
Human Health and Disease
Learn about biological aspects of both health and pathology, and the biological underpinnings of medical research.
Biology is the science of living systems, from molecular and cellular to organismal and ecological levels. Biology is also a living science that continues to make new and exciting discoveries revealing the causes of human disease, generating new therapies, improving human health, and helping to understand ourselves. Biology majors choose an area of concentration representing one of the foundational modern biological disciplines. Majors become experts in their area of concentration and attain a breadth of knowledge preparing them for careers in medicine, research, biotech and beyond.
The study of biology made large impacts on society historically and today. Biologists discovered evolution by natural selection to explain the origin and persistence of life on Earth. They discovered the replication and decoding of DNA information to explain inherited and sporadic diseases such as birth defects and cancer. Biologists identify the nature of infectious disease and the immune system, leading to antibiotics and vaccines. Crucially, biologists develop ways to detect and modify biomolecules, leading to advanced diagnostics and therapeutics. Ongoing research in biology is essential for confronting the health challenges of today and of the future.
While Covid-19 is keeping many of us off campus, our mission continues, and our commitment to your education and well-being is unwavering. Our faculty has redesigned their courses for online delivery , and our Spring Investigative Laboratory, BIOL_SCI 222, can be taken either virtually or in a small group in-person setting.
Please note a change in the course time - BIOL_SCI 391-0 will be MWF 2-2:50pm.
Description: Animals are complex living machines, but unlike artificial machines, animals must build themselves from scratch. This course will explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the self-assembly of the embryonic body plan. The course will focus on the biological principles of embryonic pattern formation, regulation of gene expression, morphogenetic movements and signal transduction, organized over broad physical scales from single cells to complete organs, and from minutes to complete life cycles. Course material will draw from both current and historical approaches, with a strong emphasis on biological criteria for knowing, including a weekly critical discussion of original literature.
Prerequisites: BIOL_SCI 201-0 or BIOL_SCI 215-0, BIOL_SCI 202-0 or BIOL_SCI 219-0; and BIOL_SCI 301-0.
During the upper years, biology majors choose an area of concentration representing one of the foundational modern biological disciplines below. These specializations build expertise in in methodologies and analysis of distinct levels of organization in biological systems. Explore our concentrations below.
Learn about biological aspects of both health and pathology, and the biological underpinnings of medical research.
Dive into the chemical and physical nature of biological compounds and macromolecules, and the chemical processes that govern life.
Discover how cells encode, express, and pass on genetic information.
Investigate the range of quantitative and other analytical techniques in biological theory and experimentation.
Discover the interactions between ecology and evolution, the impact of climate change, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and other factors in biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Learn the molecular, cellular, developmental, structural and functional aspects of nervous systems.
Design your own specialization.
Visit our concentration page to explore the possibilities.
Fall 2020 course information now available!
Fall 2020 Lab BIOL_SCI 220 can be taken online OR in-person. See course description for more details.
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