Bachelor of Arts
Biology

Biology at Greenville University

The biology major prepares students for careers in medical professions, food and quality control, pharmaceuticals, environmental science, biological research, and more. Biology is a growing field with new breakthroughs in genomics, medicine, molecular biology, and biotechnology. Our faculty achieve the highest knowledge and technical skills, contribute significantly to their chosen fields, and honor the Creator in their work.

Pre-professional programs related to biology include our pre-medical and pre-nursing curriculum where you can earn a dual degree: a bachelor of arts with a major in biology, and a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) with one of our nursing partnership programs.

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- Hands-on laboratory experiences are built into nearly every course - Join other students in the GU chapter of Tri-Beta, the national biology honors society - Build leadership and scientific skills as a Teaching Assistant, working alongside professors to help prep and run the lab activities - Join our six-week summer research program and work alongside a faculty member as a paid research assistant

Personalized

- Flexible major requirements allows you to customize the major to fit your goals
- Get to know your professors in small classes and lab settings, and in one-on-one conversations outside of class

Unique Coursework

- Human cadaver anatomy course
- Experience through the Au Sable Institute in Michigan - hands-on learning in the outdoors to prepare students for careers solving the earth's toughest environmental challenges.

Why GU

Flexible major requirements allows you to customize the major to fit your goals

Hands-on laboratory experiences are built into nearly every course. Build leadership and scientific skills as a Teaching Assistant, working alongside professors to help prep and run the lab activities

Connections. We have articulation agreements with Logan School of Chiropractic Medicine and A.T. Still University/ Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, both in Missouri, and AUA School of Medicine in Antigua.

Unique coursework. Students from GU can participate in intensive field-based courses in Biology with the Au Sable Institute in one of four campuses: Northern Michigan, Pacific Rim, Costa Rica, and India. Courses include Animal Ecology, Aquatic Biology, Marine Mammals, Alpine Ecology, and 19 others. Turn anatomy and physiology concepts into reality by taking a human cadaver anatomy course

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Success Stories

I'm so grateful for my experience in the biology department. The small class sizes gave us the opportunity to fully engage with our peers and professors, and they gave us valuable hands-on experience during the labs. The professors truly care for the students and want to see us succeed, both in and out of the classroom. Their doors were always open, whether we had questions about class, graduate school, or life in general. -Kellie Steele

Biology, BA Course Requirements

Visit the Online Undergraduate Catalog for an explanation of graduation requirements.

The biology major requires 35 credits of biology and eight credits of chemistry. It is strongly recommended that all biology majors take at least one semester of mathematics, computer science, physical science, or physics. The biology major leads to a bachelor of arts degree.

Biology, BA Courses

This course deals with the basic principles of biology. Consideration is given to cell biology and structural and functional organization of plants and animals. Principles of reproduction, genetics, and ecology are introduced as well as a brief survey of the kingdoms of living organisms. Beginning course for all biology majors. Meets the general education laboratory science requirement. (Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.) (Offered every semester.) Corequisite: BIOL 110L

The facts of heredity; reproduction; the molecular mechanism of heredity; hybridization and Mendel's laws; heredity in man and in its broader social applications. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.) Prerequisite: BIOL 110 and 112. (Offered spring semester.) Corequisite: BIOL 305L

Behavior and activity of microorganisms more or less common in the natural environment. Special attention given to the physiology of bacteria. Includes concepts of immunology and epidemiology. Required of all biology majors in secondary education and all pre-med and med-tech students. (Two hours lecture and four hours lab per week.) Prerequisite: BIOL 110, BIOL 112, CHEM 112. Corequisite: BIOL 360L. (Offered fall semester.)

Organisms do not exist or function in a vacuum, but are strongly influenced by their environment and, in turn, alter that environment and affect the growth and development of other organisms. In this course we will consider the interaction of organisms and their environments. We will study ecological processes functioning at levels of individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.) Prerequisite: BIOL 112. (Offered fall semester.) Corequisite: BIOL 370L

A capstone course for majors in Biology and Environmental Biology, with an emphasis on technical writing and scientific communication. Students select a topic and utilize the primary literature to develop a technical review article and a presentation on the topic. Secondary education and pre-medical/technical biology majors should take this course during their junior year. Cross-Listed as CHEM 409. Meets the general education upper division writing intensive requirement. Prerequisite: 16 credits of biology

Basic principles of chemical reactions and descriptive chemistry are integrated in terms of atomic structure, bonding theory, molecular geometry, reaction rates, equilibrium, and thermodynamics. Meets the general education laboratory science requirement. (Three lecture hours and three lab hours per week.) (Offered fall semester.) Corequisite: CHEM 111L

Basic principles of chemical reactions and descriptive chemistry are integrated in terms of the periodic table, atomic structure, bond types, molecular geometry, reaction rates, and thermodynamics. (Three lecture hours and three hours lab per week.) (Offered spring semester). Corequisite: CHEM 112L

Advances in biology have pushed the development of statistical methods and depended on those methods for decades. Biostatistics focuses on three core areas: 1) general statistical concepts; 2) correct use and interpretation of statistical methods commonly used in biological sciences; and 3) basic familiarity with the R statistical software language, which has become an important tool in dealing with many kinds of data, including genetic data. Meets the general education quantitative reasoning requirement. Prerequisite: MATH106. (Offered spring semester.)

Course content focuses upon basic concepts and operations in descriptive and inferential statistics. The areas of study will include measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, correlation and regression analysis, parametric (t-tests and ANOVA) and non-parametric (chi-square) tests of significance. A basic introduction to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software is provided. Cross listed with SCWK 202. Meets the general education quantitative reasoning requirement.

Course content focuses upon basic concepts and operations in descriptive and inferential statistics. The areas of study will include measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, correlation and regression analysis, parametric (t-tests and ANOVA) and non-parametric (chi-square) tests of significance. A basic introduction to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software is provided. Cross listed with PSYC 202. Meets the general education quantitative reasoning requirement. (Offered every semester.)

AIES318 Marine Biology (4 Credits)

AIES343 Sustainability/Tropical Ag/Missions (4 Credits)

AIES354 Environmental Justice (4 Credits)

AIES355 Watersheds in Global Development (4 Credits)

AIES359 Marine Mammals (4 Credits)

AIES365 Insect Ecology (4 Credits)

In this course the major emphasis is on a survey of the vascular plants and common families of flowering plants. Topics included are principles of flowering plant taxonomy, mechanisms of adaptation and plant ecology. (Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.) Prerequisite: BIOL 110 & BIOL 112. (Offered spring semester of even calendar years.) Corequisite: BIOL 215L

The purpose of this class is to build skills in field ornithology: observation and identification of birds, and collection and reporting of field observation data. (Offered spring semester of even calendar years.) $20 Course Fee

Earth is filled with a spectacular variety of lifeforms, but loss of the biological diversity is now one of the most rapid forms of environmental change in the modern era. Human domination of ecosystems has significantly altered natural landscapes and the organisms that inhabit them. This course covers the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss, and develops a stewardship perspective to prepare students to understand and influence decision-making processes in Conservation Biology. Students will receive hands-on experience with field research techniques, and multiple field trips to zoos and other conservation areas will allow discussion of current issues in conservation. Prerequisite: BIOL 112. Corequisite: BIOL 326L

BIOL399 Open Titled (3 Credits)

This course is designed to deal with all the human body systems as to structure and function. Material covered is intended for those planning to teach biology in high school or enter the allied health professions. (Three lectures and one two-hour lab per week.) (Offered fall semester) Corequisite: BIOL 245L

This will be a study of the similarities of anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of major vertebrate groups. Specifically, it will compare phylogeny, ontogeny, and morphology in groups ranging from protochordates to highly derived vertebrates. It will examine structure of anatomical features, emphasizing how anatomy relates to function including comparisons of specialized features in organisms adapted to different conditions. Laboratories will involve detailed dissections. Prerequisite: BIOL110, and BIOL 112. (Offered fall semester of odd calendar years.) Corequisite: BIOL 309L

Studies the structure and function of the cell, while examining the highly significant and diversified roles that cells play in living organisms. Includes information about major macromolecules, organelles and their functions, such as protein synthesis, cellular respiration, replication, and characteristics of different type cells. Lab includes biotechnological and biochemical experiments. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.) Prerequisite: BIOL 360 and CHEM 112. CHEM 201 recommended. (Offered spring semester.) Corequisite: BIOL340L

This course is a survey of the chemical reactions in living systems. The general biochemistry including a detailed look at DNA, transcription, translation, protein synthesis, lipid metabolism (e.g., cholesterol synthesis) and amino acid and nucleic acid metabolism will be studied. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.) Prerequisite: CHEM 201 or concurrent enrollment. Corequisite: CHEM 314L. (Offered fall semester.)

This course presents a chemically detailed overview of the metabolic transformations of fatty acids, complex lipids, amino acids, and the purine and pyrimidine nucleotides. The course also includes discussion of the structure and function of proteins, the chemical mechanisms and regulation of enzyme catalysis, the structure and metabolism of carbohydrates, and the bioenergetics and ATP synthesis and utilization. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.) Prerequsite: CHEM 301. Corequisite: CHEM 315L. (Offered spring semester of even calendar years.)

This course covers the major types of instrumentation utilized in Chemistry, Biology and Physics by providing "hands-on" experience as well as emphasizing the underlying principles. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.) Cross listed with BIOL 341. Prerequisite: CHEM 112, and PHYS 200. Chemistry 201 recommended. Corequisite: CHEM 342L. (Offered spring semester of odd calendar years.)

Selected readings chosen by student and instructor.

Biology majors may earn a maximum of eight semester credits while engaged in a practicum/internship experience related to their specific field of interest. The potentials for the internships are unlimited. The internship may involve work or volunteer service, or shadowing in any biologically related career. Each internship will need the approval of the Department chair. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a request for the internship suggest prospective openings, and declare in writing their learning objectives for their internship experience.. The internship will be taken for pass/fail credit. Prerequisite: 16 credits of biology

Biology majors may earn a maximum of eight semester credits while engaged in a practicum/internship experience related to their specific field of interest. The potentials for the practicum are unlimited. The practicum may involve work or volunteer service in any biologically related career. Each practicum will need the approval of the Department chair. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a request for the practicum, suggest prospective openings, and declare in writing their learning objectives for their practicum experience. Students taking BIOL 405 will write a research paper on a topic related to their practicum experience, and will receive a letter grade. Prerequisite: 16 credits of biology

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Bachelor of ArtsBiology