Biology
BIOL 430 Biological Chemistry (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisites: BIOL 141, 142 and CHEM 352
An introductory course describing the essential principles of biochemistry. Topics include the structure and characterization of biological macromolecules, the energetics and thermodynamics of coupled biological reactions and enzymology. The most important metabolic pathways are described, emphasizing their cellular compartmentalization, integration and control.
Fall semesters.
BIOL 600 Ethics in Scientific Research (2 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: completion of at least one year of graduate study
Issues of scientific integrity with emphasis on investigators in the laboratory sciences, including mentoring, scientific record keeping, authorship and peer review, ownership of data, use of animals and humans in research, and conflict of interest.
BIOL 600 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (4 credits) - UMES
Prerequisites: introductory biology, botany or zoology course and ecology
Instructor: M. Mitra
Discussion topics include marine environments, adaptations of populations, structure of marine ecosystems, dispersion of marine organisms, migration, nutrition cycles, productivity and catches of fish, food chains and models of the sea.
BIOL 601 Environmental Microbiology (4 credits) - UMES
Prerequisite: general microbiology
Instructor: J. Pitula
Topics include microbial ecology of plants and animals, aquatic microbial ecology, soil microbial ecology, biodegradation, microbial insecticides, gastrointestinal microbiology, microbiology of foods and management of environmental problems.
BIOL 605 Advanced Topics in Comparative Animal Physiology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: consent of instructor
This course takes a comparative approach to the study of how various selective pressures have resulted in the evolution of specific solutions to physiological problems. These solutions are viewed within the context of the fundamental limitations to biological evolution that are set by the physical and chemical properties of matter.
BIOL 609 Special Problems in Zoology (1-6 credits) - UMCP
One seminar per week for each subject selected: A-Cell Biology; B-Developmental Biology; C-Estuarine and Marine Biology; D-Genetics; E-Parasitology; F-Physiology; G-Systematics and Evolutionary Biology; I-Behavior; J-General; K-Endocrinology; L-Ecology.
BIOL 611 Bacterial Physiology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 302 and BIOL 303 or consent of instructor.
The combined approaches of bacterial genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry are applied to the study of bacterial physiological processes. An emphasis is placed on examining adaptation strategies used by bacteria upon encountering alterations of environment. Topics include mechanisms of transcriptional and post-transcriptional control, regulation of carbon and nitrogen metabolism, biosynthesis, energy transduction, signal transduction systems and bacterial development.
BIOL 614 Eukaryotic Genetics and Molecular Biology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 302 and BIOL 303 or consent of instructor.
Genetics and molecular biology of lower and higher eukaryotes and their viruses. The course will focus on the maintenance and expression of genetic material as it relates to cell growth and development. It will cover current topics in the molecular genetics of several lower and higher eukaryotes at an advanced level, including mechanisms of genetic control that operate at the level of DNA replication, transcription and translation.
BIOL 615 Developmental Genetics (3 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: courses in molecular genetics and developmental biology or cell biology or permission of instructor.
Differential gene function and its regulation in developing systems. Genes and the analysis of developmental processes.
BIOL 620 Cell Biology (3 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: BSCI 230/BSCI 330/ZOOL 211 or BCHM 461; BSCI 222 and CHEM 233 or permission of instructor.
Instructor: Ma
Offered with laboratory as BSCI 421. Molecular basis of cell structure and function in eukaryotes.
BIOL 620 Advanced Topics in Cell Biology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 303 and/or consent of instructor
A course designed to acquaint graduate students with contemporary problems of structure and function at the cellular level through a critical examination of the current literature. The course will include lecture material and presentations by students of oral and written reports on selected topics.
BIOL 622 Membrane Transport Phenomena (3 credits) - UMCP
Instructor: M. Colombini
Prerequisite: MATH 220 and (BSCI 330 or BSCI 230) or permission of instructor.
The fundamental phenomena related to solute movement in bulk solution and across interfaces. Examination of natural and artificial membrane transport systems, with emphasis placed on their mechanism of action.
BIOL 626 Approaches to Molecular Biology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 302 and BIOL 303 or consent of instructor
This course will focus on the molecular biology of eukaryotic cells and will include such topics as the sequence organization of DNA and genes, chromosome structure, messenger RNA synthesis and processing, messenger RNA translation and the regulation of the expression of genetic information.
BIOL 628 Computer Applications in Molecular Biology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 302 and BIOL 303
This course is designed as an introduction for biology and biochemistry students to the use of applications software in the analysis of DNA, RNA and protein sequence data. The course will be taught in a lab/lecture format. Topics will include operating systems; telecommunications with off-campus databases and specific software packages for general and analytical treatment of DNA, RNA and protein sequence data. Some elementary programming will be included.
BIOL 634 Microbial Molecular Genetics (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 302 and BIOL 303 or consent of instructor
The approaches of microbial genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry are combined for the study of the molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression in bacteria. Emphasis is placed on critical reading of research literature. Application of the combined approaches of microbial genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry to the study of fundamental biological processes will be demonstrated.
BIOL 641 Comparative Physiology (4 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: one year of biology and one year of organic chemistry, and one semester of physiology.
Cellular and biochemical processes used by animals to interact with both the external and cellular environment. Water balance, intermediary metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, anaerobic metabolism, thermal regulation, nerve and muscle physiology in cells from a broad variety of animal species are considered. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
BIOL 651 Physical Chemistry for Biologists (3 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: BIOL 230 or equivalent
Mechanistic and quantitative aspects of chemical and physical processes, including diffusion, ligand-receptor binding, DNA melting, sedimentation, redox reactions, kinetics, fluorescence, osmosis and electrophoresis.
BIOL 653 Physiological Bases of Behavior (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 305 or consent of instructor
Studies of behavioral patterns and their physiological beset. The course begins with an extensive review of the fundamentals of neurobiology and basic principles pf animal behavior; followed by neurophysiological analyses of specific invertebrate behaviors such as locomotion, feeding, prey capture and predator evasion and learning.
BIOL 656 Plant Molecular Biology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 302 and BIOL 303 or consent of instructor
Following a brief review of some important principles and techniques in molecular biology, this course will pursuer in depth such topics as the cloning and characterization of chloroplast, mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in plants, interactions of the nuclear and chloroplast gene products, genetic engineering of the nitrogen fixation genes, DNA plant viruses and the Agrobacterium Ti plasmid.
BIOL 657 Physiology of Marine and Estuarine Animals (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 305
A study of the physiological specializations demanded by marine/estuarine environments, including physiological mechanisms for coping with stresses imposed by extremes of temperature, salinity, aerial exposure and low oxygen concentrations; sensory physiology, including visual, chemical and mechanical modalities; exogenous and endogenous rhythms related to tidal or diel cycles and bioluminescence.
BIOL 660 Theoretical Population and Community Ecology (3 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: one year of college calculus and BSCI 462 or equivalent with permission of department.
Application of simple dynamic systems and optimization models to understand the dynamics of populations and ecological communities; population growth, predator-prey interactions, competition, food webs, foraging theory, and evolution of life histories. Instruction and use of the program Mathematica.
BIOL 661 Community Ecology (4 credits) - UMES
Instructor: D. Ruby
This course is an in-depth study of the biology of communities with emphasis on factors that regulate abundance, diversity and stability of communities. Current theories on community dynamics will be combined with field experiences and detailed analyses of selected field projects.
BIOL 662 Concepts in Animal Ecology (4 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: BSCI 462 or equivalent with permission of department.
A graduate-level treatment of ecological processes and their evolutionary implications. Review of classical and contemporary literature, with emphasis on current developments in ecological theories, and their testing in the laboratory and in the field. Three hours of lecture and two hours of discussion/recitation per week.
BIOL 662 Population Biology (4 credits) - UMES
Instructor: D. Ruby
This course is an in-depth study of the biology of populations with emphasis on population structure, factors that regulate populations, and the effect of individual behavior on population characteristics. Field studies and computer simulations will explore selected areas of study.
BIOL 663 Theoretical and Quantitative Biology (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 301 and BIOL 309
Mathematical, statistical and computer techniques used in quantitative analysis of biological phenomena. Topics will include the theoretical basis of commonly used uni-variate tests, as well as multi-variate techniques, such as discriminant, canonical factor and cluster analysis. Applications of methods will be discussed. Data sets will be assigned for analysis.
BIOL 665 Behavioral Ecology (4 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: one course in ecology and one course in behavior, or permission of instructor.
Use of evolutionary theory to study life history and social behavior in animals and humans. Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week.
BIOL 666 Population and Quantitative Genetics (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: STAT 350, BIOL 142 and BIOL 309 or consent of instructor
The emphasis in this course will be the study in natural populations of characters whose variation is controlled by multiple genes. The foundations in Mendelian and population genetics will be described, followed by a comprehensive treatment of the field of quantitative genetics and then by a discussion of the place of quantitative genetics in behavioral genetics, physiological ecology and in population biology in general.
BIOL 667 Mathematical Biology (4 credits) - UMCP
Mathematical methods of analyzing deterministic and stochastic biological processes from a variety of areas (including population and evolutionary biology, neurobiology, physiology and morphogenesis). Qualitative aspects of dynamical systems which are usually given as difference or differential equations. The computer program Mathematica will be used to obtain the numerical solutions of these equations. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
BIOL 680 Animal Behavior (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 142 or equivalent, STAT 350 or equivalent
This course explores the general themes and important questions in animal behavior. We cover subjects that examine how and why animals interact in the way they do with each other and with their environment. Topics will include the genetics of behavior, behavioral development, learning, animal communication, habitat selection, foraging, sexual selection, and mating systems.
BIOL 683 Genes to Genomes (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 142
This is a combined lecture, paper discussion and hands-on computing course comprising four majors sections that study applications of evolutionary theory to the exploration and analysis of phenotypic and biological sequence data. We begin by building a sound conceptual basis for the theory of evolution, including an introduction to population genetics. Real biological sequence data is then introduced and used to illustrate and extend this theory. From here, the focus shifts to some major branches of current evolutionary research. During the last part of the course, students give presentations on a research topic in evolution of their choice.
BIOL 685 Problems in Vertebrate Evolution (4 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: BIOL 301 or consent of instructor
This course will provide a comprehensive survey treatment of the five vertebrate classes, emphasizing paleontological approaches, their morphological and behavioral adaptations and evolution in relation to climatic and geologic change. Both past and present vertebrate communities will be considered. The laboratory component of the course will stress structure and composition of past communities, species identification and biomechanics.
BIOL 686 Genome Sciences (4 credits) - UMBC
Genome science represents a convergence of classical biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology with the new discipline of bioinformatics into a new field. Advances in biomedical and agricultural research are developing the potential of genome science in both private and public sectors. Important questions that have been unapproachable are now though to be within reach. BIOL 686 provides students with the requisites for understanding genome science. It includes basic instruction in experimental functional genomics, and analytical bioinformatics.
BIOL 688F Fish Physiology (3 credits) - UMES
This course is designed to provide an overview of fish physiology which fishery biologists and others can supplement with readings in current texts, reviews and research articles. Applicable points of general and comparative physiology are also included. Summaries of important anatomic considerations are included where relevant, but this course is primarily for those who have already completed courses in general physiology, chemistry, biochemistry, and fish anatomy.
BIOL 688J Fishery Biology and Management (3 credits) - UMES
Instructor: E. May
BIOL 695 Seminar in Bioinformatics (3 credits) - UMBC
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
This course will introduce basic and advanced computational issues and methods used in computational biology. Topics will include algorithms for alignment of biological sequences, multiple sequence alignment, and gene prediction.
BIOL 701 Teaching Biology (1 credit) - UMCP
Introduction to instructional methods and strategies, University and College policies, and campus resources for new CMNS graduate teaching assistants.
BIOL 704 Cell Biology from a Biophysical Perspective (3 credits) - UMCP
Recommended: BSCI 330, PHYS 121 and PHYS 122
Instructor: S. Sukharev
An approach to cell biology by focusing on mechanisms and underlying paradigms. It will not assume a great deal of factual biological knowledge, but will expect a background that prepares students to think quantitatively and mechanistically.
BIOL 708 Advanced Topics in Biology (1-4 credits) - UMCP
Lectures, experimental courses and other special instructions in various zoological subjects.
BIOL 709 Selected Advanced Topics in Biology (1-4 credits) - UMCP
Lectures, experimental courses and other special instructions in various biological subjects.
BIOL 737 Research Seminar in Bioinformatics (1 credit) - UMBC
this course is based on critical discussion of current literature and ongoing research. Students are required to make seminar presentations on their work and on important new developments in these research areas.
BIOL 739 Research Seminar in Molecular Biology (1 credit) - UMBC
Students and faculty will present results of their recent experiments and/or important papers from current literature for critical discussion.
BIOL 754 Research Seminar in Animal Physiology and Behavior (1 credits) - UMBC
Critical discussion of current literature and ongoing research.
BIOL 755 Research Seminar in Cellular Neurobiology and Behavior (1 credit) - UMBC
This is a research and literature review seminar course in the area of cellular neurobiology.
BIOL 759 Research Seminar in Plant Biology (1 credit) - UMBC
Students and faculty will present results of their recent experiments and/or important papers from current literature for critical discussion.
BIOL 760 Plant Population Biology (3 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: BSCI 472 or permission of instructor
An examination of current theoretical and empirical research covering topics such as demography, reproductive strategy, clonality, seed banks, interspecific competition and plant-herbivore interactions.
BIOL 762 Physiological Plant Ecology (2 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: BSCI 460, or equivalent with permission of department
Environmental effects on plant ecophysiology. Microclimatology, leaf energy balance, plant responses to temperature and radiation, physiological adaptations, water relations and plant gas exchange.
BIOL 765 Sociobiology (4 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: a course in behavior and permission of instructor
Deals with the description and analysis of animal social organizations, the adaptive nature of animal societies, the effects of early experience, and the role of communication in the integration of animal groups. Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week.
BIOL 767 Behavioral Endocrinology (3 credits) - UMCP
Prerequisite: BSCI 342 or BSCI 447
The interactive effects of hormones and behavior. Emphasis on the reproductive and stress hormones as they affect the brain and behavior.
BIOL 769 Research Seminar in Evolution and Ecology (1 credit) - UMBC
Students and faculty will present results of their recent experiments and/or important papers from current literature for critical discussion.
BIOL 770 Graduate Seminar in Molecular Biology (3 credits) - UMBC
The class will consist of a series of student led seminars related to a specific topic in molecular biology.