1. GENERAL BIOLOGY II (BIO-210-G5-2010)
Summer Semester II 2010
Who is the professor? Dr. Jorge A. Santiago-Blay
Where is classroom? Hurst Hall 205, Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 - 4:10 PM
When do we meet? Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:00-4:10PM from June 21-July 29, 2010
Where do I find him for office hours? In the classroom (or in the Faculty Corner), 30 minutes or so before and
after class.
How do I contact him? E-mail: blayj@hotmail.com (please, place write the name of this class in the subject line)
Where is lab? Hurst Hall 107, Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30 - 8:40 PM
Two Textbooks: one for lecture, another for the laboratory
Lecture
Freeman, S. 2011. Biological Science with Mastering Biology®. 4th Edition.
Pearson/Benjamin Cummings. Cape Town, South Africa. 1320 pp. ISBN:
0-13-224950-2.
Laboratory
Zeller, N. K. 2010 (Summer II). General Biology II Laboratory Manual. University Readers,
Inc. San Diego, California, U.S.A. (Available on-line at
http://www.universityreaders.com/students.)
Course Description (Credits = 4)
General Biology II is a second level course in Area V (Natural Sciences) of the University’s General Education
Program. It is intended for science majors and students intending to pursue a medical career (physician, nurse,
veterinarian, dentist, etc). The course expands on concepts and principles introduced in the foundation course,
General Biology I (BIO-110). The topics of this course focus on variety of aspects associated with multi-cellular
levels of biological organization. Familiarity with cellular biology and genetic concepts learned in the foundation
course will be essential for topics of mechanisms of evolution and speciation, phylogenetic relationships, and
ecology. Students who have taken “Great Experiments in Biology” (BIO-100) may complete the introductory
requirement for the Biology and Environmental Science major by completing General Biology II (BIO-210).
Prerequisite: General Biology I (BIO-110 or BIO-110G).
Attendance to Lectures
It is essential to attend all lectures. Students are responsible for all materials mentioned in lectures and those
assigned by the instructor. At times, material may be mentioned in class that is not included in the book and may
appear on exams.
Attendance to Laboratories
Attendance in the laboratory is mandatory. If you miss three (3) or more laboratories you will
automatically fail course altogether. If you need to miss a laboratory period, please see your TA well in advance
of the scheduled lab period to arrange for you to make it up in another class (requires appropriate paperwork to
ensure that absence is excused). Any questions about the laboratory periods, please contact your TA or Dr Zeller.
Course Web Pages, Blackboard, Email
There are two Blackboard websites for this course: one for the lecture and a second for your individual
laboratory section. Please check both sites on a regular basis. Within the lecture site, the SYLLABUS area contains
the course syllabus. The POWER POINTS, ETC. area contains the PowerPoints. Note: these PPTs are an
outline of what is discussed in class. Please do not substitute reading for coming to class. Students that do
this typically do not perform well on exams in this class.
To access information from Blackboard go to www.american.edu/blackboard and type in your user name and
password. If you use an external email (hotmail, yahoo, etc.) remember to forward your AU email to this server so
that you will not miss any announcements that I send out to the class. Some email accounts (e.g. gmail) may require
SPAM filters to be removed before they accept email that is forwarded from American University. You can forward

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email via my.american.edu portal (click on the Technology link on the left side of the webpage and look for
Forward My AU E-mail link).
Grade Policies
Grades for the lecture portion of the course will be based on the following three components:
a) Lecture: 3 partial exams, 25% each, 75% of final grade
The lecture grade is based on three exams. Each exam will test you on approximately one-third of the material
discussed during the semester. The format for the exams will be discussion questions and all will be take home.
There is no cumulative final exam.
b) Laboratory: total 25% of final grade (please, see details in the laboratory syllabus)
Laboratory: The laboratory section of the class is over seen by your Teaching Assistant who is in turn over seen by
Dr. Nancy K. Zeller (Hurst room 106B or 885-2191 or nzeller@american.edu). If you have any concerns/questions
please be sure to discuss them as soon as possible to ensure that you have a fun and successful lab experience.
The grading scale for the course used is:
A = 93% and above A- = 90-92% B+ = 87-89%
B = 83-86% B- = 80-82% C+ = 77-79%
C = 70-76% D = 60-69% F = less than 60%
Experience has shown that to earn a letter grade of B+ or higher, you will have to read the text and reread the
previous day’s lecture notes before coming to lecture. While these actions do not guarantee that you will get a high
score, failing to so generally result in a lower grade.
Course Policies
1. You are entitled to miss class to observe a religious holiday, however, you must inform me at least 48 hours in
advance. If you fail to receive permission prior to your absence, the absence will be counted as unexcused.
2. ONE WEEK RULE: I will make every effort to return your exams within one week of the exam date. Once you
receive your graded exam, you have one week to see me about the grade. If for some reason you cannot take the
exam on the scheduled date you may see me about opportunities to take the at an earlier date
3. Requests for re-grading must be in writing and handed in no later than one week after graded exams are returned.
Make-up exams will be given strictly according to University rules (i.e. only because of absence due to illness,
religious observance, or participation in University activities). A written statement from a physician, clergy, or
University official is required. Note: A "desk note" from the AU infirmary is not considered adequate
documentation.
Departmental policies for Great Experiments in Biology
1. There are no extra credit assignments.
2. Assignments, due at the beginning of the period in either laboratory or in lecture (as the case may be), will not
be accepted late.
3. All assignments, except if told otherwise, must be turned in as a hardcopy.
4. Laboratory attendance is mandatory. If you miss more than three laboratory classes, you will automatically
receive a failing grade for the course.
Academic Integrity Policy
Cheating, in any form, will not be tolerated. Allegations of cheating will be referred to the Dean of the College
of Arts and Sciences and may result in a course grade of F, expulsion or other disciplinary action according to the
rules outlined in the AU Academic Regulations at these two sites: http://www1.american.edu/academics/integrity/
and http://www1.american.edu/american/registrar/AcademicReg/New/reg80.html.

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Academic Support
If you experience difficulty in this course for any reason, please do not hesitate consulting with me. In addition
to resources in department, a wide range of university-wide services is available to support you in your efforts to
meet the course requirements.
1. Academic Support Center (x3360, MGC 243) offers study skills workshops, individual instruction, tutor
referrals, writing support, and services for students with learning disabilities.
2. Writing Center (x2991, Battelle 228) is another unit that offers writing support.
3. Counseling Center (x3500, MGC 214) offers counseling and consultations regarding personal concerns, self-help
information, and connections to off-campus mental health resources.
4. Disability Support Services (x3315, MGC 206) offers technical and practical support and assistance with
accommodations for students with physical or psychological disabilities. If you have a disability and might
require accommodations in this course, please notify me with a letter from DSS or ASC early in the term so that
we can make arrangements to address your needs.
Emergency Preparedness
In the event of a declared pandemic (influenza or other communicable disease), American University will
implement a plan for meeting the needs of all members of the university community. Should the university be
required to close for a period of time, we are committed to ensuring that all aspects of our educational programs will
be delivered to our students. These may include altering and extending the duration of the traditional term schedule
to complete essential instruction in the traditional format and/or use of distance instructional methods. Specific
strategies will vary from class to class, depending on the format of the course and the timing of the emergency.
Faculty will communicate class-specific information to students via AU e-mail and Blackboard, while students must
inform their faculty immediately of any absence due to illness. Students are responsible for checking their AU e-
mail regularly and keeping themselves informed of emergencies. In the event of a declared pandemic or other
emergency, students should refer to the AU Web site (www. prepared. american.edu) and the AU information line
at (202) 885-1100 for general university-wide information, as well as contact their faculty and/or respective dean's
office for course and school/ college-specific information.
SCHEDULE
Date Topics Readings
June 21 Course Introduction. Evolution & Darwinism Freeman 1, 24
June 23 Evolutionary Processes Freeman 25
June 28 Speciation, Phylogenies and History of Life Freeman 26, 27
Turn in Exam 1 (Freeman 1, 24 – 29)
June 30
Bacteria & Archaea, “Protists” Freeman 28, 29
July 07 Plants Freeman 30
July 12 Fungi, Introduction to Animals Freeman 31, 32
July 14 Protostome and Deuterostome Animals Freeman 33, 34
Turn in Exam 2 (Freeman 28-31)
July 19
Behavior, Introduction to Ecology Freeman 51, 50
July 21 Population Ecology Freeman 52
July 26 Community Ecology, Ecosystems Freeman 53, 54
July 28 Biodiversity & Conservation Freeman 55
Final Exam Includes
July 29
Send your answered exam via email. Freeman 50 – 55