In this course, we will focus on marine coastal and open ocean habitats as well as freshwater systems, including lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, and wetlands. For oceans, we will explore such topics as currents, the interaction of climate and oceans, nutrient cycling and ecosystems. Our study of freshwater systems will focus on cycles, water chemistry and flora and fauna of local freshwater habitats.

DNA and protein are just part of what makes a cell alive; without the compartments, membranes and chemical gradients of the cell they could do nothing. In this course we will explore the ways molecular biology informs our understanding of cell physiology. The course will include in-depth discussions of protein trafficking, membrane transport, cell motility, membrane potential and respiration. We will also examine how the cell reacts when things go wrong: disorders and disease.

The main objective of this course is to explore organismal structure and function via an examination of the basic physical principles that guide how living things are constructed and how organisms interact with their environment.

This course is a general study of microorganisms and their activities, including form and structure; biochemical processes of growth, metabolism, and energy storage; distribution in nature and relationships to other organisms; cycles of matter; beneficial and detrimental effects on humans; and physical and chemical effects microorganisms make in their environment.