BIOL-1406 Cellular and Molecular Biology
Charles Bernhard
Credit Fall 2025
Section(s)
BIOL-1406-022 (19782)
LEC TuTh 3:00pm - 4:20pm RRC RRC8 8306.00
LAB Th 4:30pm - 7:20pm RRC RRC8 8315.00
Course Requirements
Required Texts and Materials
- Lab gear 1: Safety glasses/goggles with Z87.1 rating You can buy these at the ACC bookstores or even cheaper at HEB, Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, etc.
- Lab gear 2: Closed-toe shoes. If you drive to campus, consider keeping a pair in your trunk if possible.
- Broadband internet connection
- Choose 1 of the 2 textbook options below (pick a or b):
- Free Biology 2e from OpenStax™ (“OS” in the schedule): https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e
- Biology (10th, 11th, or 12th edition), Campbell et al. Pearson publishing Co. (“C” in the schedule) Available in Online bookstores, ACC/ University Co-Op or other bookstores. Latest edition or additional materials from this book are not needed. Cheaper used, electronic, and international edition books are encouraged.
- BIOL 1406 Lab Manual is available for free on Blackboard. Please use the version I post on Blackboard. There are multiple versions we will NOT use.
Readings
BIOL 1406-022 T/Th RRC Course Schedule - Bernhard – Fall 2025
Students are expected to SET PERSONAL DEADLINES for themselves, so it is never attempted to complete all assignments on Sunday in any given week.
Unit |
Week |
Date |
Day |
Lecture* |
Reading** Campbell Biology (= C) OpenStax Biology 2e (= OS) |
Lab Thurs 4:30-7:20 RRC8 8315 |
1 |
1 |
August 26 |
Tuesday |
L0 - Syllabus, intros, and Q&A |
C: 1 OS: 1, 18.1 |
Lab 0 - Excel Activity in RRC Accelerator |
1 |
1 |
August 28 |
Thursday |
L1 - Intro to Biology |
||
1 |
1 |
August 31 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday***: 1) Orientation assignment (see beginning of syllabus) 2) Exam #0 Respondus Monitor practice exam 3) Discussion board post #1 (with 2 thoughtful replies) 4) Ch 1 Homework 5) Ch 18.1 Homework 6) Lab 0 post-lab |
||
1 |
2 |
September 2 |
Tuesday |
L2 - Chemical Context of Life |
C: 2 OS: 2.1 |
Lab 1 - Collecting & Analyzing Data & Lab Safety |
1 |
2 |
September 4 |
Thursday |
L3 - Water and Life |
C: 3 OS: 2.2 |
|
1 |
2 |
September 7 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 1 post-lab 2) Discussion board post #3 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 3) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 4) Preview next week’s material |
||
1 |
3 |
September 9 |
Tuesday |
L4 - Carbon & the Molecular Diversity of Life |
C: 4 OS: 2.3 |
Lab 2 - Preparing Solutions |
1 |
3 |
September 11 |
Thursday |
(Wed, Sep 10: Last day to drop w/o W) L5 - Biomolecules (Carbohydrates) |
C: 5 OS: 3 |
|
1 |
3 |
September 14 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 2 post-lab 2) Ch 2 Homework 3) Choose special topic partner (Discussion board post #2) Additionally, successful students will: 3) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 4) Preview next week’s material |
||
1 |
4 |
September 16 |
Tuesday |
L6 - Biomolecules (Lipids & Proteins) |
C: 5 OS: 3 |
Lab 3 - pH & buffers |
1 |
4 |
September 18 |
Thursday |
Catch up on Material |
|
|
1 |
4 |
September 21 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 3 post-lab 2) Ch 3 Homework 3) Discussion board post #4 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
1 |
5 |
September 23 |
Tuesday |
Unit 1 Lecture Exam |
Lab 4 - Microscopes & Cell Structure |
|
2 |
5 |
September 25 |
Thursday |
L7 - Tour of the Cell |
C: 6 OS: 4 |
|
2 |
5 |
September 28 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 4 post-lab 2) Ch 4 Homework 3) Discussion board post #5 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
2 |
6 |
September 30 |
Tuesday |
L8 - Membranes and Cell Communication |
C: 7, 11 OS: 5, 9 |
Lab 5 - Diffusion & Osmosis |
2 |
6 |
October 2 |
Thursday |
L9 - Introduction to Metabolism |
C: 8 OS: 6 |
|
2 |
6 |
October 5 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 5 post-lab 2) Ch 5 Homework 3) Ch 6 Homework 4) Discussion board post #6 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) 6) Discussion board post #7 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
2 |
7 |
October 7 |
Tuesday |
L10 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation |
C: 9 OS: 7 |
Lab 6 - Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity |
2 |
7 |
October 9 |
Thursday |
L11 - Photosynthesis |
C: 10 OS: 8 |
|
2 |
7 |
October 12 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 6 post-lab 2) Ch 8 Homework 3) Ch 7 Homework 4) Discussion board post #8 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 5) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 6) Preview next week’s material |
||
2 |
8 |
October 14 |
Tuesday |
Catch up on Material |
|
Thurs: Lab Exam 1 |
2 |
8 |
October 16 |
Thursday |
Unit 2 Lecture Exam |
|
|
2 |
8 |
October 19 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday:
Additionally, successful students will: 2) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 3) Preview next week’s material |
||
3 |
9 |
October 21 |
Tuesday |
L12 - Cell Cycle and Mitosis |
C: 12 OS: 10 |
Lab 7 - Thin Layer Chromatography |
3 |
9 |
October 23 |
Thursday |
L13 - Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles |
C: 13 OS: 11 |
|
3 |
9 |
October 26 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 7 post-lab 2) Ch 10 Homework 3) Ch 11 Homework 4) Discussion board post #9 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) 5) Discussion board post #10 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 6) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 7) Preview next week’s material |
||
3 |
10 |
October 28 |
Tuesday |
L14 - Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance |
C: 14, 15 OS: 12, 13 |
Lab 8.1 - Purification of GFP & BFP |
3 |
10 |
October 30 |
Thursday |
L15 - Molecular Basis of Inheritance |
C: 16 OS: 14 |
|
3 |
10 |
November 2 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Ch 12 Homework 2) Ch 14 Homework 3) Lab 8.1 post-lab 4) Discussion board post #11 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) 5) Discussion board post #12 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 6) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 7) Preview next week’s material |
||
3 |
11 |
November 4 |
Tuesday |
Catch up on Material |
|
Lab 8.2 SDS-PAGE |
3 |
11 |
November 6 |
Thursday |
Lecture Exam 3 |
|
|
4 |
11 |
November 9 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 2) Lab 8.2 post-lab 4) Special topic partner presentation (bonus for early submission) Additionally, successful students will: 5) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 6) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
12 |
November 11 |
Tuesday |
Veteran’s Day (Holiday; no class) |
Lab 8.3 - SDS-PAGE Analysis Special topic partner presentations during lab starting today |
|
4 |
12 |
November 13 |
Thursday |
L16 - Gene to Protein |
C: 17 OS: 15 |
|
4 |
12 |
November 16 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 8.3 post-lab 1) Ch 15 Homework 3) Special topic partner presentation Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
13 |
November 18 |
Tuesday |
L17 - Regulation of Gene Expression |
C: 18 OS: 16 |
Lab 9.1 - GMO foods PCR |
4 |
13 |
November 20 |
Thursday |
L18 – Viruses (Final Withdrawal date Thurs, Nov 20) |
C: 19 OS: 21 |
|
4 |
13 |
November 23 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 9.1 post-lab 2) Ch 16 Homework 3) Ch 21 Homework Additionally, successful students will: 5) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 6) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
14 |
November 25 |
Tuesday |
Unit 1 Review Unit 2 Review Special topic partner presentations (if needed) |
No Lab |
|
4 |
14 |
November 27 |
Thursday |
Thanksgiving (Holiday; no class) |
|
|
4 |
14 |
November 30 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Monday instead: Additionally, successful students will: 1) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 2) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
15 |
December 2 |
Tuesday |
L19 - Biotechnology pt 1 |
C: 20 OS: 17 |
Lab 9.2 - Agarose Gel Electrophoresis & Analysis |
4 |
15 |
December 4 |
Thursday |
L20 - Biotechnology pt 2 |
C: 20 OS: 17 |
|
15 |
December 7 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Ch 17 Homework 2) Lab 9.2 post-lab 3) Discussion board post #13 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 1) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 2) Preview next week’s material |
|||
4 |
16 |
December 9 |
Tuesday |
Unit 3 Review |
|
Thurs: Lab Exam 2 |
4 |
16 |
December 11 |
Thursday |
Comprehensive Final Exam |
|
|
16 |
December 14 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: |
*This schedule is tentative. Changes will be announced on Blackboard.
**C = Campbell Biology, OS = OpenStax Biology 2e, Do not read both, choose one.
***Students are expected to SET PERSONAL DEADLINES for themselves, so it is never attempted to complete all assignments on Sunday in each week.
Course Subjects
BIOL 1406-022 T/Th RRC Course Schedule - Bernhard – Fall 2025
Students are expected to SET PERSONAL DEADLINES for themselves, so it is never attempted to complete all assignments on Sunday in any given week.
Unit |
Week |
Date |
Day |
Lecture* |
Reading** Campbell Biology (= C) OpenStax Biology 2e (= OS) |
Lab Thurs 4:30-7:20 RRC8 8315 |
1 |
1 |
August 26 |
Tuesday |
L0 - Syllabus, intros, and Q&A |
C: 1 OS: 1, 18.1 |
Lab 0 - Excel Activity in RRC Accelerator |
1 |
1 |
August 28 |
Thursday |
L1 - Intro to Biology |
||
1 |
1 |
August 31 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday***: 1) Orientation assignment (see beginning of syllabus) 2) Exam #0 Respondus Monitor practice exam 3) Discussion board post #1 (with 2 thoughtful replies) 4) Ch 1 Homework 5) Ch 18.1 Homework 6) Lab 0 post-lab |
||
1 |
2 |
September 2 |
Tuesday |
L2 - Chemical Context of Life |
C: 2 OS: 2.1 |
Lab 1 - Collecting & Analyzing Data & Lab Safety |
1 |
2 |
September 4 |
Thursday |
L3 - Water and Life |
C: 3 OS: 2.2 |
|
1 |
2 |
September 7 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 1 post-lab 2) Discussion board post #3 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 3) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 4) Preview next week’s material |
||
1 |
3 |
September 9 |
Tuesday |
L4 - Carbon & the Molecular Diversity of Life |
C: 4 OS: 2.3 |
Lab 2 - Preparing Solutions |
1 |
3 |
September 11 |
Thursday |
(Wed, Sep 10: Last day to drop w/o W) L5 - Biomolecules (Carbohydrates) |
C: 5 OS: 3 |
|
1 |
3 |
September 14 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 2 post-lab 2) Ch 2 Homework 3) Choose special topic partner (Discussion board post #2) Additionally, successful students will: 3) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 4) Preview next week’s material |
||
1 |
4 |
September 16 |
Tuesday |
L6 - Biomolecules (Lipids & Proteins) |
C: 5 OS: 3 |
Lab 3 - pH & buffers |
1 |
4 |
September 18 |
Thursday |
Catch up on Material |
|
|
1 |
4 |
September 21 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 3 post-lab 2) Ch 3 Homework 3) Discussion board post #4 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
1 |
5 |
September 23 |
Tuesday |
Unit 1 Lecture Exam |
Lab 4 - Microscopes & Cell Structure |
|
2 |
5 |
September 25 |
Thursday |
L7 - Tour of the Cell |
C: 6 OS: 4 |
|
2 |
5 |
September 28 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 4 post-lab 2) Ch 4 Homework 3) Discussion board post #5 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
2 |
6 |
September 30 |
Tuesday |
L8 - Membranes and Cell Communication |
C: 7, 11 OS: 5, 9 |
Lab 5 - Diffusion & Osmosis |
2 |
6 |
October 2 |
Thursday |
L9 - Introduction to Metabolism |
C: 8 OS: 6 |
|
2 |
6 |
October 5 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 5 post-lab 2) Ch 5 Homework 3) Ch 6 Homework 4) Discussion board post #6 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) 6) Discussion board post #7 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
2 |
7 |
October 7 |
Tuesday |
L10 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation |
C: 9 OS: 7 |
Lab 6 - Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity |
2 |
7 |
October 9 |
Thursday |
L11 - Photosynthesis |
C: 10 OS: 8 |
|
2 |
7 |
October 12 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 6 post-lab 2) Ch 8 Homework 3) Ch 7 Homework 4) Discussion board post #8 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 5) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 6) Preview next week’s material |
||
2 |
8 |
October 14 |
Tuesday |
Catch up on Material |
|
Thurs: Lab Exam 1 |
2 |
8 |
October 16 |
Thursday |
Unit 2 Lecture Exam |
|
|
2 |
8 |
October 19 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday:
Additionally, successful students will: 2) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 3) Preview next week’s material |
||
3 |
9 |
October 21 |
Tuesday |
L12 - Cell Cycle and Mitosis |
C: 12 OS: 10 |
Lab 7 - Thin Layer Chromatography |
3 |
9 |
October 23 |
Thursday |
L13 - Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles |
C: 13 OS: 11 |
|
3 |
9 |
October 26 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 7 post-lab 2) Ch 10 Homework 3) Ch 11 Homework 4) Discussion board post #9 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) 5) Discussion board post #10 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 6) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 7) Preview next week’s material |
||
3 |
10 |
October 28 |
Tuesday |
L14 - Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance |
C: 14, 15 OS: 12, 13 |
Lab 8.1 - Purification of GFP & BFP |
3 |
10 |
October 30 |
Thursday |
L15 - Molecular Basis of Inheritance |
C: 16 OS: 14 |
|
3 |
10 |
November 2 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Ch 12 Homework 2) Ch 14 Homework 3) Lab 8.1 post-lab 4) Discussion board post #11 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) 5) Discussion board post #12 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 6) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 7) Preview next week’s material |
||
3 |
11 |
November 4 |
Tuesday |
Catch up on Material |
|
Lab 8.2 SDS-PAGE |
3 |
11 |
November 6 |
Thursday |
Lecture Exam 3 |
|
|
4 |
11 |
November 9 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 2) Lab 8.2 post-lab 4) Special topic partner presentation (bonus for early submission) Additionally, successful students will: 5) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 6) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
12 |
November 11 |
Tuesday |
Veteran’s Day (Holiday; no class) |
Lab 8.3 - SDS-PAGE Analysis Special topic partner presentations during lab starting today |
|
4 |
12 |
November 13 |
Thursday |
L16 - Gene to Protein |
C: 17 OS: 15 |
|
4 |
12 |
November 16 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 8.3 post-lab 1) Ch 15 Homework 3) Special topic partner presentation Additionally, successful students will: 4) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 5) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
13 |
November 18 |
Tuesday |
L17 - Regulation of Gene Expression |
C: 18 OS: 16 |
Lab 9.1 - GMO foods PCR |
4 |
13 |
November 20 |
Thursday |
L18 – Viruses (Final Withdrawal date Thurs, Nov 20) |
C: 19 OS: 21 |
|
4 |
13 |
November 23 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Lab 9.1 post-lab 2) Ch 16 Homework 3) Ch 21 Homework Additionally, successful students will: 5) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 6) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
14 |
November 25 |
Tuesday |
Unit 1 Review Unit 2 Review Special topic partner presentations (if needed) |
No Lab |
|
4 |
14 |
November 27 |
Thursday |
Thanksgiving (Holiday; no class) |
|
|
4 |
14 |
November 30 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Monday instead: Additionally, successful students will: 1) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 2) Preview next week’s material |
||
4 |
15 |
December 2 |
Tuesday |
L19 - Biotechnology pt 1 |
C: 20 OS: 17 |
Lab 9.2 - Agarose Gel Electrophoresis & Analysis |
4 |
15 |
December 4 |
Thursday |
L20 - Biotechnology pt 2 |
C: 20 OS: 17 |
|
15 |
December 7 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: 1) Ch 17 Homework 2) Lab 9.2 post-lab 3) Discussion board post #13 (with at least 1 thoughtful reply) Additionally, successful students will: 1) Study for upcoming Lecture Exam and Lab Exam 2) Preview next week’s material |
|||
4 |
16 |
December 9 |
Tuesday |
Unit 3 Review |
|
Thurs: Lab Exam 2 |
4 |
16 |
December 11 |
Thursday |
Comprehensive Final Exam |
|
|
16 |
December 14 |
Friday - Sunday |
Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday: |
*This schedule is tentative. Changes will be announced on Blackboard.
**C = Campbell Biology, OS = OpenStax Biology 2e, Do not read both, choose one.
***Students are expected to SET PERSONAL DEADLINES for themselves, so it is never attempted to complete all assignments on Sunday in each week.
Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives
COURSE RATIONALE
Biology 1406 is a major’s level course for those who wish to pursue careers in biology, biotechnology, the health sciences, and other related fields. There are four units that will be explored during the semester:
1) The chemistry of living organisms including the structure of atoms and molecules, pH, the macromolecules of living organisms, and energetics, enzymes and enzymatic pathways.
2) The structure and function of cells including the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, the eukaryotic organelles and biological membranes and intercellular communication.
3) Nucleic acids including mitosis and meiosis, DNA structure and replication, RNA transcription and translation, and gene regulation.
4) DNA technology, viruses, Mendelian genetics, molecular genetics, and Darwinian evolution.
Skills Requirements
Reading, writing, and mathematics proficiency determined by the COMPASS or ASSET test, by the statewide THEA test, or by providing an official transcript from another college.
Course Prerequisites
One year of high school chemistry or one semester of college chemistry and two years of high school algebra or MATD 0390 required.
Student Learning Outcomes / Course-Level
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
- Identify the 4 classes of macromolecules, their monomers, and their functions in cells.
- Describe the structures and functions of cell organelles.
- Discuss energy transfer, enzyme function and the pathways of cellular respiration and photosynthesis.
- Describe prokaryotic binary fission, the eukaryotic cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis.
- Identify DNA structure and replication, transcription, translation and gene expression.
- Solve problems in Mendelian genetics, including multiple alleles and X-linkage along with the Laws of Segregation and Independent Assortment.
- Describe modern biotechnological techniques and their impacts on society.
Program-Level Outcomes
As a required course for an Associate of Science in Biology, students will be able to:
- Compare the structure and function of cells.
- Describe the chemical basis of life including the importance of water, gases and macromolecules.
- Explain energy movement, enzyme structure and function, respiration and photosynthesis.
- Illustrate DNA structure and replication, protein synthesis, mutations and genetic analysis.
General Education Objectives
As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will demonstrate competence in:
- Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.
- Interpersonal Skills - Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.
- Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning - Applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and methods.
Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
Office Hours
Published: 07/24/2025 14:39:33