Class schedule for Bio 40 (Spring 2026)
| Date | Topic | Reading | Labs & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12 | Intro/Welcome What is life? | Syllabus Chapter 1 – 1.5 | |
| Jan 14 | Intro to scientific inquiry | Chap 1.6 BioSkills 1 (P. 21 (7e); P. 19 (6e)): Measurements Chap 9 of Zen & the art… Watch HHMI video on Pocket Mice | Lots of reading for today. Give yourself time for it. Measurements lab. |
| Jan 19 | No Class – MLK day | ||
| Jan 21 | Chemical Basis of life | Chap 2.1 BioSkills 14: Chemical structures | R lab: Bring a computer Primary Literature Lab |
| Jan 26 | Water and life | Chap 2.2 – 2.5 Bioskills 16: Primary literature | |
| Jan 28 | Proteins | Chap 3 | Protein lab (full lab report required) |
| Feb 02 | Nucleic acids | Chap 4 Bioskills 2: Graphs Bioskills 8: Spectrophotometry | |
| Feb 04 | Carbohydrates | Chap 5 | Macromolecules lab 1st draft of protein lab (intro only) due. Peer review of intro. Refer also to Ye et al. (2016) paper. |
| Feb 09 | Exam 1 | Exam on Chapters 1 – 5 | |
| Feb 11 | Lipids and membranes | Chap 6 Protein paper (Ye et al., 2016). Read the intro. | Diffusion and Osmosis lab 1st draft of protein lab due Peer review of protein lab |
| Feb 16 | No Class – Washington Day | ||
| Feb 18 | Cells I | Chap 7 – 7.3 Bioskills 9: Microscopy | Microscopy lab Final draft of protein lab due |
| Feb 23 | Cells II | Chap 7.4 – 7.6 | |
| Feb 25 | Energy and Enzymes | Chap 8 – 8.2 | Enzymes lab (full lab report required) |
| Mar 02 | Enzymes | Chap 8.3 – 8.5 | |
| Mar 04 | Cellular respiration I | Chap 9 – 9.4 Bioskills 12: Interpreting models | Enzymes lab (day 2) |
| Mar 09 | Cellular respiration II | Chap 9.5 | Intro for enzymes lab due. Peer review of intro. |
| Mar 11 | Fermentation | Chap 9.6 | Respiration lab |
| Mar 16 | Spring Break | ||
| Mar 18 | Spring Break | ||
| Mar 23 | EXAM 2 | Exam on chapters 6-9 | |
| Mar 25 | Photosynthesis I | Chap 10 – 10.3 | Fermentation lab 1st draft of Enzymes lab due. Peer review. |
| Mar 30 | Photosynthesis II | Chap 10.4 – 10.5 | |
| Apr 01 | Cell cycle and Mitosis | Chap 12 | Photosynthesis lab Enzymes lab due. |
| Apr 06 | Meiosis | Chap 13 Bioskills 3: Error bars | |
| Apr 08 | Mendel and Intro to genetics | Chap 14 – 14.3 | Mitosis/Meiosis lab |
| Apr 13 | Linkage and Mendel’s extensions | Chap 14.4 – 14.5 | |
| Apr 15 | Human genetics, pedigrees | Chap 14.6 Bioskills 4: Probabilities | Maize genetics lab |
| Apr 20 | Genetics problems | Bioskills 3: Statistical tests | |
| Apr 22 | EXAM 3 | Exam on chapters 10-14 | PTC lab (day 1); Oral report required |
| Apr 27 | DNA and DNA replication | Chap 15 Bioskills 6: Electrophoresis Bioskills 7: Centrifugation | |
| Apr 29 | Transcription | Chap 16 – 16.2 Chap 17 – 17.2 | PTC lab (day 2) |
| May 04 | Translation | Chap 16.3 – 16.4 Chap 17.3 – 17.5 | |
| May 06 | Biotechnology | Chap 20 – 20.4 Bioskills 10: PCR part only | pGLO day 1 |
| May 11 | Gene expression in prokaryotes | Chap 18 | |
| May 13 | Gene expression in eukaryotes | Chap 19 | pGLO day 2 and PTC lab student presentations |
| May 18 | 8:45–11:15 | FINAL EXAM | Comprehensive final exam |