See Lecture schedule on the left or in Course Menu for a list of lecture topics. What follows on this "Syllabus" page is a course description, first for UN2005 and then for UN2401.

Syllabus/Course Description BIOL UN2005 - Fall 2017

INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY I: Biochemistry & Genetics

Profs. Lawrence Chasin and Deborah Mowshowitz

Tuesday and Thursday
Sec. 1: 10:10 - 11:25 AM in 417 IAB
Sec. 2: 4:10 - 5:25 PM in 309 Havemeyer

Important: You may have to do 'control-click,' not a simple 'click,' to access some of these links. If you click on a link and nothing happens, try 'control-click.'

Biology UN2005 (previously known as C2005) is an introductory course for science majors and premedical students who have completed a year of college chemistry. (Why take chemistry first? See FAQ's for First Year Students.) Students who have not had chemistry or who are not science majors or premeds should consult the instructor before registering. Biol. UN2005 is the first half of the two semester sequence UN2005-UN2006. The entire sequence covers the fundamental principles of modern biology. UN2005 covers biochemistry, genetics and evolution; UN2006 (previously known as C2006) covers cell biology, developmental biology and physiology.

Biology UN2005 does not include a laboratory; an introductory laboratory is offered as a separate course. The lab course (Biol. UN2501) is taught in both semesters and can be taken concurrently, at a later time, or not at all. UN2501 is primarily intended for premedical students who are not biology majors. (To check the lab requirements for the biology major, or a related major, see the department undergraduate majors page.) Students in UN2005 do NOT have to register for W2501. They may take a different lab course OR take UN2501 at another time. 

See the advice page for information on how to get the most out of this course. There is advice from both instructors and former students on how to succeed in Bio UN2005.

Note: The lectures and exams in Biol. UN2005 and UN2401 are identical, but the recitation sections are different. UN2005 is graded independently of UN2401  -- the grades in UN2005 are not affected by the performance of the students in UN2401. Post-baccalaureate students and students in the School of Professional Studies must enroll in UN2401. All UN2005 students may attend lectures at either time. Students registered for either the morning or the evening sections are welcome to attend either lecture; the evening lectures are a repeat of the same lectures as the morning, given by the same lecturer. Indeed, the evening lecture is sometimes improved by the morning experience, and there should be plenty of room. However, UN2005 students must attend a UN2005 recitation section, and must take exams at the times listed on this schedule. The evening lectures are Tues & Thurs in 301 Pupin at 4:10 PM.

BASIC TEXTS: The Textbook page on the course web site lists the recommended and required texts for this course. Note that you do not need to purchase either text. If you need occasional back up material, there is a lot available online. You absolutely do need to purchase the Learner's Manual.

SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS: The two textbooks cover most of the material in the lectures, but you may want to consult more advanced texts (print or online) occasionally for details on specific topics. Almost any standard biochemistry, cell biology or genetics text will do the job. Click here for a list of recommended texts and online resources. Most of the recommended texts are on reserve in the Biology Library, and many of them are available online as part of the PubMed bookshelf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (most relevant are books by the following first authors: Berg, Cooper, Strachan, Griffiths, Alberts, Lodish). All the additional texts listed are good, but many former students have recommended especially Biochemistry by Stryer (or Berg et al. in later editions) and The Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts et al. For more problems, see A Problems Approach to Introductory Biology by Brian White and Michelle Mischke.

HANDOUTS: There will be many handouts in this class to help you follow what is going on in lectures and to make note taking easier. Extra copies of the materials handed out in class will be available on the class website (as pdfs) or in paper form in the cubby-hole boxes in the hall outside 744 Mudd.

STUDY QUESTIONS AND PRACTICE EXAMS: The questions in the learner's manual are intended primarily to help you focus your studying on the important issues, and to help you master the material. The problems that you should be able to work on are posted shortly after each lecture. The more complicated problems (starred problems, and problems in the R problem sets) can be used to help you test your understanding, but the primary purpose of the problems is to help you learn how to apply the material. The problems will be discussed in recitation section along with any other questions you may have. The problems in the learner's manual are not handed in, and are not graded. (All answers are in the back of the book.) It is up to you to do the problems thoroughly, even though they are not collected or graded. An additional page of questions ('recitation questions') will be handed out each week in recitation. You will be expected to do these problems in recitation in a small group. These problems are intended to give you a chance to tackle problems that have no (easily accessible) answers, and to practice discussing problems with your fellow students.  You can also consult last year’s exams, which are posted along with answers on the course Web site as the semester progresses.  You are urged to discuss all the problems with your fellow students.   The best way to prepare for the exams is to work on the problem sets before the problems are reviewed in recitation. You are not expected to know all the answers before recitation starts, but you are expected to have worked on the problems in the learner's manual and to have questions of your own.

It is virtually impossible to overemphasize the importance of trying hard to solve the problems -- generations of students will swear that problem solving is the key to success in this course.  It is the way you actually learn the subject, as well as the best way to prepare for the exams. Do not plan to do all the problems the night before (or even the week before) each exam - there are way too many! For more advice on how to do the problems, see pages (i) to (iv) in the learner's manual and/or the problem solving tips page on the advice section of the course web site. Finally, it is virtually impossible to overemphasize the importance of trying hard to solve the problems . . .

RECITATIONS: UN2005 is a 4 point course -- it is 4 points, not 3, because of the weekly recitation. The recitation sections are run by teaching assistants  -- usually either graduate students or undergrads who have taken and aced the course. The sessions are used to (1) answer student questions on the lecture material; (2) go over the solutions to selected problems in the problem book  (3) have students do additional problems (so called 'recitation problems' provided in recitation) in small groups; and (4) give weekly quizzes (see below). Some TA's also give a mini-lecture that constitutes a brief overview of the current material. Many students find the recitations very helpful --- the TA's help them master the material and the quizzes keep them up to date. There will be a weekly quiz and you may earn up to 60 quiz points toward your final grade in the course. Note carefully that the only way to be sure of getting all 60 points is to participate in your recitation faithfully throughout the term. If you goof off for most of the semester, you can't earn extra points at the end. You may also organize a study group on your own using Piazza, a third party Web student discussion site - a recommended activity.  You must sign up for recitation by registering for a section of Biol. UN2015. Recitations will begin the second week of class.  Quizzes start the third week of class.  Administrative questions regarding recitation sections should be directed to our administrative assistant: Amanda Molina (introbio@columbia.edu).

QUIZZES: There will be weekly quizzes in recitation worth 10 points each. The quizzes will be written and graded by the teaching assistant and will be different for each section. At the end of the term, each teaching assistant will assign up to 60 points to each student in his or her section. You must take at least 8 quizzes to get any quiz credit. A maximum of 60 points of quiz credit will be added to your exam total in calculating your final grade. The questions on the quizzes are usually much easier than the questions on the exams, as the primary goal of the quizzes is to keep you up to date on the basic lecture material.

EXAMS & GRADES: There will be 3 exams given during the term and a 4th at the time of the final. All midterm exams will be given at 4:10 or later The exam questions will be similar to the recitation problems & the study questions in the learner's manual; they will generally be significantly more difficult than the weekly quizzes given in recitation. All 4 exams will be cumulative but will stress material covered since the last exam. For details about grading please consult the Grade Guideline page on the course Web site.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTORS: Students are urged to contact the instructors about the course material by e-mail or in person (as opposed to phone or paper mail). Questions can also be posted on Piazza, where they can be answered by fellow students, TAs, or the instructors. Prof. Chasin's and Dr. Mowshowitz's regular office hours are listed below; please avail yourselves of these office hours if you have specific questions or have no questions, but want to hear others' specific questions.  If problems arise at other times, please try Piazza or Google. If you can't get an answer from a fellow student or TA, leave a message for the instructors by e-mail, phone mail, or by leaving a message in the appropriate paper mailbox:

Prof. Chasin: 854-4645. Office: 912 Fairchild. Paper mailbox (7th floor of Fairchild): #2433.
E-mail: lac2@columbia.edu. Office hours 1-2 Tues & Thurs in 912 Fairchild.

Dr. Mowshowitz: 854-4497. Office: 744E Mudd. Paper mailbox (7th floor of Fairchild): #2453.
E-mail: dbm2@columbia.edu. Office hours 1:30-2:30 Tues & Thurs in 744D Mudd.

Questions of an administrative nature (recitation scheduling, exam grade posting, exam room assignment, etc.) should be directed to the Intro Bio Administrator Amanda Molina (introbio@columbia.edu)

COURSE WEB SITE: Access to the UN2005 section 1 web site is absolutely required. (Once registration settles down, the names of all students in both sections of UN2005 and UN2401 will be added to the section 1 web site.) The address of the course web site (home page) is https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/portal/site/BIOLC2005_001_2017_3/.  This is the home page set up by CW. The 'main menu' is the master page that the instructors have set up that includes links to the schedule and reading list, course description, audios, etc. The main menu can be reached by a link on the left of the home page (if you are a registered student), or you can go directly to the main menu at Course Menu. Just about everything you need on the site can be reached from a link in the main menu. The web site serves as a bulletin board for the course and it is essential that you visit it regularly (several times a week) for announcements, updates, and changes. The web page will contain updated schedules for exams, recitations & review sessions as well as the lectures. It will also include lecture notes or slides, handouts, grades, recitation assignments, exam keys, and exams from last year.

LECTURE NOTES: The lecture notes or slides will be posted the night before each lecture, often very late. If you want to read ahead, look at last year's web notes, which are very similar and are accessible via last's year's reading list. The live lectures may omit or abbreviate some topics that are covered more fully in the online lecture notes. Some material may be omitted from the live lecture for various reasons, such as to allow more time for reviewing difficult concepts, or to allow an expanded class discussion.  Students are responsible for all the material in the online web notes, whether it is covered in class or not.

WHAT TO READ: The readings listed on the schedule are intended as a guide and NOT as an assignment, so be selective. It usually pays to skim one of the two basic texts (Becker or Savada) or the lecture notes before you come to class so you will be familiar with the terminology and the basic ideas. It usually does not pay to spend a lot of time outlining the book because you need to concentrate on the material covered in class, not all the material in the book(s). Specific pages or sections are listed (intended to match the lectures) but you may find it more helpful to read whole chapters in order, especially if you have had no background in biology. In general, Becker is better for the biochemistry part of the course and Savada is better for the genetics and evolution. After the lecture, you should read whatever you feel is necessary to understand the lectures, to do the problems and to satisfy your curiosity.

If you want to look up a specific topic in one of the supplementary texts, use the index in the book (or the search function on the web) -- don't read whole chapters. Wholesale reading of the supplementary texts is NOT recommended (it takes too much time and the books are cluttered with details that are unnecessary for this course). Many of the supplementary texts cover the same topics, and any one of them will do. Read whichever one you have handy or like the best. Do not read them all.

A fair number of experimental methods will be discussed in class. Both texts describe some of these, but not always in the sections assigned for that lecture. To find out where a particular method is described in the texts, consult the indexes or The Guide to Techniques inside the front cover of Becker (8th ed) or list of Key Techniques on p. xvii (9th ed.).  For more information, try searching the PubMed bookshelf (Links to an external site.)

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Syllabus/Course Description BIOL UN2401 - Fall 2017

Contemporary Biology I: Biochemistry & Genetics

Profs. Lawrence Chasin and Deborah Mowshowitz

Tuesday and Thursday
4:10 - 5:25 PM in 309 Havemeyer

Important: You may have to do 'control-click,' not a simple 'click,' to access some of these links. If you click on a link and nothing happens, try 'control-click.'

Biology UN2401 (previously known as F2401) is an introductory course for science majors and premedical students who have completed a year of college chemistry. (Why take chemistry first? See FAQ's for GS Students.) Students who have not had chemistry or who are not science majors or premeds should consult one of the instructors before registering. This course is the first half of a two semester sequence UN2401-UN2402. The entire sequence covers the fundamental principles of modern biology. UN2401 covers biochemistry, genetics, and evolution; UN2402 covers cell biology, developmental biology and physiology.

Note: The lectures and exams in Biol. UN2005 and UN2401 are identical, but the recitation sections are different. UN2401students may attend the morning lectures of UN2005, which are the same lectures as the evening, given by the same lecturer. Indeed, the morning lecture is sometimes better since the instructor is fresher.  The morning lectures are Tues & Thurs in 417 IAB at 10:10 AM.  However, the recitations in the two courses are different,  as the UN2401 recitations are optional (not required) and are geared toward more mature students with less traditional science backgrounds. (For a longer discussion of the differences between UN2005 & UN2401 see FAQ's for GS Students.) Post-baccalaureate students and students in the School of Professional Studies must enroll in UN2401. UN2401 students may only attend UN2401 recitation sections. Undergraduate students in GS may enroll in either UN2401 or UN2005. (Students in UN2005 must register for a recitation section -- see the course description for UN2005.)

Biology UN2401 does not include a laboratory; an introductory laboratory is offered as a separate course. The lab course (Biol. UN2501) is taught in both semesters and can be taken concurrently, at a later time, or not at all. UN2501 is primarily intended for premedical students who are not biology majors. (To check the lab requirements for the biology major, or a related major, see the department undergraduate majors page.) Students in UN2401 do NOT have to register for UN2501. They may take a different lab course OR take UN2501 at another time.

See the advice page for information on how to get the most out of this course. There is advice from both instructors and former students on how to succeed in Bio UN2401/UN2005.

BASIC TEXTS: The Textbook page on the course web site lists the recommended and required texts for this course. Note that you do not need to purchase either text. If you need occasional back up material, there is a lot available online. You absolutely do need to purchase the Learner's Manual.

SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS: The two textbooks cover most of the material in the lectures, but you may want to consult more advanced texts (print or online) occasionally for details on specific topics. Almost any standard biochemistry,cell biology or genetics text will do the job. Click here for a list of recommended texts and online resources. Most of the recommended texts are on reserve in the Engineering Library, and many of them are available online as part of the PubMed bookshelf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (most relevant are first authors: Berg, Cooper, Strachan, Griffiths, Alberts, Lodish). All the additional texts listed are good, but many former students have recommended especially Biochemistry by Stryer (or Berg et al. in later editions) andThe Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts et al. For more problems, see A Problems Approach to Introductory Biology by Brian White and Michelle Mischke.

HANDOUTS: There will be many handouts in this class to help you follow what is going on in lectures and to make note taking easier. Extra copies of the materials handed out in class will be available on the class website (as pdfs) or in paper form in the cubby-hole boxes in the hall outside 744 Mudd.

STUDY QUESTIONS AND PRACTICE EXAMS: The questions in the Learner's Manual are intended primarily to help you focus your studying on the important issues, and to help you master the material.  The more complicated problems (starred problems, and problems in the R problem sets) can be used to help you test your understanding, but their primary purpose is to help you learn how to apply the material. An additional page of questions ('recitation questions') will be covered in recitation and/or posted on the UN2401 Courseworks web site each week for those who cannot attend recitation. (The answers to the recitation problems will be posted about 1 week after the questions.) You can also consult last year's exams, which are posted along with answers on the course Web site as the semester progresses. You are urged to discuss the questions with your fellow students. The problems will be discussed in recitation section along with any other questions you may have. The best way to prepare for the exams is to work on the problem sets before the problems are reviewed in recitation. You are not expected to know all the answers before recitation starts, but you are expected to have worked on the problems in the problem book and to have questions of your own.

It is virtually impossible to overemphasize the importance of trying hard to solve the problems -- generations of students will swear that problem solving is the key to success in this course. It is the way you actually learn the subject, as well as the best way to prepare for the exams. Do not plan to do all the problems the night before each exam - there are way too many! For more advice on how to do the problems, see the problem solving tips page. Finally, it is virtually impossible to overemphasize the importance of trying hard to solve the problems...

RECITATIONS: Recitations will be offered 2-4 times per week.  The exact schedule can be found on the Recitations and TAs link of the Complete Menu on the course web site. There will probably be recitations after both of the morning lectures, after the Tuesday evening lecture, and at least one other time TBA.  The recitations will be conducted by graduate students or by teaching assistants who have taken this course before and know all the secrets of success. (Rooms and the names of teaching assistants will be announced soon when the course starts.) The questions from the Learner's Manual  (& the recitation questions) will be discussed in recitation along with any other questions you may have. There are no quizzes planned for the UN2401 recitations. You are urged to attend either an evening or a noon recitation (but not both -- they cover the same material).  Attendance at recitation is not required, but you are strongly encouraged to attend.  Recitations will begin the second week of class. Students registered for UN2401 may NOT attend UN2005 recitations (or vice versa).

If you cannot make recitation, you should try to set up a study group to help you go over the problems. The formation of such groups may be facilitated by the course site on Piazza, a third party site for student discussion (Forming a study group is a good idea even if you can come to recitation.)

EXAMS & GRADES: There will be 3 exams given during the term and a 4th at the time of the final. All midterm exams will be given in the evening. The exam questions will be similar to the recitation problems & the study questions in the Learner's Manual. All 4 exams will be cumulative but will stress material covered since the last exam. For details about grading please consult the Grade Guideline page on the course Web site.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTORS: Students are urged to contact the instructors about the course material by e-mail or in person (as opposed to phone or paper mail). Questions can also be posted on Piazza, where they can be answered by fellow students, TAs, or the instructors. Prof. Chasin's and Dr. Mowshowitz's regular office hours are listed below; please avail yourselves of these office hours if you have specific questions or have no questions, but want to hear others' specific questions.  If problems arise at other times, please try Piazza or Google. If you can't get an answer from a fellow student or TA, leave a message for the instructors by e-mail (preferred)  phone mail, or by leaving a message in the appropriate paper mailbox:

Prof. Chasin: 854-4645. Office: 912 Fairchild. Paper mailbox (7th floor of Fairchild): #2433.
E-mail: lac2@columbia.edu. Office hours 1-2 Tues & Thurs in 912 Fairchild.

Dr. Mowshowitz: 854-4497. Office: 744E Mudd. Paper mailbox (7th floor of Fairchild): #2453.
E-mail: dbm2@columbia.edu. Office hours 2-3 Tues & Thurs in 744D Mudd.

Questions of an administrative nature (recitation scheduling, exam grade posting, exam room assignment, etc.) should be directed to the Intro Bio Administrator Amanda Molina (introbio@columbia.edu)

COURSE WEB SITE: The Web site for Biol. UN2005 section 001 serves as the common Web site for Biol. UN2401 as well. (The UN2401 web site will be used primarily to post recitation questions & answers for UN2401 students who are unable to attend recitation.) Access to the UN2005 section 1 web site is absolutely required. (Once registration settles down, the names of all students in UN2401 will be added to the  UN2005 section 1 web site.) The address of the course web site (home page) is https://courseworks.columbia.edu/portal/site/BIOLC2005_001_2016_3/.  This is the home page set up by CW. The 'main menu' is the master page that the instructors have set up that includes links to the schedule and reading list, course description, audios, etc. The main menu can be reached by a link on the left of the home page (if you are a registered student), or you can go directly to the main menu at Complete Menu. Just about everything you need on the site can be reached from a link in the main menu. The web site serves as a bulletin board for the course and it is essential that you visit it regularly (several times a week) for announcements, updates, and changes. The web page will contain updated schedules for exams, recitations & review sessions as well as the lectures. It will also include lecture notes or slides, handouts, grades, recitation assignments, exam keys, and exams from last year.

WEB NOTES: The lecture notes will be posted the night before each lecture, often very late. If you want to read ahead, look at last year's web notes, which are very similar and are accessible via  last's year's lecture/reading list. The live lectures may omit or abbreviate some topics that are covered more fully in the online lecture notes. Some material may be omitted from the live lecture for various reasons, such as to allow more time for reviewing difficult concepts, or to allow an expanded class discussion. Students are responsible for all the material in the online web notes, whether it is covered in class or not.

WHAT TO READ: The readings listed on the schedule are intended as a guide and NOT as an assignment, so be selective. It usually pays to read one of the two basic texts (Becker or Savada) before you come to class so you will be familiar with the terminology and the basic ideas. It usually does not pay to spend a lot of time outlining the book because you need to concentrate on the material covered in class, not all the material in the book(s). Specific pages or sections are listed (intended to match the lectures) but you may find it more helpful to read whole chapters in order, especially if you have had no background in biology. In general, Becker is better for the biochemistry part of the course and Sadava is better for the genetics and evolution. After the lecture, you should read whatever you feel is necessary to understand the lectures, to do the problems and to satisfy your curiosity.

If you want to look up a specific topic in one of the supplementary texts, use the index in the book (or the search function on the web) - don't read whole chapters. Wholesale reading of the supplementary texts is NOT recommended (it takes too much time and the books are cluttered with details that are unnecessary for this course). Many of the supplementary texts cover the same topics, and any one of them will do. Read whichever one you have handy or like the best. Do not read them all.

A fair number of experimental methods will be discussed in class. Both texts describe some of these, but not always in the sections assigned for that lecture. To find out where a particular method is described in the texts, consult the indexes or The Guide to Techniques inside the front cover of Becker (8th ed) or list of Key Techniques on p. xvii (9th ed.).  For more information, try searching the PubMed bookshelf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..