Biol.+100.06+Week+1+Spring+2025+final

Week #1 Agenda

• Welcome to Human Biology!

• Land Acknowledgement

• Introductions

• What to Do to Be Successful in Biology

• Introduction to Biology: Chapter 1

• Basic Chemistry and Organic Molecules: Chapter 2

• Nutrition: Chapter 11

• Instructor: Holly Harris

Land Acknowledgement

• San Francisco State University located on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples.

• Acknowledges the Ohlone's role as original stewards of the land, maintaining harmony with nature over millennia.

• Depiction of Pruristac, a Ramaytush village in Pacifica by Amy Hosa & Linda Yamane, 2019.

Introductions

• Index Card Information (3" x 5"):

  • Write the following with a ballpoint pen:

    • Course Name: Biol. 100.06

    • Your Name

    • Your Pronouns

    • Your Major

    • Your Email

    • City/State/Country of Birth

    • Current Career Goals

    • Something unique about yourself

Meet a Classmate

• Share with a Classmate:

  • Your Name and Pronouns

  • Your Major

  • Something unique about yourself

Instructor Information

• Holly Harris (she/her)

• Email: hharris@sfsu.edu

• Office Hours:

  • Tuesdays: 12:30 – 1:30 pm or by appointment

  • Location: Hensill Hall 128 (Zoom by appointment only)

About Biology 100

• Designed for non-biology majors.

• Provides a strong background in biological sciences.

• Focus on physiological processes in humans.

Enrollment

• Handled online.

• Contact the instructor at hharris@sfsu.edu for questions.

Success in Human Biology

• Key Strategies for Success:

  • Use evidence

  • Ask questions

  • Be skeptical

  • Cultivate wonder

  • Identify confusions

  • Think like a biologist!

Lecture Topics (Tentative Order)

• Introduction to Biology

• Chemistry of Life and Nutrition

• Digestion

• Cells, Structure and Function & Diversity of Life

• Immunity and Disease

• Cellular Division, Reproduction & Stem Cells

• Genetics

• Cancer

• Tissues and Organs

• Skeleton & Muscle

• The Nervous System

• Circulation & Blood

• Respiration

• Evolution

• Ecology & Conservation

Syllabus Grading Breakdown

• Lecture Activities and Homework Assignments: 30%

  • Class Assignments (on Canvas)

  • 4 Best Quizzes (on Canvas)

  • Poll Everywhere participation points

  • Peer Review paper

  • Research paper

• Exams: 70%

  • Three midterms (50 points each)

  • Final exam (50 points)

• Total for Exams: 200 points

Exam Dates

• EXAM I: February 20th

• EXAM II: March 20th

• EXAM III: April 24th

• FINAL EXAM: May 20th, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm

Lecture Name Card

• Write your name in big letters on both sides of the card and bring to every lecture.

Polling Questions & Activities

• What is life?

  • Definitions by biologists:

    • Made of cells

    • Get energy from food

    • Use RNA and DNA for information storage

    • Reproduce and make copies

    • Exchange gases with the environment

Traits of Living Things

1. Made up of cells.

2. Respond to stimuli.

3. Grow and develop.

4. Reproduce.

5. Utilize an energy source.

6. Maintain homeostasis.

7. Adapt to environmental changes.

Life on Earth

• Earth formed 4.6 billion years ago.

• Life began 3.8 billion years ago with simple bacteria.

• Bacteria evolved and impacted oxygen levels through photosynthesis 3 billion years ago.

• Eukaryotes emerged 2 billion years ago.

• Multicellular life evolved 1 billion years ago with animals emerging 600 million years ago.

• Flowering plants evolved 475 million years ago, dinosaurs 300 million years ago, and mammals 200 million years ago.

• Primates evolved 65 million years ago, with humans appearing around 200,000 years ago.

Steps of the Scientific Method

1. Observation

2. Formulate a question

3. Research background information

4. Form a hypothesis

5. Test the hypothesis through experiments

6. Analyze data

7. Draw conclusions

8. Publish results for peer review

Basic Chemistry and Organic Molecules

• Hierarchical order of matter and life:

  • Quark, Subatomic Particles, Atom, Element, Molecule

  • Organelle, Cell, Tissue, Organ, Organ System, Multicellular Organism, Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere.