Module Identifier
BS00410
Module Title
BIOLOGICAL ORGANISATION AND DESIGN
Academic Year
2008/2009
Co-ordinator
Dr John H R Gee
Semester
Semester 1
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Lecture 10 x 1h lectures
Practical
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Exam 2 Hours   theory paper  60%
Semester Assessment Coursework from practicals, assignment  40%
Supplementary Exam 2 Hours   60%
Supplementary Assessment Resubmission of failed coursework  40%

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the module, students should be able to:

define the properties characteristic of life
demonstrate a basic understanding of plant structure
outline the basic characteristics of the main animal phyla
list examples of animals from the main groups

Aims

The module aims to give the students an understanding of the diversity of organisms, both plants and animals, in terms of structure and design throughout the living world. This is an important basis for further courses in all areas of biological sciences.

Content

Through a series of classes the module will deal the characteristics of life and how these are exemplified in the diversity of organisation and design seen in nature. The module will deal with both plants and animals and relate their structure to the characteristics of the various phyla. This will be reinforced by a study of specimens, both live and functional from the department's preserved collection.

The curriculum will include the following:

A survey of the general characteristics of living organisms
The cellular structure of organisms and the involvement of specialised organs
The diversity of plant structure and the features of plant design
The characteristics of different animal phyla and their relationships

Reading List

General Text
Purves, W.K., Sadava, D., Orians, G.H. & Heller, H.C. (2004) Life :the science of biology /[edited by] William K. Purves ... [et al]. 7th W.H. Freeman and Co, New York Primo search

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 3