Laboratory Manual for Biology

Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden Maier collaborated on teaching biology to nonmajors for over a decade at the University of Minnesota—Duluth. This collaboration has continued for an additional decade through Virginia’s move to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, and has been enhanced by their differing but complementary areas of expertise. In addition to the nonmajors course, Colleen Belk teaches general biology for majors, genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology courses. Virginia Borden Maier teaches general biology for majors, evolutionary biology, zoology, plant biology, ecology, and conservation biology courses. After several somewhat painful attempts at teaching the breadth of biology to non-majors in a single semester, the two authors came to the conclusion that they needed to find a better way. They realized that their students were more engaged when they understood how biology directly affected their lives. Colleen and Virginia began to structure their lectures around stories they knew would interest students. When they began letting the story drive the science, they immediately noticed a difference in student engagement and willingness to work harder at learning biology. Not only has this approach increased student understanding, but it has also increased the authors’ enjoyment in teaching the course—presenting students with fascinating stories infused with biological concepts is simply a lot more fun.

Table of Contents



Can Science Cure the Common Cold?

Introduction to the Scientific Method
1.1 The Process of Science

The Nature of Hypotheses
Scientific Theories
The Logic of Hypothesis Tests


1.2 Hypothesis Testing

The Experimental Method
Controlled Experiments
Minimizing Bias in Experimental Design
Using Correlation to Test Hypotheses


1.3 Understanding Statistics

What Statistical Tests Can Tell Us
Factors that Influence Statistical Significance
What Statistical Tests Cannot Tell Us


1.4 Evaluating Scientific Information

Primary Sources
Information from Anecdotes
Science in the News
Understanding Science from Secondary Sources
Is There a Cure for the Common Cold?
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION How do I know what to believe?
Review





UNIT ONE Chemistry and Cells

Science Fiction, Bad Science, and Pseudoscience

Water, Biochemistry, and Cells
2.1 A Definition of Life
2.2 The Properties of Water

The Structure of Water
Water Is a Good Solvent
Water Facilitates Chemical Reactions
Water Moderates Temperature
The Drinking-Water Hypothesis Requires More Substantiation


2.3 Chemistry for Biology Students

Chemical Bonds
The Bermuda Triangle Revisited


2.4 Biological Macromolecules

Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Nucleic Acids
Dietary Macromolecules and Behavior


2.5 An Introduction to Evolutionary Theory

Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Does balanced reporting help us draw more accurate conclusions?
Review




Is It Possible to Supplement Your Way to Better Performance and Health?

Nutrients and Membrane Transport
3.1 Nutrients

Macronutrients
Micronutrients
Antioxidants


3.2 Cell Structure

Plasma Membrane
Subcellular Structures


3.3 Transport Across Membranes

Passive Transport: Diffusion, Facilitated Diffusion, and Osmosis
Active Transport: Pumping Substances across the Membrane
Exocytosis and Endocytosis: Movement of Large Molecules across the Membrane
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should I routinely use detox products?
Review




Body Weight and Health

Enzymes, Metabolism, and Cellular Respiration
4.1 Enzymes and Metabolism

Enzymes
Metabolism


4.2 Cellular Respiration

Structure and Function of ATP
Cellular Respiration
Stages of Cellular Respiration
Metabolism of Other Nutrients
Metabolism without Oxygen: Anaerobic Respiration and Fermentation


4.3 Body Weight and Health

Body Mass Index
Underweight Is Unhealthy
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION How unhealthy is anorexia?
Review




Life in the Greenhouse

Photosynthesis and Climate Change
5.1 The Greenhouse Effect

Earth Is a Greenhouse
Water, Heat, and Temperature


5.2 The Flow of Carbon
5.3 Can Photosynthesis Slow Down Global Climate Change?

Chloroplasts: The Site of Photosynthesis
The Process of Photosynthesis


5.4 How High Temperatures Might Reduce Photosynthesis
5.5 How We Can Slow Global Climate Change

Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should global warming be kept below 4°C?
Review





UNIT TWO Genetics

Cancer

DNA Synthesis and Mitosis
6.1 What Is Cancer?

Tumors Can Be Cancerous
Risk Factors for Cancer


6.2 Passing Genes and Chromosomes to Daughter Cells

Genes and Chromosomes
DNA Replication


6.3 The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

Interphase
Mitosis
Cytokinesis


6.4 Cancer Prevention, Detection, and Treatment

Tumor Suppressors Help Prevent Cancer
Cancer Detection
Cancer Treatment
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Can I prevent myself from getting cancer?
Review




Fertility

Meiosis and Human Reproduction
7.1 Producing Sperm and Eggs: Meiosis

Interphase
Meiosis I
Meiosis II


7.2 Problems with Meiosis and Lowered Fertility
7.3 Bringing Sperm and Egg Together

Male Reproductive Anatomy
Female Reproductive Anatomy
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Does marijuana use impair fertility?
Review




Does Testing Save Lives?

Mendelian Genetics
8.1 The Inheritance of Traits

Genes and Chromosomes
Producing Diversity in Offspring


8.2 Basic Mendelian Genetics: When the Role of Genes Is Clear

Genotype and Phenotype
Genetic Diseases in Humans
Using Punnett Squares to Predict Offspring Genotypes


8.3 Extensions of Mendelian Genetics
8.4 Sex and Inheritance

Sex Determination and X-Linkage
Pedigrees
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should there be universal screening for killer diseases?
Review




Biology of Wrongful Convictions

Complex Genetic Traits, Heritability, and DNA Profiling
9.1 Eyewitness Testimony and Complex Genetic Traits

Polygenic Traits
Quantitative Traits


9.2 Genes, Criminality, and Implicit Bias

Studying Nature versus Nurture
The Use and Misuse of Heritability
Implicit Bias


9.3 Positive Identification

DNA Profiling
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sounds Right, But Is It?
The Big Question Should the death penalty be abolished in the United States?
Review




Genetically Modified Organisms

Gene Expression, Mutation, Stem Cells, and Cloning
10.1 Protein Synthesis and Gene Expression

From Gene to Protein
Transcription
Translation
Mutations
Gene Expression


10.2 Producing Recombinant Proteins

Cloning a Gene Using Bacteria
FDA Regulations


10.3 Genetically Modified Plants and Animals

Modifying Crop Plants
Modifying Animals
Gene Editing Using CRISPR in Plants and Animals


10.4 Genetically Modified Humans

Stem Cells
Gene Therapy
Gene Editing in Humans
Cloning Humans
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should anti-GMO activists give up the fight?
Review





UNIT THREE Evolution

Where Did We Come From?

The Evidence for Evolution
11.1 What Is Evolution?

The Process of Evolution
The Theory of Evolution


11.2 Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution

Early Views of Evolution
The Voyage of the Beagle
Developing the Hypothesis of Common Descent
Alternative Ideas on the Origins and Relationships among Organisms


11.3 Examining the Evidence for Common Descent

Linnaean Classification
Anatomical Homology
Developmental Homologies
Molecular Homology
Biogeography
The Fossil Record


11.4 Are Alternatives to the Theory of Evolution Equally Valid?

Weighing the Alternatives
The Best Scientific Explanation for the Diversity of Life
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should high school biology teachers be required to "teach the controversy"?
Review




An Evolving Enemy

Natural Selection
12.1 Return of a Killer

What Is Tuberculosis?
Treatment-and Treatment Failure


12.2 Natural Selection Causes Evolution

Darwin's Observations
Darwin's Inference: Natural Selection Causes Evolution
Testing Natural Selection


12.3 Natural Selection Since Darwin

The Modern Synthesis
The Subtleties of Natural Selection
Patterns of Selection


12.4 Natural Selection and Human Health

Tuberculosis Fits Darwin's Observations
Selecting for Drug Resistance
Stopping Drug Resistance
Can Natural Selection Save Us from Superbugs?
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should I stop purchasing meats that are raised using antibiotics?
Review




Understanding Race

Speciation and Macroevolution
13.1 What Is a Species?

The Biological Species Concept
Speciation
Isolation and Divergence of Gene Pools
The Evolution of Reproductive Isolation


13.2 Are Human Races Biological?

The History of Human Races
The Morphological Species Concept
Modern Humans: A History
Genetic Evidence of Divergence
Human Races Are Not Isolated Biological Groups
Human Races Have Never Been Truly Isolated


13.3 Why Human Groups Differ

Natural Selection
Convergent Evolution
Genetic Drift
Sexual Selection
Assortative Mating
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Are affirmative action policies that favor black students applying for college admission good public policy?
Review




The Greatest Species on Earth?

Biodiversity and Classification
14.1 Biological Classification

How Many Species Exist?
Domains of Life


14.2 The Diversity of Life

The Domains Bacteria and Archaea
The Origin of the Domain Eukarya
The Protista
Kingdom Animalia
Kingdom Fungi
Kingdom Plantae
Not Quite Living: Viruses


14.3 Learning about Species

Reconstructing Evolutionary History
The Greatest Species on Earth
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should lab mice and rats have the same rights as other nonhuman animals?
Review





UNIT FOUR Ecology

Is the Human Population Too Large?

Population Ecology
15.1 Population Growth

Population Structure
Exponential Population Growth
The Demographic Transition


15.2 Limits to Population Growth

Carrying Capacity and Logistic Growth
Earth's Carrying Capacity for Humans


15.3 The Future of the Human Population

A Possible Population Crash?
Avoiding Disaster
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Should the international community continue to provide food aid to populations experiencing food crises?
Review




Conserving Biodiversity

Community and Ecosystem Ecology
16.1 The Sixth Extinction

Measuring Extinction Rates
Causes of Extinction


16.2 The Consequences of Extinction

Loss of Resources
Predation, Mutualism, and Competition
Energy and Chemical Flows
Psychological Effects


16.3 Saving Species

Protecting Habitat
Small Populations Are Vulnerable
Conservation Genetics
Protecting Biodiversity versus Meeting Human Needs
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Is wind power good or bad for birds?
Review




The Human Footprint

Climate and Biomes
17.1 Climate Determines Habitability

Global Temperature and Precipitation Patterns
Local Influences on Climate


17.2 Terrestrial Biomes and the Human Footprint

Tundra
Desert
Forests and Shrublands
Grasslands


17.3 Aquatic Biomes and the Human Footprint

Freshwater
Saltwater
Sounds Right, But Is It?
THE BIG QUESTION Can my actions make a difference on global environmental issues?
Review





Appendix: Metric System Conversions