Biological Sciences
BIO 101: Introduction to Biological Sciences (Credit, 3)
Course Content:
- Why is biology exciting? What is life? What are the basic properties of life? How do biologists study them? What kind of questions biologists are interested in?
- Origin & evolution of life: Theories of origin of life and evidence of evolution.
- Tree of life: History of life, Diversification of life - a timeline, Logic behind the tree and classification.
- Bacteria and Archaea
- Protists
- Fungi
- Viruses and their place in the tree of life
- Theories of origin of eukaryotes
- Animals
- Plants
- Biological information: Its nature, mechanisms of expression and transmission of information: genetic, epigenetic mechanisms of inheritance; Central dogma of molecular biology.
- Physiology and Behaviour: Physiology and concept of homeostasis, thermoregulation in animals, hormonal control of plant and animal behaviour
- Biodiversity and conservation biology: Biogeography, Threats to extant biodiversity (habitat loss and degradation, Invasive species, Pollution, Over-exploitation, global climate change); In-situ and ex-situ conservation; Biodiversity of India.
Suggested Books:
- Life: The Science of Biology, Vol. I Ninth Edition by David E. Sadava et al.,
- Biological Science by Scott Freeman et al.,
- Molecular Cell Biology, 8th Edition. by Harvey Lodish et al.
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