printer friendly pageBIO 1: Human Evolution and Environment
Human genetic and cultural evolution and how people interact with their environments, from the ancestors of Australopithecus to current events. Issues include race, gender, and intelligence; pesticide and antibiotic resistance; abortion and contraception; ecosystem services; environmental economics and ethics; the evolution of religion; climate change; population growth and overconsumption; origins and spread of ideas and technologies; and the distribution of political and economic power.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci
BIO 17N: Getting Renewable Energy up to Scale: The Problem of Location
As the climate continues to warm, plants and animals around the globe have a higher risk of going extinct. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report 4 said in 2007 that when the global average temperature gets to 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above the global average temperature in the mid 1700s, 20 to 40% of the species on the plant could be at high risk of extinction. Given that we know about two million species on the planet that means that 400,000 to 800,000 species could be at high risk. The IPCC went on to say that if the global average temperature gets to as much as 4 degrees C (7.2 degrees F) above natural, then as many as half of the species on the plant could be at high risk of extinction. Currently we are on a trajectory of surpassing 2 degrees C well before the end of the 21st Century. The only way to drop to a lower temperature trajectory is to decrease the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, which can be done by either scrubbing the CO2 out of the atmosphere or decreasing our emission of CO2. Techniques to do the former at the scale needed are not known as of yet, while decreasing our emissions substantially we do understand: it will require increasing substantially the amount of renewable energy used, which in turn will require deployment of renewables to a much greater amount than is planned currently. One of the main reasons holding up deployment of renewables is the debate about where the renewables will be located. This seminar will examine the arguments about the need for renewables, investigate the pros and cons of locating renewable at different sites and try to determine if and where the best locations might be.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Root, T. (PI)
BIO 22Q: Infection, Immunity, and Global Health
Why do infectious diseases continue to challenge us despite advances in medicine? This course will explore the causes and prevention of infectious diseases, focusing on the interplay between pathogens, the immune system, the environment, and societal factors that affect disease occurrence and outcomes. Topics will include: basic elements of microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology; case studies of old diseases (e.g., smallpox, tuberculosis, malaria) and recently-emergent diseases (e.g., Ebola, AIDS, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Lyme disease, and pandemic influenza) that illustrate the biological, environmental, cultural, political, and economic factors that affect disease emergence, spread, and control; the limitations of modern medical approaches such as antibiotics and vaccines; and strategies for reducing global infectious disease threats. The seminar will feature class discussion, student projects, and faculty and student presentations. Prerequisite: biology background, preferably introductory college courses (e.g., 41, 42, or
HUMBIO 2A, 3A).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci
Instructors:
Jones, P. (PI)
BIO 30: Ecology for Everyone (EARTHSYS 30)
Everything is connected, but how? Ecology is the science of interactions and the changes they generate. This project-based course links individual behavior, population growth, species interactions, and ecosystem function. Introduction to measurement, observation, experimental design and hypothesis testing in field projects, mostly done in groups. The goal is to learn to think analytically about everyday ecological processes involving bacteria, fungi, plants, animals and humans. The course uses basic statistics to analyze data; there are no math prerequisites except arithmetic. Open to everyone, including those who may be headed for more advanced courses in ecology and environmental science.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA, GER: DB-NatSci
Instructors:
Gordon, D. (PI)
BIO 43: Plant Biology, Evolution, and Ecology
Principles of evolution: macro- and microevolution and population genetics. Ecology: the principles underlying the exchanges of mass and energy between organisms and their environments; population, community, and ecosystem ecology; populations, evolution, and global change. Equivalent to
BIOHOPK 43. Prerequisites:
CHEM 31X (or 31A,B), 33. Recommended:
BIO 41, 42;
CHEM 35;
MATH 19, 20, 21 or 41, 42.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA, GER: DB-NatSci
Instructors:
Khalfan, W. (PI)
;
Mudgett, M. (PI)
;
Petrov, D. (PI)
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Instructors:
Khalfan, W. (PI)
;
Mudgett, M. (PI)
;
Petrov, D. (PI)
;
Vitousek, P. (PI)
;
Cai, L. (TA)
;
Feder, A. (TA)
;
May, S. (TA)
;
Mychajliw, A. (TA)
;
Ng, C. (TA)
;
Rypkema, D. (TA)
BIO 44Y: Core Plant Biology & Eco Evo Laboratory
The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of how to conduct biological research, using a topic in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Plant Biology as a practical example. This includes the complete scientific process: assessing background literature, generating testable hypotheses, learning techniques for field- and lab-based data collection, analyzing data using appropriate statistical methods, and finally writing and sharing results. To build these skills, this course will focus on communities of microorganisms living in floral nectar at Stanford's nearby Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. Students, working in teams, will develop novel research hypotheses and execute the necessary experiments and measurements to test these hypotheses. The capstone of the course will be an oral defense of students' findings, as well as a research paper in the style of a peer-reviewed journal article. Labs will be completed both on campus and at Jasper Ridge. Lab fee. Information about this class is available at
http://bio44.stanford.edu.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
Instructors:
Fukami, T. (PI)
;
Hekmat-Scafe, D. (PI)
;
Kurten, E. (PI)
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Instructors:
Fukami, T. (PI)
;
Hekmat-Scafe, D. (PI)
;
Kurten, E. (PI)
;
Malladi, S. (PI)
;
Arbisser, I. (TA)
;
Blair, L. (TA)
;
Bogar, L. (TA)
;
Kang, J. (TA)
;
Martin, J. (TA)
;
Russell, J. (TA)
BIO 105B: Ecology and Natural History of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (EARTHSYS 105B)
Formerly 96B - Jasper Ridge Docent Training. First of two-quarter sequence training program to join the Jasper Ridge education/docent program. The scientific basis of ecological research in the context of a field station, hands-on field research, field ecology and the natural history of plants and animals, species interactions, archaeology, geology, hydrology, land management, multidisciplinary environmental education; and research projects, as well as management challenges of the preserve presented by faculty, local experts, and staff. Participants lead research-focused educational tours, assist with classes and research, and attend continuing education classes available to members of the JRBP community after the course.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
BIO 107: Human Physiology Laboratory
This laboratory course is inquiry based, so the subject matter of the course will change in successive years. In 2013-14, the question to be researched will be, during exercise (physical work): "Is lactate a cause or consequence of muscle fatigue?" Students must be willing to participate both as experimenter and as subject, and be available for all discussion and lab sessions for the entire quarter. Since many experiments will involve exercise routines, students must be in good physical condition and sign a medical consent form. Prerequisite is
Bio 42 or
HumBio 4A. Satisfies WIM in biologynnCourse will be offered in Fall 2013 and Spring 2014. Enrollment for each course is limited to 16 students by application.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 4
Instructors:
Heller, H. (PI)
;
Seawell, P. (PI)
BIO 108: Essential Statistics for Human Biology (HUMBIO 85A)
Introduction to statistical concepts and methods that are essential to the study of questions in biology, environment, health, epidemiology and related areas. The course will teach and use the computer language R. Topics include distributions, probabilities, likelihood, linear models; illustrations will be based on recent research.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
Instructors:
Tuljapurkar, S. (PI)
BIO 109B: The Human Genome and Disease: Genetic Diversity and Personalized Medicine (BIO 209B, BIOC 109B, BIOC 209B)
Continuation of 109A/209A. Genetic drift: the path of human predecessors out of Africa to Europe and then either through Asia to Australia or through northern Russia to Alaska down to the W. Coast of the Americas. Support for this idea through the histocompatibility genes and genetic sequences that predispose people to diseases. Guest lectures from academia and pharmaceutical companies. Prerequisite: Biology or Human Biology core. Students with a major, minor or coterm in Biology: 109A/209A or 109B/209B may count toward degree program but not both.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA, GER: DB-NatSci
Instructors:
Brutlag, D. (PI)
;
Heller, R. (PI)
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