Biological Sciences (BISC)

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.

100Lx Cells and Organisms (4, FaSm) Introduction to morphology and physiology of cells, organs and organ systems. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. Not available for major credit.

101Lg Cellular and Molecular Biology (4, FaSp) Cellular and molecular biology with examples related to human biology and diseases. Fundamental life processes examined at the genetic, cellular and molecular levels.

102Lg Humans and Their Environment (4, Fa) An examination of the physical and biological laws that influence agriculture, pollution, population dynamics (including humans), climate, biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function.

108L Special Laboratory I (1) Laboratory component for BISC 110 for entering freshmen or transfer students with advanced placement or equivalent lecture credit from another institution. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

109L Special Laboratory II (1) Laboratory component for BISC 112 for entering freshmen or transfer students with advanced placement or equivalent lecture credit from another institution. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

110Lg Introduction to Biology I (4, FaSm) The chemical basis of biological structure; structure and metabolism of cells; mechanisms of inheritance and gene action; evolution; development. (Duplicates credit in former BISC 107L and BISC 117L.) Corequisite: CHEM 105aL or CHEM 115aL.

112L Introduction to Biology II (4, SpSm) Origin of life; prokaryotes; introduction to plant and animal structure; diversity of life; plant and animal physiology; ecology. (Duplicates credit in BISC 113L.) Recommended preparation: BISC 110L, CHEM 105aL or CHEM 115aL; corequisite: CHEM 105bL or CHEM 115bL.

113L Advanced Introduction to Biology II (4, Sp) Equivalent to 112L, but will have separate laboratory sections for exceptionally well-prepared students who have completed BISC 110L. (Duplicates credit in BISC 112L and former BISC 106Lg and BISC 116Lg.) Prerequisite: BISC 110L; corequisite: CHEM 105bL or CHEM 115bL.

150Lg The Nature of Human Health and Disease: From Mental Illness to AIDS (4, Fa) The human organism; the nature of inherited and acquired diseases; the biological and societal basis for the AIDS epidemic; therapy, drug design and the future.

180Lg Evolution (4, Sp) Changes in the physical and biological universe over time; origins of life, dinosaurs, human evolution. Implications of evolutionary mechanisms and mass extinctions for human survival. (Duplicates credit in former MDA 180Lg.)

193 Freshman Colloquium I (1, Fa) A series of lectures and discussions at which faculty of the department introduce their research activities to students entering biology and related majors. Graded CR/NC. Corequisite: concurrent registration in BISC 110L or departmental approval.

194 Freshman Colloquium II (1, Sp) A series of lectures and discussions at which faculty of the department introduce their research activities to students entering biology and related majors. Graded CR/NC. Corequisite: concurrent registration in BISC 112L or 113L.

230Lg Brain, Mind and Machines: Topics in Neuroscience (4, Sp) The structure and function of the mammalian brain including the role of the brain in regulating behavior, both in normal and diseased states; in relation to mind; and in comparison with machine forms of intelligence.

290L Introduction to Biological Research (2 or 4, max 4, FaSpSm) Experience in basic techniques through supervised research in the research laboratory of a departmental faculty member. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; CHEM 105bL or CHEM 115bL; departmental approval.

300L Introduction to Microbiology (4, Fa) Comparative approach to bacteria, rickettsiae, and viruses; their structure, life cycles, geochemical activity, and nutrition. Fundamentals of metabolism and microbial genetics. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 6 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

306Lx Introductory Physiology (4, Fa) Functioning of the human body considered chiefly at the organ and system level. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Not available for major credit to biological sciences majors. Prerequisite: high school biology; recommended preparation: BISC 112L or BISC 113L.

307L General Physiology (4, Sp) Physiological functions of the circulatory, digestive, endocrine, integumentary, musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, and urogenital systems of animals. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

310Lx Principles of Human Microbiology (4, Sp) Microbial agents and their relationships to human diseases; pathogenesis, virulence, immunity; epidemiology; control in hospital and community; sterilization, disinfection; introduction to laboratory identification. Not available for credit to biological science majors. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 6 hours. Prerequisite: high school biology; recommended preparation: BISC 112L or BISC 113L.

311 Molecular Biology (4, FaSpSm) Structure and synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins; molecular biology of prokaryotes and eukaryotes; principles of genetics and cell biology. (Duplicates credit in former BISC 210.) Prerequisite: BISC 110L; CHEM 105aLbL or CHEM 115aLbL; recommended preparation: BISC 112L or BISC 113L.

312Lx Human Anatomy (4, FaSp) Systemic human anatomy; morphological and embryological conditions contributing to the structures of the adult. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Not available for major credit to biological sciences majors. Prerequisite: high school biology; recommended preparation: BISC 112L or BISC 113L.

313 Evolution and Population Genetics (4, Sp) History of evolutionary thought; molecular basis for evolution; dynamics of genes in populations; speciation and macroevolution; patterns of evolution. (Duplicates credit in former BISC 213.) Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: BISC 311.

315L Introduction to Ecology (4, Fa) Organism-environment interactions; dynamics of populations, communities, and ecosystems; evolutionary forces. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L and BISC 311; recommended preparation: BISC 311; BISC 313 or BISC 316L.

316L Biochemistry and Cell Biology (4, FaSpSm) Protein structure and function; cellular structure and metabolism; cell cycle; protein synthesis; hormone action. (Duplicates credit in former BISC 216L.) Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; BISC 311; corequisite: CHEM 322bL or CHEM 325bL.

340x Renaissance to Recombinant DNA: A Modern History of Biology (4) Conceptual approaches, crucial experiments, significant discoveries which led to present understanding of living systems considered in the context of philosophical, cultural, economic, and political environments. Not available for major credit to biological sciences majors. Prerequisite: high school biology and chemistry.

369L Natural History of California (4, Sp) Marine, freshwater, and terrestrial communities of California. Life histories, morphology, special evolutionary adaptations. Relationships between organisms and their biological-physical-chemical environment. Emphasis on field biology. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: BISC 311; BISC 313 or BISC 316L.

390 Special Problems (1-4) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.

403 Advanced Molecular Biology (4, Fa) Molecular mechanisms and control of DNA replication, DNA repair, recombination, gene expression, cell growth, and development in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, from bacteria to humans. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

405L General Embryology (4, Fa) Vertebrate and human development: cellular differentiation; germ cell development and growth; hormonal regulation of reproductive cycles; cleavage through neurulation and subsequent development of primary organs. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: two from BISC 311, BISC 313, and BISC 316L.

406L Molecular Biology Laboratory (4, Fa) Techniques in genetics and biochemistry applied to prokaryotic model systems; control of gene expression, chromosomal transfer, and maintenance of genetic code integrity. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

410 Applications of Molecular Biology to Medicine (4, Fa) Advances and trends in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Senior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

411 Cell Physiology (4, Sp) Regulation of animal and plant function; principles of nerve, muscle, and receptor physiology. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

419 Environmental Microbiology (4, Sp) Qualitative and quantitative appraisal of microbial activities in pure and contaminated environments; microbial community and its development; interspecific relationships; effects of microorganisms on their surroundings. Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L; recommended preparation: BISC 300L.

421 Neurobiology (4, Fa) Structure, function, and development of nervous systems; neural integration and mechanisms of behavior; organization and operation of brains. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

422L Neurobiology Laboratory (4, Sp) Experimentation on excitable cells, synapses, and neural circuits; intracellular and extracellular techniques for recording, stimulation, and identification of nerve and muscle cells. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 6 hours. Prerequisite: departmental approval; corequisite: BISC 421.

425 History of Discovery in Biology (4, Sp) Exploration of intellectual and experimental revolutions that produced fundamental discoveries in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and evolution; social, institutional, and artistic factors will also be considered. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; HIST 103 or HIST 104.

435 Advanced Biochemistry (4, Sp) Macromolecular structure and function; enzymology; metabolic regulation. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

436 Hormonal Regulation of Metabolism (4, Irregular) Physiological and biochemical examination of the mechanisms of hormonal action on metabolism at the subcellular, cellular, and interorgan levels of biological organization. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

437L Comparative Physiology of Animals (4, Sp) Control of the internal environment of animals in relation to their external environment. Thermal regulation, osmoregulation, excretion, and ion balance. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: two from BISC 311, BISC 313, and BISC 316L.

438 Nutritional Biochemistry (4, Fa) Digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients; metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, fats; biochemistry of vitamins, minerals, trace elements; nutritional needs; medical aspects of nutrition. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

445L Fundamentals of Vertebrate Biology (4, Sp) Evolution and comparative anatomy of vertebrates. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: two from BISC 311, BISC 313, and BISC 316L.

450L Principles of Immunology (4, Sp) Immune processes, humoral and cellular; immunoglobulins; antibody formation; antigen-antibody interactions; immune dyscrasias; transplantation and tumor immunology; basic hematology and immuno-hematology. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 6 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

467L Histology (4, FaSm) Descriptive and comparative survey of cells, tissues, and organ systems, with emphasis upon the correlation of structure and function. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 6 hours. Senior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: BISC 311, BISC 313, or BISC 316L.

469L Marine Biology (4, Fa) Oceanography and marine biology, sampling techniques, evolutionary adaptations, morphology, systematics. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Field trip and field research projects required. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: BISC 311; BISC 313 or BISC 316L.

471L Marine Invertebrate Zoology (4, Sp) Functional morphology, life histories, and systematics of marine invertebrates of all major and minor taxa; emphasis on the living animal and its habitat. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: two from BISC 311, BISC 313, and BISC 316L.

473L Biological Oceanography (4, Sp) Biological, physical, chemical dynamics and analyses of the ocean; primary production of phytoplankton, secondary production by zooplankton, bacterial remineralization; physiology, ecology of fishes, marine mammals. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: two from BISC 311, BISC 313, and BISC 316L.

474L Systems Ecology (4, Irregular) General principles of ecosystem function through case studies of energy flow and material cycling. Practical experience with standard field, laboratory methods; introduction to ecological modeling. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory and discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 315L; recommended preparation: MATH 125.

480 Developmental Biology (4, Sp) Regulation of mammalian development at the molecular, cellular and genomic levels; development of the brain and reproductive organs emphasized. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite: BISC 316L.

481L Developmental Biology of Marine Animals (4, Irregular) Patterns of sexual reproduction in marine animals; developmental mechanisms and controls; structure and significance of developmental stages; larval biology and metamorphosis. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: two from BISC 311, BISC 313, and BISC 316L.

490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8, FaSpSm) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: BISC 311 and BISC 313 or BISC 316L; departmental approval.

493x Honors Seminar (1, max 4, FaSp) Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: BISC 110L and BISC 112L or BISC 113L.

494x Honors Thesis (2, FaSp) Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: BISC 493.

499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, FaSp) Lecture and discussion in specialized areas of the biological sciences. Students cannot register more than twice for this course. Junior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 110L; BISC 112L or BISC 113L; recommended preparation: two from BISC 311, BISC 313, and BISC 316L.

502ab Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry (4-4, FaSp) Current genetic and biochemical analysis of replication, recombination, mutagenesis, and repair. Fundamentals of transcription and regulation of gene expression. Recent applications of genetic engineering and genome analysis.

504L Laboratory Techniques in Cellular and Molecular Biology (1-4, max 8, FaSp) Rotation of graduate students through Molecular Biology research laboratories to learn the major technological skills required in the field. Graded CR/NC.

505 Genomics and Molecular Genetics (4, Sp) Molecular genetics (mutagenesis, repair, recombination, and gene regulation) from quantitative and mechanistic approaches. Simple and complex genome analysis using recombinant DNA, physical, and computational techniques. Recommended preparation: BISC 502b.

506 Physical Chemical Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biology (4, Fa) Equilibrium and steady-state systems in biology. Debye-Huckel theory; diffusion, viscous flow, electrophoresis, sedimentation; optical refraction, absorption, scattering, diffraction, rotation by biopolymers. Prerequisite: general biochemistry; mathematics through calculus.

509L Advanced Invertebrate Zoology (4) Study of selected organ systems of marine invertebrates with emphasis on comparative anatomy and functional morphology with reference to behavior and ecology. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours.

518 Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology (2 or 4, max 12, FaSp) Lectures on cellular and molecular biology. Registration restricted to three semesters.

520 Recent Advances in Neurobiology (2 or 4, max 12, Fa) Lectures on selected topics in neurobiology. Registration restricted to three semesters. Prerequisite: graduate status in departmental program or departmental approval.

524 Advanced Neurosciences I (4, Fa) Neural development and aging; neural structure and cell biology, electrophysiology and biophysics, neurochemistry; learning and plasticity. Prerequisite: BISC 421.

525 Advanced Neurosciences II (4, Sp) Sensory motor systems, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral systems, computational neuroscience. Prerequisite: BISC 421.

527 Mammalian Neuroanatomy (4) Major functional systems of the mammalian nervous system are reviewed; overview of development, histology, and research techniques. Prerequisite: BISC 524 and BISC 525 or departmental approval.

529 Seminar in Marine Biology (1, max 4, FaSp) Graded CR/NC.

530 Seminar (2, max 8, FaSp)

531 Seminar in Marine Invertebrate Zoology (2, max 8, FaSp)

532 Seminar in Ecology (2, max 8, FaSp)

535 Seminar in Physiology (2, max 8, FaSp)

537 Seminar in Cellular and Molecular Biology (2, max 8, FaSp)

539 Seminar in Neurobiology (1, max 4, FaSp)

540 Seminar in Biogeography (2, max 8)

542 Seminar in Molecular Biology (1, max 6, FaSp) Graded CR/NC.

543 Human Molecular Genetics (4) (Enroll in BIOC 543)

545 Seminar in Developmental Biology (2, max 8, FaSp) A seminar format will be used to discuss recent publications in developmental biology. Current concepts and techniques will be emphasized.

554 Models in Ecological Research (4, Irregular) Lectures and seminars on the utility of conceptual, analog, mechanistic modeling; the use of microcosms in ecological research. Independent project required. Basic computer experience recommended.

568 Functional Morphology of Marine Organisms (4, Irregular) Advanced functional analyses of specific organ systems and life processes in selected major taxonomic groups of marine animals.

573L Marine Ecology (4, Irregular) Interrelationships between marine populations and communities and their environments. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 6 hours. Recommended preparation: elementary course in statistics.

581L Current Problems in Marine Sciences (4, max 16, Irregular) In-depth studies on selected problems of current interest in the marine sciences. Lecture and laboratory.

582 Advanced Biological Oceanography (4, Fa) Aspects of physics and chemistry of the oceans. Qualitative and quantitative considerations of the ecology of pelagic and benthic communities.

583 Biochemistry and Physiology of Marine Organisms (4, Fa) Biochemical and physiological adaptations of marine bacteria, plants, and animals to the wide range of environments that exists in the ocean.

586L Developmental Biology of Marine Organisms (4, Sp) Descriptive and experimental studies of developmental stages of marine plants and animals; patterns of reproductive biology; larval biology; metamorphosis.

590 Directed Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, Irregular)

790 Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2-2-2-2-0, FaSpSm) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

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