(Offered as CHEM 330 and BIOL 330) What are the molecular underpinnings of processes central to life? We will explore the chemical and structural properties of biological molecules and learn the logic used by the cell to build complex structures from a few basic raw materials. Some of these complex structures have evolved to catalyze chemical reactions with enormous degree of selectivity and specificity, and we seek to discover these enzymatic strategies.

Independent reading or research course. Full course. Does not normally count toward the major.

Fall and spring semesters. The Department.

(Offered as BIOL 230 and ENST 210) A study of the relationships of plants and animals (including humans) to each other and to their environment. We'll start by considering the decisions an individual makes in its daily life concerning its use of resources, such as what to eat and where to live, and whether to defend such resources. We'll then move on to populations of individuals, and investigate species population growth, limits to population growth, and why some species are so successful as to become pests whereas others are on the road to extinction.

How can a single cell, the fertilized egg, give rise to all the specialized cells of an adult? What gives rise to biological form? What is the molecular logic of the pathways that progressively refine cellular identities? How do cells "talk" to one another so as to coordinate their behaviors as embryos develop form and function? How can parts of an organism be regenerated with only the appropriate regions remade, structured identically to the missing ones? How does a stem cell differ from a non-stem cell? How can genetically identical organisms be cloned?

Plants are one of the most successful and abundant groups of organisms on earth, comprising the majority of terrestrial biomass, being integral to ecosystem structure, and providing humans with food, shelter, and materials. Yet plants face extraordinary challenges given their relative immobility and, in response, have evolved a surprising suite of behaviors and morphologies. Plants can tolerate extreme abiotic environments, manipulate animals for services (protection, pollination, dispersal), and travel to the far corners of the planet.