BI431:
The molecular properties and biological significance of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, and polysaccharides are studied. A detailed study of enzyme activity, metabolic pathways and bioenergetics is considered. Study of eukaryotic cell structure and function is undertaken along with an in-depth study of translation.
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
Blackboard
The Blackboard Learning Management System will be used extensively in this class. Be sure to check it regularly for updates and announcements, as well as details for specific assignments and additional readings.
Supplemental Resources:
- Required: David L. Nelson and Michael M. Cox 2021 Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 8th Edition. ISBN-13: 9781319435493.
Recommended: Tymoczko, John, Jeremy M. Berg, Gregory J. Gatto Jr., and Lubert Stryer. 2019.
Biochemistry: A Short Course. Fourth Edition. W. H. Freeman & Company: NY. ISBN:9781319114633
- Laboratory/composition notebook. A lab notebook is the primary permanent record of your research and experiments. It should be bound and not have removable/tear-out pages
Learning Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to demonstrate the following competencies: 
- The ability to define major concepts and principles in biochemistry
- The ability to explain major metabolic pathways and the bioenergetics of these pathways, such as those involved in glycolysis
- The ability to demonstrate knowledge of how simple changes in molecules and pathways can alter biochemical processes and cellular functions
- The ability to work both collaboratively and independently to solve biochemical problems, conduct lab experiments, and write lab reports
Important principle: Please be respectful!!!
- Try not to disrupt or distract others in class
- Do your own work!
- Do not use your electronic devices for anything not related to class during lectures. This behavior is rude and very disrespectful, both to the instructor and to the other students who are here to learn
| Week | Date | Lecture Topic | Lab |
1 | 13 – Jan 15 – Jan 17 – Jan | Introduction to Course | Lab 1 – Quantifying Acidity or Alkalinity of Foods and Soils |
Water Amino acids | |||
Water Amino acids | |||
2 | 20 – Jan | MLK Holiday | Lab 2 – Phytochemical Screening |
22 – Jan | Protein Structure Protein Biochemistry | ||
24 – Jan | |||
3 | 27 – Jan | Enzymes (Kinetics, Regulation, inhibition, and mechanisms) | Lab 3 – Test for Starches and Sugars |
29 – Jan | NO CLASS (HOME ASSIGNMENT) | ||
31 – Jan | NO CLASS (HOME ASSIGNMENT) | ||
4 | 3 – Feb | NO CLASS (HOME ASSIGNMENT) | NO LAB |
5 – Feb | Hemoglobin | ||
7 – Feb | EXAM 1 | ||
5 | 10 – Feb | Carbohydrates | Lab 4 – Test for Enzymes and Protein |
12 – Feb | Carbohydrates/Lipids | ||
14 – Feb | Lipids | ||
6 | 17 – Feb | The membrane | Lab 5 – Test for Enzymes and Protein (Bradford Assay for Protein Concentration) |
19 – Feb | Signal Transduction | ||
21 – Feb | Digestion | ||
7 | 24 – Feb | Metabolism | Lab 6 – Test for Lipids |
26 – Feb | Glycolysis | ||
28 – Feb | Gluconeogenesis | ||
8 | 3 – Mar | Preparation for the cycle | Lab 7 – Test for Lipids |
5 – Mar | Krebs cycle (TCA) | ||
7 – Mar | Harvesting Electrons | ||
9 | 10 – Mar | Spring Break | Spring Break |
12 – Mar | Spring Break | ||
14 – Mar | Spring Break | ||
10 | 17 – Mar | Electron Transport Chain | Lab 8 – Test for Nucleic acids |
19 – Mar | Proton Motive Force | ||
21 – Mar | Exam 2 | ||
11 | 24 – Mar | Pentose Phosphate Pathway | Lab 9 – PyMol Tutorial (Bring Laptop) and Group Project |
26 – Mar | Glycogen Degradation and Synthesis | ||
28 – Mar | Glycogen Degradation and Synthesis | ||
12 | 31 – Mar | Amino Acid Degradation and Synthesis | Lab 10 – NCBI Database Navigation and Group Project |
2 – Apr | Fatty Acid Degradation and Synthesis | ||
4 – Apr | Lipid Synthesis | ||
13 | 7 – Apr | Lipid Synthesis | Lab 11 – Group Project |
9 – Apr | Nucleotide metabolism | ||
11 – Apr | Exam 3 | ||
14 | 14 – Apr | DNA and RNA | Lab 12 – Group Project |
16 - Apr | DNA and RNA | ||
18 – Apr | Good Friday | ||
15 | 21 – Apr | DNA and RNA | Lab 13 – Group Project |
23 – Apr | DNA Replication, Repair, and Recombination | ||
25 – Apr | Gene Expression in Bacteria & Eukaryotes | ||
16 | 28 – Apr | RNA Processing and Genetic code | Lab 14 – Group Project |
30 – Apr | RNA Processing and Genetic code | ||
2 – May | Protein Synthesis |
Please note: Final Exam (Exam 4) during normal school exam schedule
Lectures
Lectures will include more details about certain topics and up-to-date information on new findings in the field of biological sciences. If you want to be successful in this course, you should show up to class and plan to take your notes as well.
Weekly Laboratory Section
The laboratory exercise component of this course will allow you to gain further experience with methods used in biological sciences.
General Information and Evaluation
Important course announcements will be made in class and posted on the WC Blackboard course page. It is expected that you will check your WC email at least once every 24 hours during the semester on workdays (M- F). A minimum of two hours of student out-of-class work is expected for each hour of in-class time.
Grading:
Item | Point Value |
| Exam 1 | 100 |
| Exam 2 | 100 |
| Exam 3 | 100 |
| Exam 4 | 100 |
| Online Lab Exam | 75 |
| Lab | 325 (25 pts/lab) |
| Lecture Assignments | 70 |
| Finals Week Group Discussion | 30 |
| Attendance and Participation | 100 |
| Total | 1000 pts |
Assignments turned in late for any reason will have points deducted from them. The more days late, the higher the deduction. Late assignments will have points deducted from them according to the following schedule (no exceptions without a valid excuse):
| Days Late | Percent of Grade Deducted |
| 1Day @ 1 minute after stated deadline | 10% |
| Day 2 | 20% |
| Day 3 | 30% |
| Day 4 | 40% |
| Day 5 | 50% |
| Day 6 | 60% |
| Day 7 | 70% |
| Day 8 | 80% |
| Day 9 | 90% |
| Day 10 | 100% |
Exams (40%)
There will be 4 exams. The dates for each exam are listed on the Class Schedule. The exams will cover the material from lectures, readings, and lab sessions. Each exam will primarily cover the material from the previous exam. Some of the questions will be fact-based questions, while some of the questions will be more difficult and ask you to integrate and apply concepts from lectures, labs, and readings. The exams will be multiple-choice, matching, and true/false questions. The exams will be administered in person during the lecture. Attendance on examination days is absolutely required, and no makeup exams will be allowed unless the student has contacted either the instructor or the Office of Academic Affairs prior to the time of the exam.
Online lab exam (7.5%)
The online lab exam will cover the material from all the lab sessions and exercises. Some of the questions will be fact-based questions, while some of the questions will be more difficult and ask you to integrate and apply concepts. The exam will be multiple-choice and true/false questions and short answers. The exams will be administered on Blackboard, will be open-note, and you will have one week to complete them.
Laboratory Exercises (32.5%)
Each week, you will be assigned a laboratory exercise(s). These exercises will be related to lecture and reading material. The exercise(s) will be in your laboratory manual or provided by your lab instructor. You will complete and turn in these exercises during your laboratory section unless another due date is indicated by your instructor for a specific laboratory exercise. Unless informed otherwise by the instructor, you will need to bring your laboratory manual with you to every laboratory section to the lab to fill in the exercise during the lab period.
Lab sessions/exercises are worth a total of 325 points (25 points for each lab). To earn points for a lab session, you must attend the lab, participate in the lab, and turn in any assignments associated with the lab. Students who have an excused absence from lab must make up the laboratory exercise to receive points for that lab.
Attendance at the entire lab period is mandatory. Attendance will be taken at Laboratory sessions. See the current student handbook for the college’s Attendance Policy, especially as it pertains to excused absences. Attendance at laboratory sessions will be recorded and students who fail to fully participate in the laboratory portion of the course risk a deduction from their final points total. Promptness is very important because announcements about each lab assignment will be given at the start of the lab period. 3 points will be taken off of your lab grade for tardiness of up to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, you will lose 10 points, and it will be considered an absence. Even if you know you are going to be very late, however, you should still show up to receive the data necessary to do your lab assignments.
Students are expected to actively participate in laboratory activities and will be graded on their level of participation and preparation for each class. Students are expected to clean their laboratory area and return laboratory materials to the appropriate location prior to leaving the lab. Points may be deducted from participation points for inadequate participation or improper classroom etiquette.
Lecture Assignments (7%)
During the semester, you will be assigned 5 lecture assignments. Lecture assignments will be posted to Blackboard with instructions and due dates.
Finals Week Group Discussions (3%)
On Tuesday, Dec 5 (Finals week), students will participate in a series of group discussions regarding current issues and concerns in human biology. Students will be provided with background information on the topic and will also incorporate knowledge gained throughout the course in these discussions. Attendance is required to earn points for this activity.
Course Grades
Points earned will be added and grades will be assigned based on the scale below. Do not expect any "curving" of grades in this course.
| Letter grade and points: | Meaning of grade (from WC Handbook): |
| A = 1000-925, A- = 924-900 | Range of outstanding achievement |
| B+ = 899-865, B = 864-825, B- = 824-800 | Range of good achievement |
| C+ = 799-765, C = 764-725, C- = 724-700 | Range of average achievement |
| D+ = 699-665, D = 664-625, D- = 624-600 | Range of below average achievement |
| F = < 600 | Inadequate achievements |
Plus/Minus grading will be used in this course. Guaranteed grade cutoffs are as follows: 100-92.5%: A; 92.4-90.0%: A-; 89.9-86.5%: B+; 86.4-82.5%: B, 82.4-80.0%: B-.
Cutoffs for grades in the C and D ranges follow the pattern established for the grades in the B range. Final grade cutoff points are sometimes lowered to better fit the grade distribution curve. Final letter grade cutoffs will be at the discretion of the instructor.
From the Wilmington College Faculty Handbook: “It is the policy of Wilmington College to strive for fairness in grading and avoid grade inflation. Faculty are encouraged to regard a "C-" as a satisfactory grade, which means the student is meeting College standards and will treat it as such in talking with students unless otherwise noted in the College Catalog. The grade "A", on the other hand, should mean outstanding achievement, with a grade of "B" in between. The grade "D" represents minimally acceptable achievement, and the grade "F" indicates failure.”
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance will be recorded and students who regularly skip class should not expect to do well in the course. Attendance as well as participation is 10% of the grade. Attendance will be taken at every lecture session and points will be given for attending lectures.
Students are expected to actively participate in lecture activities and will be graded on their level of participation and preparation for each class. Students are expected to exhibit appropriate classroom etiquette, including, but not limited to, listening attentively when the professor or another student is speaking, arriving to class on time, and turning off cell phones.
See the current Student Handbook for the college Attendance Policy especially as it pertains to excused absences. No makeup exams will be allowed unless the student has contacted either the instructor and/or the Office of Academic Affairs prior to the time of the exam. All excused absences must be documented. The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:
1) Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g., musical performances, athletic contests, field trips)
2) Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician
3) Family or personal emergencies
4) When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous
Promptness is very important because announcements will be given at the start of the lecture period. 50% of the attendance grade will be deducted if you are more than 15 minutes late to lecture. After 30 minutes, it will be considered an absence. Even if you know you are going to be very late, however, you should still show up to receive the information necessary to do your lab assignments and exams.
Students are responsible for getting information from other students or from the professor on what material they have missed from a lecture, whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
ChatGPT: Academic integrity principle!!!
- All work (essays, test answers, homework answers, etc.) that you submit in this course must be originally produced by you and not by artificial intelligence,
- All submitted works will be compared against AI detectors
- Failure to comply with this policy will result in penalties for academic dishonesty!!!
Academic Misconduct
Students with academic integrity violations may not be eligible for academic awards and honors (i.e., Academic Honors, Dean’s List/Merit List, Green Key Honor Society, Quaker Impact Award, and other Honorary Societies). See the current Student Handbook for the college's Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges. Plagiarism is discussed further below.
YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE GRADES FOR INDEPENDENT AND ORIGINAL WORK. Students are expected to
understand and adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy in the Student Handbook and will be reported to The Office of Academic Affairs if a violation occurs.
Copyright Policy
This course may contain copyright-protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download, or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and for your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is defined as the representation of another’s words, ideas, concepts, research or creative production without proper attribution whether intentional or unintentional. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism can occur in the submission of one’s own work or in work submitted by a group. Examples of plagiarism include the following:
- The submission of a paper not one’s own, including turning in a paper that has been purchased from a commercial research firm or obtained from the internet
- Copying word for word information without quotation marks
- Paraphrasing information (that is, the use of one’s own words with only minor changes to the original)
- Use of information not considered general knowledge without proper citation
- Listing of misleading or false sources on a reference page
- The use of a paper or project for one course that was previously submitted for another course, either at Wilmington or at any other institution
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and carries serious academic consequences. Violations will be recorded by the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Main Campus and Vice President of External Programs at the Cincinnati Branch Campus.
When an instructor discovers plagiarism, the instructor will first consult with the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs if a main campus student, or the Vice President for External Programs if a branch campus student, in order to determine if the student is a first-time offender. For first offenses, the instructor has the ability to determine the penalty for the offense. Students with academic integrity violations may not be eligible for academic awards and honors (i.e., Academic Honors, Dean’s List/Merit List, Green Key Honor Society, Quaker Impact Award, and other Honorary Societies). For a second offense or more, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Main Campus or the Vice President for External Programs for students at the branch campus, will report the offense to the academic standards and appeal committee and gather evidence for a hearing with the student. It is possible that the student will receive a substantial reduction in grade for the course or will fail the course. Multiple instances could even lead to suspension or expulsion from Wilmington College.
There are many universities, colleges, and private websites students may consult about how to avoid plagiarism. Sites with particularly helpful suggestions can be found at:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/08/intro/index.htm
http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_preventing_plagiarism_when_writing.html
http://citationmachine.net/index2.php
All work in this course should be independent unless specifically stated otherwise. Do not share laboratory reports or written information to avoid plagiarism. The best way for you to demonstrate mastery of the material is for you to write your own words.
Third-Party Software and FERPA Policy
During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.
Covid Precautions
In the event that the college is required to transition to online learning at any point during the semester, the course will move to an online synchronous format for both lecture and lab.
If we must shift to virtual instruction:
· The lectures will be taught synchronously at the regularly scheduled class time via Zoom
· Timed exams and quizzes will be given on Blackboard
· Any assignments will be assigned and submitted through Blackboard
· Alternative virtual lab activities will be assigned through Blackboard if in-person labs cannot be safely conducted
*This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. *
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Academic Misconduct - Examples [10/24]
ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT
This policy is directly related to the first Testimony, which is part of the Student Code of Conduct. “I will practice personal and academic integrity.” The initial responsibility for dealing with academic misconduct lies with the individual faculty member in whose classroom or course of study the offense occurs. The responsibility includes determination of the consequences for the offense. The goal is for faculty to confront cheating and plagiarism, to teach ethical behavior, and to provide an appropriate consequence based on the nature of the incident. Faculty are encouraged to explicitly address academic misconduct and its consequences in the course syllabus.
EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
A. Examination offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.Taking unauthorized materials into or out of the examination room.
2.Leaving the examination room without authorization before completing an examination.
3.Talking in the examination room without authorization.
4.Discussing the examination outside the examination room during the course of the examination.
5.Attempting to observe the work of another student.
6.Taking an examination for another person or permitting someone else to do so.
7.Collaborating improperly by discussion, joint research, or joint effort in any way expressly prohibited by the instructor. This includes using a cell phone or other device to access information from another source or another student.
8.Improper knowledge of contents of an examination - No student shall knowingly acquire unauthorized knowledge of an examination or any part of an examination, or solicit, offer, or give information about any part of an examination.
B. Student work offenses include, but are not limited to, the following, which are expressly prohibited in the absence of prior written approval of the instructor or instructors involved:
1.Resubmission of work - Submitting work which has been previously submitted for credit.
2. Plagiarism - Submitting work done wholly or partly by another, including the unattributed copying of all or parts of a published work or internet document. Using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) sources to produce work (when not expressly permitted) is also a form of plagiarism. Some instances of plagiarism are the result of ignorance rather than dishonesty. When plagiarism is encountered, the instructor should be sure that the student knows proper procedures for attributing content.
3.Prohibited sources - Consulting material or persons contrary to the directions of the instructor.
4.Improper collaboration - Engaging in any discussion, joint research, or joint effort of any kind expressly prohibited by the instructor.
5.Deception - Misrepresenting the authenticity of sources, citations, or principles in any written work.
6. Sharing work – Students who share their work with others are responsible for how that work is used. For example, if a student shares a paper with another student to help him or her understand an assignment, and that student submits the work as their own, the author of the paper shares responsibility for the plagiarism committed by the other student.
D. Other misconduct - Engaging in any other improper conduct as specified by the instructor.
E. Lying – deliberately providing false information relevant to academic matters, such as misrepresenting the inability to take an examination because of illness.
F. Disruptive or disrespectful classroom behavior – causing a disturbance in the classroom, interrupting instruction, speaking rudely or threatening students or faculty.
Class Attendance Policy |
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Students with Disabilities
In accordance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973), Wilmington College provides access through reasonable accommodations to students with documented physical and psychological disabilities.
Students who wish to access Services need to meet with the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services and provide verification of their disability. To register with Accessibility and Disability Services, students submit an Application for Services. In addition, the student must provide the Disability Verification form accompanied by current disability documentation from a licensed professional. For more information, contact the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services at accessibility@wilmington.edu or 937.481.2444, 114 Robinson Communcation Center.