- Webpage
author and designer Bob Morris (email: rmorris@wheatonma.edu).
© Robert Morris, Wheaton College, 2000.
Last updated: 8/27/2000
|
office: Science Center 230;
lab: Science Center 219 & 220 phone and voice-mail: 286-3953 email: rmorris@wheatonma.edu |
Developmental Biology presents cellular and molecular mechanisms of animal embryogenesis with an emphasis on comparisons of systems that illustrate common developmental strategies. Developmental Biology also serves as a integrative subject in biology by encompassing applications of biological disciplines from biochemistry and molecular biology to anatomy and evolution. Some of the topics to be covered in this course include fertilization, mitosis and the cell cycle, pattern and axis formation, neurodevelopment, and organogenesis. The laboratory will illustrate principles from the lecture through observations of both fixed and living embryos. In addition, the lab will emphasize student research projects utilizing the latest digital imaging technology and internet-based research tools.
Developmental Biology will meet for lectures on Tues/Thurs
from 11:00am to 12:20pm.
Developmental Biology will meet for a required lab on Mondays
from 2:00 to 5:00pm.
In addition, I will be available for regular office hours for
any extra help you may need.
Mondays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon
Tuesdays from 8:00-10:00 AM
Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 PM
I am around much more than just these times, so schedule an appointment
that fits your schedule, or just drop in my office or lab.
Required texts:
Lecture:
Scott F. Gilbert. Developmental Biology. Sixth Ed.
2000.
Sinauer Associates: Sunderland MA.
Lab:
Peter B. Armstrong, Carol A. Erickson, R.D. Grey, and J.K.A.
Metzler.
A Laboratory Text for Developmental Biology. Second Ed.
1994.
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company: Dubuque, Iowa.
The syllabus includes chapters in the texts from which course discussion topics will be drawn.
The specific pages for materials to be covered in lecture and in lab will be announced in class prior to discussing them.
For LECTURE: Unless specified otherwise, the pages of reading are suggested readings meant to clarify and expand points discussed in lecture.
For LAB: the reading is always required reading to be completed prior to meeting for lab.
Additional reading materials may be available on reserve in the library. And, as always, I am available for additional assistance at office hours.
Any handouts will be available at the door before lecture begins. Please be sure to pick them up each day before lecture. Extra copies will be available outside my office door after lecture.
In LECTURE, there will be four quizzes and one final exam. Each will include a combination of question formats. The quizzes will be take-home and cumulative but will emphasize the material presented since the last quiz. The final will be in class and will be cumulative for the entire semester.
In LAB, you will be graded on your lab notebook (for completeness and accuracy of labeling, NOT artistic talent), on two Lab Reports and your website detailing your lab research experiments, and on a Lab Practical Exam which will be cumulative. The Lab Reports will be webpages you write and post on the course website. For the dramitic ease with which researchers can now do collaborative research on the web, we will be using the internet in Developmental Bio to help us better do and learn biology.
To appreciate the fascinating (and frankly clever) research that has led to our current understanding of animal development, and to break up the 80 minute lecture periods into more manageable pieces, we will be holding regular Journal Clubs during the last 20-30 minutes of lecture. A Journal Club is a meeting of like-minded scientists who have all read a particular primary research article. They gather to analyze the figures, to discuss the data in detail, and to evaluate whether the authors show sufficient evidence to support their conclusions. As an important step in learning the experimental evidence supporting our current understanding of animal development, we will conduct our own Journal Clubs and present papers as a team. You will be graded on your participation, on the thoroughness of your preparation and analysis, and on how well you support your own evaluations - not on whether you agree with the Professor's evaluation of the work. Research articles will be drawn from both past and present literature. Because these are going to be DISCUSSIONs of research, you are responsible for reading the journal club papers prior to the class meeting when they are to be discussed.
In general, grades for the course will be assigned as follows:
A indicates that the work is markedly superior and is without major problems. It is an honors grade denoting that the goals for the assignment or course have been achieved with distinction.
B indicates that the work has met all of the requirements of the assignment or course at a level that is consistently above average, and the student has achieved most of the goals.
C indicates satisfactory work that is consistently average and that meets the course goals at a sufficient level to pass, even though there may be some problems with the work.
D indicates the minimal achievement in order to earn credit, even though the work is below the standard required for good academic standing.
F indicates failure to complete an assignment or course, or work that does not fit into the requirements of the assignment or course or meet acceptable standards, so that no credit can be awarded.
Final course grades will be calculated as follows:
% of course grade take-home Quiz 1 8 take-home Quiz 2 8 take-home Quiz 3 8 take-home Quiz 4 8 web-posted Lab Report on urchin development 10 web-posted Lab Report on chick development 10 Website overall 10 Lab Practical Exam 8 Lab Notebook 5 Final Exam 15 Participation (including in Journal Club) 10 Total: 100%
Make-up assignments are possible ONLY if discussed with me before the assignment is assigned. No assignment due-date may be postponed within 24 hours of the scheduled due-date.
Re-grading Procedures: