the work we will rely heavily on Canvas for communication, accessing materials and assignments. In-person laboratory sessions will include learning of basic microbiology techniques, microscopy, DNA restriction digestions, gel electrophoresis, plant dissections, and field biology techniques.