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Fundamentals of Biology II: lecture (20330)
School of Theoretical and Applied Science
Ramapo College of New Jersey
BIOL 112 – Spring 2012
Dr. Thomas Owen
office: G-324; x7554 office hours: M 1:00 – 3:00 pm
research lab: G-112; x6223 R 10:00 – 11:00 am
e-mail: towen@ramapo.edu other hours by appointment or chance
website: phobos.ramapo.edu/~towen
Lecture: Monday 6:00 pm – 9:15 pm Room D215
Tutoring: peer tutoring (free) is available – please see me or consult the posted schedule for times
Prerequisites / Co-requisites: Fundamentals of Biology I (BIOL 110) or permission
Course Text: Biology (8th edition); N.A. Campbell and J.B. Reece (Benjamin Cummings)
Course Description:
This course is a continuation of Fundamentals of Biology I. We will examine basic anatomy,
physiology and reproduction of higher animals and plants. The course concludes with an
introduction to ecology and population biology.
Course Objectives:
Identify, discuss, and describe the tissues, organs, organ systems, and basic body plans of
higher animals
Learn in detail the anatomy and physiology of higher animals, especially those of humans and
other vertebrates
Become familiar with photosynthesis
Understand the structure of plants and their growth and reproduction
Understand the basics of ecology and population biology
Explore the interactions within and between communities
Learn about ecosystems, their cycles, and the impact of human activity
Fundamentals of Biology II Lecture Spring 2012 - Owen Page 2
Experiential Component:
This course will include a minimum of five (5) hours of unmonitored appropriate experience
outside of the classroom.
Important Dates:
Monday 23 January First day of lecture
Monday 20 February Lecture Exam 1
18-24 March Spring Break
Monday 2 April Lecture Exam 2
Monday 30 April Last day of lecture
Monday 14 May Lecture Exam 3 (finals week)
Lecture Policies:
You are expected to attend all lectures. While I do not take attendance, I know if you’ve
missed lectures. I realize that life sometimes throws you curve balls, so if you can’t make it, let
me know ahead of time or as soon as possible after class. If you choose not to attend
classes, don’t expect to do very well in the class and don’t expect me or your fellow students
to help you out of a situation of your own making. There WILL be material covered and
discussed in class that WON’T be on the slides or in the textbook but WILL be on exams.
Reading assignments will be posted in class as we go. Do the reading assignments before
the next class and make sure you understand the topics that were covered in the previous
class. Unannounced quizzes have a habit of showing up periodically to assure that you are
doing the reading and that you are understanding the material. Expect to spend some
significant time outside of lecture and lab reading and preparing for the next class.
Lecture slides will normally be posted before class. Some people find it helpful to print them
and take notes on them. Anything on the slides is fair game for exams, as is anything
discussed in class or specifically assigned otherwise.
Make good use of the review questions at the end of each chapter and of the online material
available through the publisher (see how at the front of your book). They are a great study
and learning aid.
Please turn off cell phones and tunes during lecture. The world will continue with you off-
line. Really - I promise – and your friends don’t need to know in real time how much fun you’re
having – they would just be jealous. Tell them when you get back from class.
If you have any questions or need help, please see me during office hours, before/after class
or e-mail me. I am usually available outside my office hours as well, so stop in, call, or
schedule an appointment.
Fundamentals of Biology II Lecture Spring 2012 - Owen Page 3
Please don’t ever hesitate to ask for help but don’t wait until the last minute before an exam
or until you’re in danger of failing!!! Free peer tutoring is available.
Special needs: “If you need course adaptation or accommodations because of a disability that
has been documented with the Office of Specialized Services, please make an appointment
with me.”
If you have any special needs or require special assistance please feel free to talk to me in
confidence. I strongly encourage you to talk with the professionals in the Office of Specialized
Services (x7514; oss@ramapo.edu) and in collaboration with you and with them, I will do my
best to facilitate your attendance and successful completion of the course.
Electronic Forms of Communication: “In accordance with College policy, I will use your
Ramapo College email address (@ramapo.edu) to communicate with you about all course-
related matters.”
I use my website (www.phobos.ramapo.edu/~towen) to post lecture slides and other course-
related materials.
Exams and Grading:
There will be three lecture exams. Exams will be comprised of an assortment of multiple
choice, true/false, matching, and/or short answer questions based on what has been covered
in lecture up to that point. Make-up exams will not be given (except in rare circumstances of
illness that is accompanied with a note from a physician). Make-up exams are generally of a
higher difficulty level.
There will be five quizzes (announced) in lecture during the semester which will cover the
material from the previous lecture(s)/topic and the big concepts to be covered that day.
Quizzes are designed to make sure that you understand the material, to uncover any problem
areas and to reward you for attending lecture and for keeping up-to-date. There will be
absolutely no make-ups on quizzes (but I’ll drop your lowest one).
This course has both a lecture and laboratory component. The lecture and laboratory are
each worth 50% of the course grade. You MUST PASS BOTH lecture and lab separately in
order to pass the course.
Your LECTURE grade will be 50% of the course grade and will be the result of:
3 lecture exams 29% of the LECTURE grade EACH
lecture quizzes 13% of the LECTURE grade
Your lecture grade (to determine passing) as well as your final letter-grade for the complete
course will be calculated out of 100% as follows:
A 93 B+ 87 C+ 77 D+ 65 F <60
A- 90 B 83 C 75 D 60
B- 80 C- 70
Fundamentals of Biology II Lecture Spring 2012 - Owen Page 4
Participation in class discussions, attendance in the lecture, and progress made during the
semester will be taken into consideration if your grade is borderline.
Policy on Academic Integrity:
Students are expected to read and understand Ramapo College’s academic integrity policy,
which can be found online in the College Catalog. Members of the Ramapo College
community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. Students
who violate this policy will be required to meet with the faculty member and/or will be referred
to the Office of the Provost.
Fundamentals of Biology II Lecture Spring 2012 - Owen Page 5
Order of Lectures:
Topic Textbook Chapter(s)
Animal structure and function; Nutrition 40, 41
Circulation and gas exchange 42
Immune system 43
Osmoregulation and excretion 44
Hormones; Reproduction; Development 45, 46, 47
Nervous system 48, 49
Sensory systems 50
Skeletal system; Muscular system 50
Plant structure and Photosynthesis 35, 10
Plant resource acquisition; Nutrition 36, 37
Plant reproduction; Plant signaling 38, 39
Intro to Ecology; Population ecology 52, 53
Community ecology 54
Ecosystems; Conservation biology 55, 56
This is a tentative sequence of topics to be covered. Modifications may be made during the semester
and will be announced in the prior the class and we may not get through all of these topics. At times, I
may distribute additional material such as scientific articles, news, links to websites, etc. some of
these will be required reading and included in the exams.
