Botany generally refers to the study of plants, but other organisms are …
Botany generally refers to the study of plants, but other organisms are often included in the field such as photosynthetic bacteria, fungi, algae, and slime molds. Plants are multicellular organisms with complex, eukaryotic cells that contain cell walls, chloroplasts, and other cell structures that are absent in animal cells. They can be studied at many levels, ranging from the molecules that comprise them to cells and tissues to organs (flowers, leaves, roots, etc.) to organ systems (shoot system and roots systems). Each structure in the plant body is adapted to optimize its function, whether it be photosynthesis, support, nutrient absorption, transportation, or reproduction. Plant physiology explores the chemistry and physics of these functions, including how they respond to the environment, coordinate responses using hormones, gather energy and nutrients, and change throughout their life cycles. Plant ecology examines even larger scales, including plant populations and their roles in communities and ecosystems. Humans rely on plants for food, fiber, and medicines, and to provide clean air, erosion control, and other services. Unfortunately, human activities resulting in habitat loss, climate change, and pollution threaten plant biodiversity, but current and future conservation efforts slow the loss of biodiversity.
Each lab has a section that is intended to be completed prior …
Each lab has a section that is intended to be completed prior to the start of the lab. This section includes formative questions, content and skill objectives, and an introduction to the topic. Formative questions are not intended to be graded for “correctness” and often lack any correct way to answer. Instead, these questions are intended to see what you might already know or think about the topic you are going to learn about. Content objectives list what you are expected to learn during the lab, while skill objectives list what you should be able to do after the lab. The introduction frames the lab content in context of larger topics within the field of science and highlights specific concepts that will be covered within the lab. Later labs focused on learning different organismal groups also contain a section called selection pressures and drivers that explains what conditions this group of organisms evolved in response to.
After some in and out of class practice with mineral and rock …
After some in and out of class practice with mineral and rock id, students are divided into groups of about 5 and taken to locations where boulders and cobbles are used as decorative landscaping (usually adjacent to streets or on short slopes). This seems to work best if class sizes are about 25 or less - then instructors can keep track of groups in an area. Groups are given an area about 5 feet wide and 25 long (enough for several hundred cobbles/boulders) and told to identify 6-12 rocks of different types (at least 2 each if only doing Ig, Met, Sed.- more if rock names expected). 1.) In the first stage groups are given a fairly long time (~20-25 minutes) to pick and identify rocks with flags and markers. This seems like a long time and normally they can quickly flag and name the easiest rocks in their area. However, they only get one point for each rock correctly identified at this stage. 2.) In the second stage groups get 10 minutes to inspect all other groups' areas and mark those rocks they think other groups INCORRECTLY identified. They are allowed to send one person from their group to inspect each of the other groups' areas. Their group gets 5 pts for each correctly mis-identified rock of another group. 3.) In the third stage, groups can defend their identifications to the instructor/TA and get 10 points if they prove that another group flagged/id'd one of their identifications incorrectly - the mistaken group gets docked 10 points. The key to this exercise is that in the first stage some of the students should realize that they get many more points for making other groups mis-identify their rocks, and that all of their own group members should be trained to have enough expertise to identify tricky or difficult rocks. This is the reason for the excess time at the first stage, for training, review, and typically the group will change their chosen rocks to include the most difficult ones rather than the easiest. Should groups not realize this - the instructor might want to prompt them.Students are allowed Rock charts, cheat sheets, etc. at the instructors decision.
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Online Biology textbook in epub format downloaded from Boundless before they went …
Online Biology textbook in epub format downloaded from Boundless before they went defunct. This was my first introduction to OER as a result of an online search to find alternatives to the high-cost biology textbooks I was using. I did not author this epub. I am merely uploading the epub that I downloaded years ago.
Microbiology is a broad term which includes virology, mycology, parasitology, bacteriology, immunology, …
Microbiology is a broad term which includes virology, mycology, parasitology, bacteriology, immunology, and other branches. A microbiologist is a specialist in microbiology and these related topics. Microbiological procedures usually must be aseptic and use a variety of tools such as light microscopes with a combination of stains and dyes. As microbes are absolutely required for most facets of human life.
empty (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of …
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Students are taught how to use FossilPlot software in the lab prior …
Students are taught how to use FossilPlot software in the lab prior to this exercise. Students work individual to work through the short exercise, handing in a copy of the diversity graphs for the brachiopod orders (which will be tested in the following midterm) and a completed worksheet. The exercise reinforces the main functions of FossilPlot and addresses basic concepts on diversity and biostratigraphy. Once the assignments are collected and graded, we discuss the outcomes of the exercise in class.
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This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by …
This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:
"Bacterial predators are a vital selective force in bacterial communities. Predation releases nutrients that power biogeochemical cycling. Bacterial predators are typically classified as “obligate” predators, which MUST feed on bacteria to survive, and “facultative” predators, which can subsist on a non-bacteria diet. The discovery of a new group of bacterial predators, however, proposes a revision to this classification system. These are Bradymonabacteria. Analyses of their feeding behavior and genetic makeup revealed that Bradymonabacteria adopt living strategies between those of obligate and facultative predators. Like obligate predators, for example, they possess multiple metabolic deficiencies that are shored up only by predation, while their large genomes suggest that Bradymonabacteria could effectively tolerate the absence of prey..."
The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.
The full OpenStax Biology course, together with digital exercises that are repeated …
The full OpenStax Biology course, together with digital exercises that are repeated in an efficient way to help you achieve lifelong mastery in the subject material.
This worksheet asks students to identify different parts of the brain and …
This worksheet asks students to identify different parts of the brain and their functions. A word bank and colored diagrams are included on the worksheet.
An advanced course covering anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and computational studies of the …
An advanced course covering anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and computational studies of the central nervous system relevant to speech and hearing. Students learn primarily by discussions of scientific papers on topics of current interest. Recent topics include cell types and neural circuits in the auditory brainstem, organization and processing in the auditory cortex, auditory reflexes and descending systems, functional imaging of the human auditory system, quantitative methods for relating neural responses to behavior, speech motor control, cortical representation of language, and auditory learning in songbirds.
This course provides an outline of vertebrate functional neuroanatomy, aided by studies …
This course provides an outline of vertebrate functional neuroanatomy, aided by studies of comparative neuroanatomy and evolution, and by studies of brain development. Topics include early steps to a central nervous system, basic patterns of brain and spinal cord connections, regional development and differentiation, regeneration, motor and sensory pathways and structures, systems underlying motivations, innate action patterns, formation of habits, and various cognitive functions. In addition, lab techniques are reviewed and students perform brain dissections.
This is a seminar series led by graduate students and postdocs in …
This is a seminar series led by graduate students and postdocs in the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) from 2015 to the present, featuring tutorials on computational topics relevant to research on intelligence in neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. These tutorials are aimed at participants who have some computational background but are not experts on these topics. A computational tutorial can consist of any method, tool, or model that is broadly relevant within neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. The goal is to bring researchers in brain and cognitive sciences closer to the researchers creating computational methods. Resources posted here include lecture videos, lecture slides, code and datasets for exercises, background references, and other supplementary material. Typically, each tutorial consists of a short lecture, and an interactive part with tutorials or “office hours” to work through practice problems and discuss how the material may be applied to participants’ research. This series was organized by Emily Mackevicius, Jenelle Feather, Nhat Le, Fernanda De La Torre Romo, and Greta Tuckute, with financial support from BCS. Videos were filmed, edited, and produced by Kris Brewer, Director of Technology at the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines (CBMM).
Survey of principles underlying the structure and function of the nervous system, …
Survey of principles underlying the structure and function of the nervous system, integrating molecular, cellular, and systems approaches. Topics: development of the nervous system and its connections, cell biology or neurons, neurotransmitters and synaptic transmission, sensory systems of the brain, the neuro-endocrine system, the motor system, higher cortical functions, behavioral and cellular analyses of learning and memory. First half of an intensive two-term survey of brain and behavioral studies for first-year graduate students.
This course is the second half of the intensive survey of brain …
This course is the second half of the intensive survey of brain and behavioral studies for first-year graduate students in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences curriculum. Each module of this core course involves a series of overview lectures by leading researchers in the field. By offering a thorough introduction to the current state of the discipline while emphasizing critical thinking, the course aims to prepare students as cognitive scientists. Topics include: perception, attention, working memory, recognition and recall, language, and other issues in cognitive science. Topics are covered from the neural, behavioral and computational perspectives.
This class is the second half of an intensive survey of cognitive …
This class is the second half of an intensive survey of cognitive science for first-year graduate students. Topics include visual perception, language, memory, cognitive architecture, learning, reasoning, decision-making, and cognitive development. Topics covered are from behavioral, computational, and neural perspectives.
This course explores the problem of intelligence—its nature, how it is produced …
This course explores the problem of intelligence—its nature, how it is produced by the brain and how it could be replicated in machines—using an approach that integrates cognitive science, which studies the mind; neuroscience, which studies the brain; and computer science and artificial intelligence, which study the computations needed to develop intelligent machines. Materials are drawn from the Brains, Minds and Machines Summer Course offered annually at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, taught by faculty affiliated with the Center for Brains, Minds and Machines headquartered at MIT. Elements of the summer course are integrated into the MIT course, 9.523 Aspects of a Computational Theory of Intelligence. Contributors This course includes the contributions of many instructors, guest speakers, and a team of iCub researchers. See the complete list of contributors.
This Why Files informative page is part of a series that features …
This Why Files informative page is part of a series that features the narrative of Bob, the bobtail squid. Bob describes the symbiotic relationship formed between his ancestors and the bioluminescent bacteria that offer him protection from predators. The next page in this series describes the relationship from the enslaved bacteria's perspective and features scientist Margaret McFall-Ngai. Links are provided to glossary terms and a bibliography.
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