Course Description-
This course is designed to assist students in developing an appreciation of modern biology. Biology is a life science. It applies observation, description, and experimentation to promote a better understanding of living things, and their association with the non-living world. As a science, an important aspect is the development of theories to explain observed biological phenomena. Thus we have theories relating to the origin of life, evolution of all living things, and the mechanisms of inheritance, among others. The goal is to introduce the student to what the scientist does by the practice of science itself-- to test the scientific method by devising experimental situations, asking questions that have not been answered, and to generate ideas and test them in various activities.

Course Objective-
General objectives relating to Finlandia University’s competencies:
• Read, write, and talk about biology concepts using the appropriate language (I - Communication).
• Analyze and explain biology concepts that affect everyday activities (II - Computation).
• Critically analyze problems (IV - Creative and Critical Thinking).

Course specific objectives: Students who complete this course you should be able to:
• Summarize Darwin’s theory of evolution based on variation, competition and subsequent selection.
• Compare and contrast the terms of pollination and fertilization while describing processes leading to the formation of male and female gametes in angiosperms.
• Locate and describe the function of the various tissues found in angiosperms.
• Compare and contrast the various stages of development as exemplified in your lab manual.
• Name and briefly describe the kingdoms that four different classification schemes recognize, and defend the use of each of these systems.
• List several characteristics of all the multicellular plants examined.
• List characteristics of all the animals examined, especially the multicellular animals.
• Cite four general, interacting components of an organism’s environment.
• Give six examples of social behavior in animals.
• Cite some examples that illustrate alterations of regional ecosystems (e.g., agriculture).