Principles of Biology: the Biosphere
Overview
1. Evolution and Diversity of Life
- Theory of evolution
- Hierarchical organization of life: cells to biosphere
- Classification of life: taxonomy, systematics, and phylogenetic analysis
- Survey of the living world: viruses, prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals
2. Ecology
- Population dynamics
- Trophic interactions and energy flow
- Community ecology
- Ecosystems and global ecology
- Biological diversity
- Impacts of human activity
3. Form and function in plants and animals
- The plant body
- Resource acquisition and transport in plants
- The animal body
- Animal support and movement
- Animal nutrition and digestion
- Animal respiration and circulation
- Excretion
- Nervous systems
4. Laboratory skills
- Experimental methods
- Common laboratory equipment
- Compound and stereomicroscopes
- Plant and animal dissections
- Dichotomous keys
- Analysis and presentation of experimental results
Classroom time may include a mixture of lecture, group discussions, and in-class activities. The course content is integrated with laboratory experiments, problem sets and textbook readings.
Assessment will be in accordance with the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following:
Quizzes and assignments | 15-25% |
Laboratory assignments | 5-15% |
Laboratory examination - final | 10-15% |
Term examination(s) | 20-35% |
Final examination | 20-35% |
TOTAL | 100% |
Laboratory assignments are a compulsory component of this course. A minimum of 50% of the laboratory assignments must be completed to receive a letter grade D or higher in the course.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Discuss the relationships between the biotic and abiotic components of the biosphere, their interactions, and the impact of human activities on the biosphere;
- Discuss the diversity of life through phylogeny and evolutionary histories of the major lineages;
- Discuss the factors that affect the size and growth of populations;
- Discuss interactions between species, including trophic interactions;
- Discuss the energy flow through food chains and the global energy budget;
- Discuss ecological disturbances and succession;
- Describe global climate patterns and the distribution of biomes;
- Describe biogeochemical cycles and how they are impacted by human activities;
- Discuss global warming and climate change;
- Discuss the global ramifications of biological diversity and biological processes;
- Examine the relationship between form and function in plants and animals;
- Describe, compare, and contrast the anatomy and physiology of major body systems in plants and animals;
- Identify and describe plant, animal, and microbial species, as well as cells and tissues through the use of dichotomous keys and other biological methods, such as dissections;
- Use common laboratory equipment;
- Use compound and stereomicroscopes to examine cells, tissues, and organisms, including the preparation of wet mounts;
- Interpret and present observations and results from lab experiments;
- Critically analyze scientific data and observations.
Consult the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks and materials may include:
Reece, J.B. et al., Campbell Biology, Pearson (current edition)
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Biology 1110 Course Manual (current edition)
Requisites
Prerequisites
Courses listed here must be completed prior to this course:
- No prerequisite courses
Corequisites
Courses listed here must be completed either prior to or simultaneously with this course:
- No corequisite courses
Equivalencies
Courses listed here are equivalent to this course and cannot be taken for further credit:
- No equivalency courses
Course Guidelines
Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
Course Transfers
These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see
Institution | Transfer details for BIOL 1110 |
---|---|
Alexander College (ALEX) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = ALEX BIOL 101 (4) & ALEX BIOL 102 (4) |
Alexander College (ALEX) | ALEX BIOL 1XX (4) |
Athabasca University (AU) | AU BIOL 2XX (3) |
Capilano University (CAPU) | CAPU BIOL 111 (4) |
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) | KPU BIOL 1110 (4) |
Langara College (LANG) | LANG BIOL 1XXX (4) |
Langara College (LANG) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = LANG BIOL 1115 (4) & LANG BIOL 1215 (4) |
North Island College (NIC) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (3) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (3) = NIC BIO 102 (3) & NIC BIO 103 (3) |
Okanagan College (OC) | OC BIOL 111 (3) |
Simon Fraser University (SFU) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = SFU BISC 101 (4) & SFU BISC 102 (4) |
Simon Fraser University (SFU) | SFU BISC 1XX (4) |
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (3) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (3) = TRU BIOL 1113 (3) & TRU BIOL 1115 (0) & TRU BIOL 1213 (3) & TRU BIOL 1215 (0) |
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = TRU BIOL 1110 (3) & TRU BIOL 1210 (3) |
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) | TRU BIOL 1210 (3) |
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (3) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (3) = TRU BIOL 1113 (3) & TRU BIOL 1115 (0) & TRU BIOL 1213 (3) & TRU BIOL 1215 (0) |
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) | TRU BIOL 1XXX (3) |
Trinity Western University (TWU) | TWU BIOL 113 (3) |
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = UBCO BIOL_O 116 (3) & UBCO BIOL_O 125 (3) |
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) | UBCV BIOL_V 1st (4) |
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = UBCV BIOL_V 1st (8) |
University of Northern BC (UNBC) | UNBC BIOL 104 (3) & UNBC BIOL 124 (1) |
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) | UFV BIO 112 (5) |
University of Victoria (UVIC) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = UVIC BIOL 184 (1.5) & UVIC BIOL 186 (1.5) |
University of Victoria (UVIC) | UVIC BIOL 1XX (1.5) |
Vancouver Community College (VCC) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = VCC BIOL 1100 (4) & VCC BIOL 1200 (4) |
Vancouver Community College (VCC) | VCC BIOL 1XXX (4) |
Vancouver Island University (VIU) | DOUG BIOL 1110 (5) & DOUG BIOL 1210 (5) = VIU BIOL 121 (4) & VIU BIOL 123 (4) |
Vancouver Island University (VIU) | VIU BIOL 1st (3) |
Course Offerings
Summer 2025
CRN | Days | Instructor | Status | More details |
---|---|---|---|---|
CRN
22152
|
Tue Thu | Instructor last name
Faurie
Instructor first name
Alida
|
Course status
Open
|
BIOL 1110 001- Students must also register in a non-conflicting lab section (BIOL 1110 L01 - L03, or L06).
CRN | Days | Instructor | Status | More details |
---|---|---|---|---|
CRN
22153
|
Wed Fri | Instructor last name
Faurie
Instructor first name
Alida
|
Course status
Open
|
BIOL 1110 002- Students must also register in a non-conflicting lab section (BIOL 1110 L01 - L03, or L06).