BIOL 195 - Topics in Biology

Credits: 3 credits in Fall and Winter, 4 credits in Spring

Spring 2016, BIOL 195-01: Learning about the Body: A History of Anatomy and Medical Education (4). An introduction to the history of medicine in America, with a focus on how premedical and medical education have evolved with the shifting nature of medical sciences. Mornings are used for lectures and discussion of assigned readings. In the afternoons, students read and analyze primary sources in Leyburn Library’s Special Collections to understand how local students have prepared for a medical career. Students collaborate in producing a public exhibit and accompanying essays on the history of premedical education over the 19th and 20th centuries. A field trip to a medical museum in Lynchburg is planned. (HU) Gibber. Spring 2016 only.

Winter 2016, BIOL 195-01: Breaking Bugs: Managing Insect Pests (4). All over the world, pest insects pose a huge threat to quality of life due to their impact on agriculture and human health. The constant struggle against pests has led historically to some desperate control strategies, such as mass spraying of DDT. Advances in our understanding of insects have led to novel and more responsible control techniques, but the troubled past of pest management has led to public distrust. As we explore the science, history, economics, and ethics of integrated pest management, students evaluate the issue from the perspectives of farmers, consumers, and global health. (SL) Pask.

Winter 2016, BIOL 195A-01: The Human Body (4). This course introduces non-science majors to the human body and how it functions. Overview of cellular structure and function is followed by a detailed study of the nervous, endocrine, muscle, skeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems. (SC) Gibber.