Biology Undergraduate Courses

Course Offerings and Descriptions

View the Comprehensive Catalog at lamar.edu/catalog

Biology (BIOL)

Course Number: 1102
Credit Hours: 1
Title: Medical Terminology

Course Description:
An entry-level course which provides basic vocabulary needed to function in the medical environment. Course content stresses prefix and suffix usage derived from Greek and Latin as applied to Biology. This course does not fulfill BS in Biology degree requirements

Course Number: 1108
Credit Hours: 1
Title: General Biology (Non-Science Majors) Lab

Course Description:
This course provides a laboratory experience in biological principles, including chemistry of life, cell structure and function, reproduction, evolution and ecology. THIS COURSE IS NOT INTENDED FOR SCIENCE MAJORS

Course Number: 1115
Credit Hours: 1
Title: Plants and Human Society (Non-Majors) Lab

Course Description:
A plant-oriented, non-chemically based laboratory course for non-science majors including plant anatomy, growth and development and multiple uses of plants by human society.

Course Number: 1308
Credit Hours: 3
Title: General Biology (Non-Science Majors)

Course Description:
Provides a survey of biological principles with an emphasis on humans, including chemistry of life, cell structure and function, reproduction, inheritance, evolution and ecology. THIS COURSE IS NOT INTENDED FOR SCIENCE MAJORS.

Course Number: 1315
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Plants and Human Society (Non-Majors)

Course Description:
A plant oriented, non-chemically based course for non-science majors including plant anatomy, growth and development and multiple uses of plants by human society.

Course Number: 1406
Credit Hours: 4
Title: General Biology I (Majors)

Course Description:
A survey of organisms, molecules, cells, tissues, photosynthesis, genetics, and evolution.

Course Number: 1407
Credit Hours: 4
Title: General Biology II (Majors)

Course Description:
Plant and vertebrate structure and function, development, reproduction, and ecology.

Course Number: 2306
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Environmental Science

Course Description:
An introduction to contemporary environmental issues and human interactions with ecosystems. Not to be used as a biology major course.

Course Number: 2401
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Anatomy and Physiology I

Course Description:
Structure and function of cells, tissues, and muscle, skeletal and nervous systems.

Course Number: 2402
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Anatomy and Physiology II

Course Description:
Structure and function of the circulatory, digestive, excretory and reproductive systems.

Course Number: 2420
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Microbiology

Course Description:
Microorganisms with emphasis on those of medical significance and problems of personal and community health.

Course Number: 2421
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Microbiology for Science Majors

Course Description:
Students in this course will learn specific information on the fundamentals of microbiology including cell types, cell structure, microbial growth and control, microbial metabolism, microbial genetics and biotechnology, microbes and human interactions, microbial pathogenesis and applied and industrial microbiology. Cause and effect relationships between microbial growth and human disease, interpretation of symptomatic and laboratory information in diagnosis of disease, prevention of disease and treatment of diseases are stressed. Laboratory activities will reinforce principles of microbiology, including metabolism, structure, function, genetics and phylogeny of microbes.

Course Number: 3428
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Comparative Anatomy

Course Description:
Comparative anatomy presented from systemic viewpoint.

Course Number: 3440
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Advanced Physiology

Course Description:
General physiology; muscle-nerve relations; digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, nervous and endocrine systems.

Course Number: 3450
Credit Hours: 4
Title: General Botany

Course Description:
Introduction to plant structure and function with emphasis on the seed plants.

Course Number: 3460
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Invertebrate Zoology

Course Description:
Classification, natural history, phylogenetic relationships and economic importance of the invertebrate phyla.

Course Number: 3470
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Genetics

Course Description:
General principles of heredity, including human inheritance.

Course Number: 4101
Credit Hours: 1
Title: Special Topics

Course Description:
Physiological, anatomical, taxonomic and ecological biology. Laboratory and/or library work and conferences with a faculty member. May be repeated for credit when the area of study differs.

Course Number: 4201
Credit Hours: 2
Title: Special Problems in Biology

Course Description:
Physiological, anatomical, taxonomic, molecular, and ecological biology. Laboratory, field, and/or library work and conferences with a faculty member. May be repeated for credit when the area of study differs.

Course Number: 4300
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Undergraduate Problems

Course Description:
Individual investigation of a research problem in biology. Formal report to be approved by faculty members.

Course Number: 4301
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Biology Special Topics

Course Description:
An investigation into specialized areas of Biology under the guidance of a faculty member. This course may be repeated for credit when topics of investigation differ.

Course Number: 4302
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Conservation Biology

Course Description:
Introduces general concepts of conservation biology, with an emphasis on basic and applied research in such fields as ecology, behavior, population genetics, and systematics, as they relate to the preservation of biodiversity at all levels.

Course Number: 4303
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Medical Microbiology

Course Description:
This course will familiarize students with the disease and health relationships between microorganisms and humans. The goal of the course is to have students understand, especially from a molecular point of view, the process by which microorganisms cause disease, virulence factors they possess, portals of entry and the consequences, host responses to disease conditions, the signs and symptoms of a disease, chemical means by which diseases can be treated, methods used for identification of pathogenic organisms and current information on pathogens and infectious diseases. Thus, this course will focus on why the biological properties of organisms are important to disease in humans and will examine etiology, epidemiology, host defenses, identification, diagnoses, prevention and control for each microbe. the course will focus on representative examples of bacterial, fungal, protozoan and viral pathogens.

Course Number: 4307
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Life in the Extreme

Course Description:
Course is designed to examine the basic physiological problems that all organisms face and then see these principles applied to extreme environments.

Course Number: 4308
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Medical Botany

Course Description:
A writing-intensive course covering the history, current uses and trends, and future prospects of medical botany and medical plant use by human society.

Course Number: 4344
Credit Hours: 3
Title: Development of Biological Thought

Course Description:
The history of biological thought and the development of evolutionary concepts and inheritance will be examined. The influence of prevailing philosophies and social contexts and scientific discoveries on how biological systems and concepts were interpreted and theories were formulated will be emphasized.

Course Number: 4401
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Special Topics

Course Description:
Physiological, anatomical, taxonomic and ecological biology. Laboratory and/or library work and conferences with a faculty member. May be repeated for credit when the area of study differs.

Course Number: 4403
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Field Botany

Course Description:
A field-oriented course that will introduce students to the flora of the surrounding region. Emphasis will be placed on the sight identification of common species as well as the use of dichotomous keys in identification to the family level.

Course Number: 4404
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Molecular Biology

Course Description:
Concepts and applications of procedures for isolation and identification of components found in cells. Addresses structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids as well as the roles of these molecules in important biochemical processes.

Course Number: 4405
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Immunology

Course Description:
Organs, tissues, cells, and molecules of the immune response and their interactions.

Course Number: 4408
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Mammalogy

Course Description:
Classification, identification, ecology and natural history of the mammals. Required field trips.

Course Number: 4409
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Ornithology

Course Description:
Identification, taxonomy, behavior and biogeography of birds.

Course Number: 4410
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Parasitology

Course Description:
A study of the morphology, life history and host-parasite relationships of parasites of man and other animals.

Course Number: 4411
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Biomedical Technology and Applications

Course Description:
Introduction to modern biomedical technology topics such as the process of targeted therapeutic development, biomaterials, nanotechnology, tissue engineering, as well as diagnosis and clinical instrumentations. The course will also provide hand-on experience for quantitative PCR gene expression analysis, next generation sequencing principles, 3D printing technologies and molecular-based diagnosis using various bio-markers. A special emphasis on the regulatory, legal and ethics issues related to modern biotechnology will also be discussed.

Course Number: 4413
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Medical Neuroscience

Course Description:
This senior-level course is an introduction to neuroscience and nervous system disorders. It will focus on cellular and molecular neuroscience in individual nerve cells, and system neuroscience based on the nerve cells connection and performance. The course is designed to provide the foundations needed for upper division courses in the health sciences and related fields.

Course Number: 4416
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Field Parasitology

Course Description:
A laboratory field based study of the major parasitic animal groups. Several required field trips.

Course Number: 4430
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Limnology

Course Description:
Fauna, flora, ecology and productivity of fresh water.

Course Number: 4431
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Ichthyology

Course Description:
Natural history, taxonomy and ecology of freshwater and marine fishes. Required field trip.

Course Number: 4432
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Tropical Terrestrial and Watershed Biology

Course Description:
This is a two part course, combining traditional lecture with practical field experience. The lecture portion will examine the basic principles of terrestrial and aquatic ecology as they apply to tropical watersheds. Special emphasis will be given to the biogeography, water cycle and watersheds, nutrient cycling, biodiversity and evolution, animal natural history, land-sea margins, and conservation of tropical ecosystems. The practical field experience takes the form of a mandatory two week field trip to Belize where students will experience first-hand biographically distinct watersheds, terrestrial biomes, fish and wildlife, as well as interact with native people and cultures.

Course Number: 4435
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Environmental Toxicology

Course Description:
Principals of how contaminants are absorbed, transformed, and eliminated in different organisms. Toxin effects on organismal physiology. Student-lead laboratory experimentation and field trips.

Course Number: 4437
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Environmental Microbiology

Course Description:
Ecology and application of microorganisms in natural and synthetic environments. Research report writing intensive.

Course Number: 4440
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Vertebrate Natural History

Course Description:
Collection, identification and natural history of area fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Course Number: 4443
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Embryology and Development

Course Description:
Students in this course will focus their studies primarily on the embryonic development of vertebrate organisms, although development patterns of some of the invertebrate and even non-animal groups will be visited as well. Pathways and mechanisms of development will be explored at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal levels from pre-fertilization through the complete development of the embryo. The interaction of evolution and development will also be considered.

Course Number: 4445
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Herpetology

Course Description:
Classification, evolution, natural history, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles.

Course Number: 4450
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Marine Biology

Course Description:
Habitats and community relationships of marine plants and animals.

Course Number: 4452
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Tropical Marine Biology

Course Description:
This is a two part course, combining traditional lecture with practical field experience. the lecture portion will examine the basic principles of marine biology as they apply to tropical waters. Special emphasis will be given to the tropical ocean and coastal ecosystems of seagrass beds, mangals and coral reefs. the practical experience takes the form of a two-week field trip to Belize where students will get to examine these systems firsthand as well as interact with native cultures.

Course Number: 4460
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Ecology

Course Description:
Quantitative approach to both field and experimental studies. Interrelationships of organisms and their environment.

Course Number: 4470
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Cell Biology/Histology

Course Description:
Structural and physiological functions of cells at the biochemical and molecular level. Laboratory emphasis on structure and function of mammalian cells and tissues.

Course Number: 4480
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Aquatic Entomology

Course Description:
Biology, morphology, life history, and classification of aquatic insects. Field trips and personal collection required.

Course Number: 4490
Credit Hours: 4
Title: Comparative Physiology

Course Description:
Course is designed to examine how organisms have solved the problems of gas exchange, circulation, osmoregulation, thermoregulation, locomotion and communication between body parts. Will take an evolutionary view of these solutions and will focus on how organisms maintain homeostasis.