Three class hours per week. An introduction to conservation biology, a relatively new, synthetic discipline within biology that addresses the loss of biological diversity throughout the world. The course will also present some of the currently active research in conservation biology. Current Syllabus BI 290 - Proteins, Enzymes, and Metabolism An introduction to the structures and functions of the fundamental biological macromolecules and the thermodynamic and kinetic principles which underlie cellular metabolism. Emphasis is placed on protein structure, enzyme kinetics and mechanisms, and the primary metabolic pathways leading to energy capture and storage.
Problem solving and the interpretation of experimental results is stressed.
The course focuses on a variety of ecosystems, asseses the environmental stresses inherent in each, and looks at the physiological adaptations that selected organisms have evolved which allow them to be sucessful in their environment.