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title: BI227 Cell Biology Syllabus

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# BI227 Cell Biology Syllabus
Colby College - Spring 2024
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<p style="font-size: 0.9rem;font-style: italic;"><img style="display: block;" src="https://i.imgur.com/bWlLgly.jpg" alt="Inside a Cell"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/132318516@N08/29821283876">"Inside a Cell"</a><span> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/132318516@N08">National Institutes of Health (NIH)</a></span> is licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse&atype=html" style="margin-right: 5px;">CC BY-NC 2.0</a><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse&atype=html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="display: inline-block;white-space: none;margin-top: 2px;margin-left: 3px;height: 22px !important;"><img style="height: inherit;margin-right: 3px;display: inline-block;" src="https://search.creativecommons.org/static/img/cc_icon.svg?image_id=0842d5c7-63fc-4a3a-b48a-71ed9418ad00" /><img style="height: inherit;margin-right: 3px;display: inline-block;" src="https://search.creativecommons.org/static/img/cc-by_icon.svg" /><img style="height: inherit;margin-right: 3px;display: inline-block;" src="https://search.creativecommons.org/static/img/cc-nc_icon.svg" /></a></p> 

## Instructor
Dr. Christina D. Cota 
cdcota@colby.edu
Arey 401


## Meetings Times
Lectures: M-W-F, 11-11:50am Lovejoy 303
Labs: W or TH, 1-4pm, AREY 305
Office Hours*: Tuesday 1-2pm and Friday 1-2pm in Arey 401

**If you are unable to attend office hours, individual appointments are available upon request.*

### <u>Attendance</u>
This is a participation-based course therefore, **failure to attend class meetings will result in grading penalties and/or dismissal from the course with a failing grade**. Excuses may be granted at the instructor's discretion for the following reasons:
* critical emergencies (verified by the Office of the Dean of the College)
* college-sponsored activities or events (e.g. musical performances or athletic competitions)
* Religious Holidays

For the latter (college sponsored activities or events & religious holidays), **you must notify the course instructor by e-mail at least 14-days in advance of the date in question**. Failure to do so may result in unexcused absences.

If you are sick and cannot come to class, you must notify the course instructor by e-mail as soon as possible. If you must miss more than a single class due to a prolonged illness please contact the Office of the Dean of the College. The course instructor will work with both the student and the Dean's office to provide appropriate support and/or accommodations on a case-by-case basis.

## Prerequisites

BI164: Evolution and Diversity (or equivalent)

## Course description
A comprehensive overview of fundamentals of eukaryotic cell biology. Topics include cell structure and function, energy production and metabolism, cell division, protein transport and cell communication. Lecture and laboratory

## Learning objectives
Cell biology is the study of the structure and function of cells, the fundamental unit of life.

**Upon completion of the you will have an understanding of:**
* The composition and structural organization of cells
* How various cellular components (membranes, proteins, etc.) move within cells.
* How energy is produced, stored and used by cells.
* How cells divide and the processes that exist to cells ensure the overall fidelity of those divisions.
* How cells send, receive, and respond to signals from their environment and other cells.

## Course Essentials

### Textbook: Essential Cell Biology, Alberts et al., 6th Ed.

The textbook is available in a number of formats including as an ebook. Feel free to choose the format that best fits both your learning and your budgetary requirements.

Readings are intended to supplement the material presented and discussed in class. You will learn more if you do the readings. Moreover, while I may not assign readings from certain chapters of sections in the book (in particular, Chapters 2-10) you may find the material in these sections useful in understanding the material covered in the course. *I strongly suggest that you review the material in these chapters and refer to them as needed.*

Additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester to supplement the material covered. These readings will be provided.

### Online resources
Moodle ( http://moodle.colby.edu/ ) will be the primary electronic method of contact for this course. Announcements and material related to the course will be posted there frequently, so please check the site on a regular basis. On the site you will also find the course syllabus and the schedule of topics, assignments, and PDF files from lecture slides. 


## Assessment and Grades:

**Your grade will be based on lecture (70%) plus laboratory (30%).** The specifics of your laboratory grade will be provided in a separate lab syllabus provided on the first day of lab. 

**Lecture grade components: **
Exam 1 (Week of March 3th): 15% 
Exam 2 (Week of April 7th): 20% 
Exam 3 (Week of May 15th): 25% 

Graded assignments/quizzes: 10% 

**Final Grade:** 
>90 A (most likely <93 A-, >93 A, A+ for exceptional performance) 
80-90 B (most likely <83 B-, 83-87 B, >87 B+) 
70-80 C (most likely <73 C-, 73-77 C, >77 C+) 
60-70 D (most likely <63 D-, 63-67 D, >67 D+) 
<60 F

**Exams:**

There will be three exams total for the semester: two mid-term exams and one final comprehensive (cumulative) exam covering the whole semester. For these exams you will be responsible for all course material covered in class and in the assigned readings and assignments. The dates for these exams will be announced in advance via the course Moodle site.

**Graded Assignments:**

**Weekly homework assignments will be posted by 9am on Mondays on the course Moodle site and will be due by midnight on Sunday.** You may work through these assignments throughout the week as your schedule permits.* 

**Failure to complete assignments by the due date will lower your grade.**

*All assignments must be turned in before the answer keys are posted/graded assignments are returned to receive credit!

**In Lecture Assignments and Discussions:**

In lecture questions or assignments and in class discussions are intended to help you to better understand the course material. Unexcused absences and/or failure to complete lecture assignments may result in a lowering of your overall grade (at my discretion). 

*Please come to class prepared so you may fully contribute to discussions.*

### Lecture Topics: 

Topics will be covered generally in this order:

The Evolution of Cells; Ch.1, Ch.9
Membrane Structure & Functions; Ch.11 & Ch.15 
Membrane Transport & Protein movement; Ch.12, Ch.15 
Golgi Trafficking & Vesicle Transport; Ch.15
Receptor-mediated endocytosis; Ch.15
Extracellular Matrix & Cell Signaling; Ch. 16
Energy production, Mitochondria; Ch. 13 & Ch. 14
Cytoskeleton; Ch. 17
Cell Cycle & Cell Division; Ch.18
Cell Communities; Ch. 20

## Academic Support
If you experience difficulty in this course for any reason, a wide range of services are available from the College to support you. Please review these resources and reach out as necessary. 

- First, please speak with your instructor early if you are having trouble in the course. 
- The [Farnham Writing Center](https://web.colby.edu/writers-center/) offers support for students on basic writing and reading skills.
- The [Office of the Dean of Studies](https://life.colby.edu/get-support/) offers services for students with learning differences. If you suspect you have a learning difference that might require accommodations in this course, please inquire with the Dean of Students Office.
- [Counseling Services](https://life.colby.edu/your-health/counseling-services/) (x4460) provided from the Health Center offer professional, confidential consultations regarding family problems, stress, depression, cultural adjustments, concerns with sexuality, alcohol and drug use, trauma and other personal issues.
- 

## Academic honesty 
Honesty, integrity, and personal responsibility are cornerstones of a Colby education and provide the foundation for scholarly inquiry, intellectual discourse, and an open and welcoming campus community. These values are articulated in the [Colby Affirmation](https://www.colby.edu/academics/academic-integrity/the-colby-affirmation/) and are central to this course. Students are expected to demonstrate [academic honesty](https://www.colby.edu/academics/academic-integrity/) in all aspects of this course. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: plagiarism (including quoting sources without quotation marks around the borrowed words and a citation); claiming another’s work or a modification of another’s work as one’s own (**this includes generative AI such as ChatGPT**); buying or attempting to buy papers or projects for a course; fabricating information or citations; knowingly assisting others in acts of academic dishonesty; violating clearly stated rules for taking an exam; misrepresentations to faculty within the context of a course; and submitting the same work, including an essay that you wrote, in more than one course. Sanctions for academic dishonesty are assigned by an academic review board and may include failure on the assignment, failure in the course, suspension or expulsion from the College. For more information on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism, see these guides:

- http://libguides.colby.edu/avoidingplagiarism
- https://web.colby.edu/writers-center/academic-honesty/ 

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### Academic Support Services:
Colby offers a number of useful academic support services to students including Financial support for purchasing textbooks; the Farnham Writers Center for help with all aspects of writing; the Olin Science Library for assistance with searching and acquiring literature; and Counseling Services (x4460) at the Health Center. A list of these services can be found here:
https://life.colby.edu/get-support/advising-academic-success/resources/. 
*Please review these resources and reach out as necessary.*

### Academic Accommodations:
If you believe you need academic accommodations, please contact Colby’s Dean of Studies Office (email: accommodations@colby.edu, Ph: (207)859-4000) to discuss your needs or visit their website: https://life.colby.edu/get-support/access-disability-services/ to submit a request for accommodations.

<u>***All accommodations must be arranged through the Dean of Studies Office who will issue formal Accommodation Letters as deemed appropriate.***</u> 

Accommodations require early planning. If you have any questions or concerns you may contact me, however, all disability-related accommodations must be arranged through the Dean of Studies Office.
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### Athletics:
Colby College is supportive of athletic participation by its students, however, academics take priority over athletics. Both NCAA and Colby rules prohibit missing class for practices, thus students should never miss class or lab for an athletic practice. In the case of overlapping commitments between class and athletic competitions, the student <u>**must**</u> meet with the professor as soon as possible to discuss these overlaps. The student may request
permission to miss class and make up the missed work; however, the instructor has final authority either to grant or to withhold permission. Students on academic probation may not be excused from any class because of extracurricular or athletic activities.

***<u>It is the responsibility of the student to communicate directly with their instructors during the first week of class to resolve scheduling conflicts</u>.***

Athletic schedules are available [here](https://www.colby.edu/athletics).




## Sustainability 
Environmental degradation is a serious biological and societal issue. [Colby](https://www.colby.edu/green/) is committed to practices that promote sustainable living. To help minimize the environmental impact of this course, please minimize paper use by reading slides on a device when possible, rather than printing copies. It is acceptable to take notes on a laptop or tablet during class. If you choose to print, please print double-sided on recycled paper. Multiple slides may be printed to a single sheet. And please recycle unwanted paper after the end of the semester. 

## COVID-19 Policies

- Information regarding the Colby Covid-19 policies can be found at:
https://www.colby.edu/communications/covid-19/covid-19-health-and-safety.html

Noncompliance with Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols may also result in sanctions including warnings, probation, restorative justice measures, campus or community service, loss of or restrictions upon social or travel privileges, or loss of the opportunity to attend College activities or events in person, removal from College housing, loss of student employment or off-campus study opportunities, suspension and expulsion (https://my.colby.edu/ICS/COVID-19_Student_Policy.jnz). 