ExPLORe-BIO: Experiential Pathways and Learning Opportunities for Retention in Biology
Introduces undergraduate students to course and career options in the biological sciences. The course offers an introductory survey of various courses offered in the WSU Department of Biological Sciences. It prepares biology majors and non-majors (who plan to take biology courses) with the information they need to anticipate efforts to be successful in their future coursework. The major objective of the course is to help undergraduates gain the basic skillset required for confidently navigating their course plans in the biological sciences and persist through their successful graduation at WSU.
Provides students a general overview of the biology of industrial hemp and cannabis. Lectures on the nature and chemistry of cannabis, its pharmacological properties and genetics, introduces students to medicinal aspects of cannabis. Applied aspects of the cultivation, harvesting and processing of hemp and cannabis are key for industrial hemp, an increasingly valuable row crop for fiber, oil and seed meal, and for medical cannabis. Finally, business aspects of these crops are discussed including supply chain and testing, careers in the industry, and future markets. This course is for nonmajors and does not fulfill requirements for majors in biological sciences.
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Describes the genetic basis of human origins, reproduction, the mechanisms of transmission genetics, and population genetics. Draws attention to heritable diseases and the roles of genetic counseling and genetic testing in their management. Human diversity is an abiding theme throughout this course, but it is explored in detail by studying the role of genetics in human sex determination and also in the variances that have led to ethnic groupings. It is designed for students majoring in the natural sciences who seek to build on their understanding of the science of human heredity. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): BIOL 210 and BIOL 211.
Covers human development from fertilization through the development of body systems, highlighting the causes, mechanisms and patterns of developmental disorders. Students learn how developmental processes at the molecular, cellular and tissue-scales sequentially unfold to transform the ovum to a fertilized egg, an embryo and a fetus. The knowledge students gain from this course offers a developmental (foundational) perspective of human anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite(s): BIOL 420 or BIOL 540 or instructor's consent.