BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES MAJOR

Spring 2026 Class Schedule

First year seminars & distribution courses

Core courses

300 level courses

Spring 2023 course descriptions

BIOL_SCI 103: Diversity of Life

This course constitutes a comparative survey of organisms, emphasizing adaptation and phylogenetic relationships. The gradual evolution of lineages of living things is treated chronologically, and the mechanism of natural selection is elucidated. The evolution of Animals is covered in special depth.

BIOL_SCI 150: Human Genetics

In this course, students will explore how genetic information is inherited, how variation arises within human populations, and how genes influence traits and disease. We will also cover human genetics as it relates to forensic testing, ancestry kits, human evolution, personalized medicine, and genome editing. By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret basic genetic information, evaluate claims relating to genetics on social media, and understand how human genetics shapes contemporary issues in health and society.

Natural Sciences Distro Area

Natural Sciences Foundational Discipline

BIOL_SCI 201: Molecular Biology

Students will learn about the basics of molecular biology, including the structure of macromolecules, DNA replication, transcription, and translation and the mechanisms by which these processes are regulated. Students will also learn current biotechnology methods used to study molecular biology.

BIOL_SCI 234: Investigative Laboratory

This course is the culminating life-science lab experience in the sophomore-year series. Students design and generate reagents that can be used in larger experiments. The topic varies from year to year, but typically revolves around the sub-cloning of a specific gene fused to a reporter for detection.

Prerequisite: BIOL_SCI 233-0.

BIOL_SCI 239: Fundamentals of Biological Mechanisms

This course explore a mechanistic view of molecular biology, emphasizing experimental approaches. Students will be introduced to empirical methods and the logical framework employed to generate our current understanding of molecular biology. Key concepts from chemistry, biochemistry and genetics will form the foundation for discussing molecular biology.For each topic, key papers that led to the discoveries in the textbook will be examined.

Prerequisite: Placement via the Biological Sciences Placement exam and/or ISP status. 

BIOL_SCI 301: Biochemistry

This class is an introductory level biochemistry course. It covers basic topics such as macromolecular structure and function of biologically relevant macromolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids), membrane structure, membrane transport, signal transduction, chemical logic in metabolic transformations, and carbohydrate metabolism. The course strongly emphasizes conceptual understanding, and offers extensive student-teacher interaction. Active participation in all course elements is encouraged and advantageous as students are expected to move past memorization of facts to a fully interconnected and integrated understanding that allows students to apply their knowledge to solve complex problems. This course will equip students preparing for the MCAT and upper level biology courses. Wednesday discussion section meetings will be for quizzes/midterms.

Quizzes (20-30 minutes) are held during the Wednesday 7-9pm discussion section for Biol_Sci 301. 
If another class conflicts with a Biol_Sci 301 exams, we do not offer an alternate time.

Prerequisites:  BIOL_SCI 201-0 and CHEM 210-1 or CHEM 212-1 or CHEM 215-1 or CHEM 217-1.

BIOL_SCI 307: Brain Structure, Function, and Evolution

The Brain: Structure, Function and Evolution will provide an overview of the evolution of the nervous system and cognition, from the origin of neurons to the structure/function of human brains. 

Prerequisite: Students must have completed BIOL SCI 202-0 or BIOL_SCI 240-0, 203-0 or BIOL_SCI 241-0, and BIOL_SCI 301-0; or NEUROSCI 206-0 in order to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI: 310 Human Physiology

Biol_Sci 310 explores the functions of the human body with an emphasis on homeostatic mechanisms, interdependence of organs and organ systems,and the influence of modulatory systems. Topics include: nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and digestive systems as well as endocrine application in these systems. Readings and activities focusing on the contributions ofunderrepresented and underacknowledgedscientists to the pursuit of physiology research will be included.

Prerequisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 201-0 or BIOL_SCI 239-0, BIOL_SCI 202-0 or BIOL_SCI 240-0, and CHEM 132-0, CHEM 152-0, or CHEM 172-0.

BIOL_SCI 315: Adanced Cellular Biology

Current themes and experimental approaches in cell biology will be discussed through readings of text and original research articles. A major goal is to provide enough background that students can pick up any cell biology journal article and understand the results the authors' used to reach their conclusions. 

Prerequisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 201-0, BIOL_SCI 202-0, and BIOL_SCI 301-0 to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 328: Microbiology

Microbiology, the branch of biology that deals with microorganisms and their effects on other living organisms. This course aims to provide a foundation in both core microbial processes (including growth, gene regulation,and metabolism) and host-microbe interactions, with a primary focus on bacteria. Core concepts will be supplemented with discussions about experimental techniques used to measure and engineer microbes and the implications of this for human health and disease.Lectures will be complemented by discussions of primary literature. By the end of the class, students will develop familiarity with the diversity of microbial structure, function, and interactions and be comfortable reading primary scientific literature. 

Prerequisites: BIOL_SCI 201-0 or BIOL_SCI 215-0; BIOL_SCI 202-0 or BIOL_SCI 219-0; BIOL_SCI 234-0 or BIOL_SCI 222-0; and BIOL_SCI 301-0.

BIOL_SCI 333: Plant Animal Interactions

Plant-animal interactions (BIO SCI 333/PBC 410). This course will explore the ecology of plant-animal interactions. Through the survey of the scientific literature, we will investigate the consequences of mutualistic interactions (pollination and seed dispersal) and antagonistic interactions (herbivory and parasitism) for individual organisms, population dynamics, ecological communities, and entire ecosystems. Finally, we will learn how these various interactions are responding to global change, including habitat destruction and climate change.

Prerequisite: The former BIOL_SCI 330-0, BIOL_SCI 339-0, or ENVR_SCI 202-0.

BIOL_SCI 336: Spring Flora

Spring Flora merges aspects of plant evolution and identification (with an emphasis on learning about the local flora) with plant ecology (with an emphasis on ecological interactions and adaptations). This course takes a field-based approach to learning the process of identifying major components of the local flora. Understanding vegetative and reproductive structures of plants, and use of this knowledge to identify plants with taxonomic keys will be emphasized. Ecological interactions, adaptations, and related conservation issues will also be discussed. The lecture portion of the course will take place on the Evanston campus on Mondays. On Wednesdays, the field component will take place at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The instructor will reach out to all enrolled students ahead of time to organize transportation options (transportation will be made available to those who need it. Note that the time scheduled for the course DOES NOT INCLUDE transportation time, so 30-45 minutes should be budgeted before and after class on Wednesday for transportation.

Prerequisite: Bio 203, 339, 341, or 342; or Env Sci 202, or permission of instructor

BIOL_SCI 337: Biostatistics

This is a statistics class geared toward students interested in biology, ecology, and environmental science, but others are welcome. The course is applied statistics with the goal of students being able to use the skills, experience, information, and software learned in class,after class. We will use a variety of software for statistical analyses, including spreadsheets (Excelor Google Sheets), online calculators, and theRpackage.R in particular is a very flexible and powerful program that you can use for any statistical problem you encounter. The program is free, well-supported, well-documented, and is constantly getting better and more powerful.

Prerequisites: BIOL_SCI 203-0 or BIOL_SCI 215-0 or ENVR_SCI 202-0, and MATH 218-3 or MATH 220-2. 

BIOL_SCI 340: Agroecosystems: The Ecology of Food Production

As anthropogenic change continues to impact ecosystem function, understanding the ecology of agricultural landscapes becomes increasingly pressing. In this course we will examine the underlying ecological principles governing agricultural practices. Using a combination of lectures and literature discussion, we will cover the history and impacts of sustainable (and unsustainable) food production from the lens of the biotic and abiotic interactions that make it possible. Finally, we will explore how the understanding of these interactions may allow us to maintain agricultural yields in the face of novel climate patterns.

Prerequisites: BIOL_SCI 203-0 or BIOL_SCI 215-0 or ENVR_SCI 202-0, and MATH 218-3 or MATH 220-2. 

BIOL_SCI 342: Evolutionary Processes

Change in the genetic composition of populations over time is the basis of evolution. Evolution occurs when mutation introduces new alleles that replace existing alleles in populations via one of two mechanisms. Replacement can occur by chance (genetic drift) or by encoding a superior phenotype (natural selection). Natural selection produces one of the major features of the living world, adaptation. We will model these processes for single-locus traits, DNA sequences, and phenotypic traits. When populations are separated from one another geographically, they inevitably take different evolutionary paths; it is in this manner that most species are formed. These latter processes-change within lineages and diversification among lineages-have been iterated over staggeringly long periods of time, producing another major feature of the living world, its breathtaking biodiversity. We will familiarize ourselves with the history and diversity of life on earth by examination of the fossil record, and by inferring relationships among species using phylogenetic methods. 

Prerequisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 203-0 or BIOL_SCI 241-0, and BIOL_SCI 337-0 or another course in statistics to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 345: TOPICS - Forerunners of Mammals

Long before the first dinosaurs, over 300 million years ago Archaeothyris inhabited swampy land in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada. Lizard-like in general body shape, the synapsid skull morphology nevertheless gives it away as a basal member of the group that gave rise to the mammals. In this class we will explore the ancient roots of Mammalia, with a particular focus on the dazzling diversity of Permian and Triassic synapsids that followed Archaeothyris 

Prerequisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 202-0 , BIOL_SCI 203-0, and BIOL_SCI 234-0 to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 377: The Human Microbiome

The course is designed to be an introduction to biophysics and will provide both theoretical and practical perspectives for students that have concentration in biochemistry and biophysics. Students will gain an understating of commonly used techniques in biophysics. *Advanced Expression course

Prerequisites: BIOL_SCI 201-0 or BIOL_SCI 215-0; BIOL_SCI 202-0 or BIOL_SCI 219-0; and BIOL_SCI 301-0.

BIOL_SCI 391: Developmental Biology

Animals are complex living machines, but unlike artificial machines, animals 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.

BIOL_SCI 393: Human Genomics

Recent advances in human ancestry and clinical medicine have underscored the importance of genetic principles. Human Genomics will discuss genome-wide association studies, linkage analysis, and the roles of rare and common variation as they relate to human genetics, health and evolution. Lectures will provide an introduction to each topic, which will be followed by discussion of papers from the primary literature. 
Prerequisite: BIOL_SCI 203-0 or BIOL_SCI 241-0.

Advanced Expression

Natural Sciences Distro Area

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