Unit information: Biology 1A: Diversity of Life in 2016/17

Unit name	Biology 1A: Diversity of Life
Unit code	BIOL11000
Credit points	40
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Andy Bailey
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	A-level Biology (preferred) or good science A-levels
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Biological Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Evolution, speciation and biodiversity; the origins of life; evolution, relationships and diversity of the major groups of organisms (archaebacteria, protists, bacteria, fungi, plants, invertebrate and vertebrate animals); the importance of plants, animal and fungal life to humans; evolution and phylogeny of mammals; human evolution.

Aims:

To equip students with the broadest range of intellectual and practical skills and to fit them to confront the diverse biological questions they will meet in their future careers. This includes a clear understanding of the evolutionary processes that mould living organisms, and knowledge of the diversity of the major groups of organisms.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion a student will have gained a detailed knowledge and understanding of the diversity and evolution of biological organisms, have learnt methods for their study, and have gained self-confidence in written, verbal and organizational skills, including communication, teamwork, and computer literacy.

Teaching Information

• Lectures: 3x 50 min lectures each week
• Laboratory classes: 1x 3-hour class each week. These classes include practical work with plants, animals, fungi and microbes.
• 1 Tutorial
• Self-directed learning. Students are expected to spend approx. 30-45 minutes on additional reading per lecture.
• Independent work in computing
• Demonstrations
• Videos
• Field trips
• Dynamic Lab Manual (DLM)

Assessment Information

The course mark comprises 60% for the end of unit exam and 40% for continuous assessment (CA).

The end of unit exam in May/June comprises 2 papers.

The 40% CA mark is made up as follows:

• 30%: Assessed practicals (5% of unit marks from each of the 6 practicals)
• 10%: January assessment test

Reading and References

The core textbook is:

• Campbell Biology, Pearson, 9th revised edition ISBN13: 9781408277379

Also recommended is:

• A good general biology dictionary, e.g. Henderson’s Dictionary of Biology, Pearson Paperback ISBN13: 9781408234303