Syllabus

BIOL 1407 Cellular and Molecular Biology (007,008)

Semester: Spring 2026

Course Information:

Campus: Round Rock (RRC)

Lecture:     8306                            M/W 3-4:20 (007), T/H 4:30-5:50 PM (008)

Lab:           8315                            F 12-2:50 (007), T 6-8:50 PM (008)

Section number:   007                  Synonym number:      26508

                              008                                                      15501

Instructor Information:

Name: David Froehlich

Office locations:    NRG 2223 (inside 2224)

RRC, 8323.09, M-F

Phone Number: 512 223-4894, Cell 512 554-1235 (text or call – it will go to voicemail – leave me a message and I will call back)

E-mail: eohippus@austincc.edu

Office hours: M/W 1-3, T/H 12-1:30, 3-4:30, Other hours by appointment only: F 10-3 or by prior arrangement

Course Description:

• Credit Hours: 4
• Classroom Contact Hours per week: 3
• Laboratory Contact Hours per week: 3

General Biology course designed for science majors and students with a strong science background who desire an in-depth approach to biological topics. An introduction to the diversity, anatomy, physiology, reproduction, development, behavior, and evolution of living organisms. Includes prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. BIOL 1407 and BIOL 1409 may not both be counted toward graduation.

Skills Requirements: Reading, writing, and mathematics proficiency as determined by the COMPASS or ASSET test, or by the statewide THEA test, or by providing an official transcript from another college.

Course Prerequisites: BIOL 1406 with a minimum grade of C.

Course Rationale:

This course serves students who plan to become biology and related science majors (e.g. biochemistry), as well as students who wish to enter the health professions (e.g. those in premedical and pre-pharmacy programs). To help prepare these students for future coursework and careers, BIOL 1407 will (1) expose students to the amazing diversity of organisms in what may be the only chance for many of these students to study this material, and (2) emphasize basic biological principles as well as science process and critical thinking skills that will be invaluable to them in the future.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Course-Level:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the scientific method and apply it in a biological context
• Describe the process of evolution, including a basic understanding of the evidence for evolution, natural selection as a mechanism, and the basic patterns of the evolutionary process.
• Describe the major patterns of life on Earth, including abiogenesis, the origin of eukaryotes, the origin of multicellularity, and the major changes to the Earth’s ecosystems over geologic time.
• Identify and differentiate the taxonomic membership of the major groups of organisms, including viruses, prokaryotes, protists, plants, and animals.
• Describe the important structure/function relationships of plants and animals, and explain the concepts of homeostasis, and cellular exchange both within the organism and between the organism and its environment.

Program-Level:

As a required course for an Associate of Science in Biology, students completing this course will be able to:

• Describe and explain the processes of evolution, taxonomy, and systematics.
• Describe and explain the history of life on Earth and the diversity of organisms present today and through time.
• Describe and explain the structure and function relationships that exist within plants and animals

General Education:

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.

Departmental Common Course Objectives:

The ACC Biology Department has specified the content for this course in the departmental common course objectives. The departmental objectives are located at http://sites.austincc.edu/biology/common-course-objectives/

Required Textbooks and Materials:

1. Required: Biology by Campbell and Reece (12th Edition)  First Day Access – available through Blackboard as a digital version – with associated learning software.  The fact is that you can get very similar information from the 11th edition and so there is no reason why you can’t use a used book or one that is a 11th edition.  I would not recommend going back any further in editions because biology is a field where material does change rather quickly and an older edition can truly be out of date in its information.
2. Recommended: Vandegraaff’s Photo Atlas.  This is also a highly recommended lab book and will help you with identifications and anatomy of the various organisms we will be examining in lab.

Other Materials:

1. All students will be required to utilize computers during this course.  You will need to use the latest microsoft products (Word,  Excel, & Powerpoint) to utilize and create materials for the class.  Fortunately, as an ACC student you have access to Microsoft Office for free. 
2. All students will be required to utilize digital photography during this course (cell phone camera is adequate). 

Instructional Methodology:

Face to face Lecture and Lab.  Students will use the Blackboard learning management system for course materials and collaboration.

This is a challenging course.  It is important that you not only know the material but understand it as well.  The class is taught as a lecture and combined lab.  There will be four tests and a comprehensive take home final.  The lab will consist of a series of activities and associated data collection that will be assessed based on a results and analysis that will use that data.  There are things that you can do to increase your chances of successfully completing this course.

1. Attend class.  This is the single most important predictive factor for success, those students who regularly come to class succeed at a much higher rate than those who don’t (this seems like a no-brainer but it is an important factor)
2. Study.  Students tend to underestimate the amount of material covered in this course as well as the depth of understanding that is required.  This is not high school; you cannot cram in one night.  It is necessary to keep up with the material (meaning to review it every day!!).  A good rule of thumb is that you should spend 3-4 hours preparing for each hour you spend in class.  Thus, you should expect to spend 10-20 hours a week on lecture and lab material in order to make a C.
3. Read your text.  All information on tests can be found in your text.  The text has been selected to match the information in the lectures and reading the text will only help you understand the material.
4. Use all the help available.  Your text contains links to tutorials and content specific web sites.  Use them.  Come to office hours and come prepared with questions.  Bother your instructor with incessant relevant questions (not necessarily during lecture, sometimes it is important to get through the material, but I am happy to answer even slightly relevant questions after class, in office hours, by email, etc.)

I expect that each of you will attend class prepared and willing to work, this includes: reading the chapter before the lecture, participating in discussions, asking questions where appropriate, preparing the prelabs before the lab (not 5 minutes before the lab starts), participating fully in the lab exercises, being courteous to me and your fellow students, and being willing to think.

Student Technology and Support:

Austin Community College provides free, secure drive-up WiFi to students and employees in the parking lots of all campus locations. WiFi can be accessed seven days a week, 7 am to 11 pm. Additional details are available at https://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Students who do not have the necessary technology to complete their ACC courses can request to borrow devices from Student Technology Services. Available devices include iPads, webcams, headsets, calculators, etc. Students must be registered for a credit course, Adult Education, or Continuing Education course to be eligible. For more information, including how to request a device, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Student Technology Services offers phone, live-chat, and email-based technical support for students and can provide support on topics such as password resets, accessing or using Blackboard, access to technology, etc. To view hours of operation and ways to request support, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Grading System: 

1. lecture exams (5), The tests will be administered in in class.  The exam format will consist of a multiple-choice, and extended answer/essay questions.  A comprehensive take-home final will be handed out before the last week of classes to be completed and turned in on the last day.
2. post-lab quizzes (10) will be administered online or during lab time the week after completion of the lab.  Postlab quizzes completed in excess of 10 will be treated as extra credit.
3. lab practicals (3), these will be based on the materials in presented in the labs.  Lab practicals focus on your ability to identify the materials covered in labs: the organisms and structures observed in lab.  You will be expected to recognize and identify the organisms and structures by sight, including specimens, models, diagrams, slides, and equipment.  You will be expected to know classification and scientific names (where appropriate) of organisms.  Spelling will count.  A lab notebook where sketches and data that you collect during the lab will be kept.  Your lab notebook will be available during the lab practical.

Unit exams (5)                                    12% each    Grade scale:             >90%              A

Take home final                                 10%                                                  >80%              B

Graded Lab components (10)         15%                                                  >70%              C

Laboratory Practical exams (3)       15%                                                  >60%              D

Total                                                   100%                                                  <60%              F

Extra Credit: Minimal (< 5%) extra credit will be available on examinations.

Due to ACC policies concerning the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), I cannot post grades or call or e-mail students with information about their grades. I will post grades on the Blackboard site for the class.

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance/Class Participation:
Regular and punctual attendance and discussions and completion of work is expected of students.  Your course performance depends on your attendance (if you do not attend it is very difficult to learn the material).  You are responsible for all materials, activities, assignments, or announcements covered in class, regardless of your reason for being absent.  If you do miss a class, get notes from someone in the class and get handouts and assignments from me.  I will not take roll (except to verify the roster), but you are responsible for your attendance.  In situations where, due to the weather, the pandemic, or other emergencies, it is the students responsibility to communicate with the professor during the closure and completing any assignments or other activities designated by their professor.

Missed or Late Work:

Late work will be docked 10% per Class Period.  There will be no make-up exams or retests.  If you must miss an exam for some reason then you must contact me as soon as possible!  Exceptions will only be made for documented emergencies (e.g., life threatening illness).

Withdrawals:

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary (e.g. failure to complete the safety training, violating the safety policies, failure to sign the acknowledgment of receipt of syllabus, etc.)  If a student decides to withdraw, April 27). The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their copy of the withdrawal form for their records.

Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate for that course.

Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status.  Per state law, students enrolled for the first time in Fall 2007 or later at any public Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a “W”) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college education.  Some exceptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit.  Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor when making decisions about course selection, course loads, and course withdrawals. The last day to withdraw before the official reporting date is February 4

Reinstatement: 

I will only reinstate students I have withdrawn with written request and only at my discretion.

Incompletes: 

An incomplete (grade of "I") will only be given for extenuating circumstances.  What constitutes “extenuating circumstances” is left to the instructor’s discretion.  If a grade of I is given, the remaining course work must be completed by a date set by the student and professor.  This date may not be later than two weeks prior to the end of the following semester.  A grade of I also requires completion and submission of the Incomplete Grade form, to be signed by the faculty member (and student if possible) and submitted to the department chair.

Students may request an Incomplete from their faculty member if they believe circumstances warrant.  The faculty member will determine whether the Incomplete is appropriate to award or not.  The following processes must be followed when awarding a student an I grade. 

1.      Prior to the end of the semester in which the “I” is to be awarded, the student must meet with the instructor to determine the assignments and exams that must be completed prior to the deadline date.  This meeting can occur virtually or in person.  The instructor should complete the Report of Incomplete Grade form.

2.      The faculty member will complete the form, including all requirements to complete the course and the due date, sign (by typing in name) and then email it to the student.  The student will then complete his/her section, sign (by typing in name), and return the completed form to the faculty member to complete the agreement.  A copy of the fully completed form can then be emailed by the faculty member to the student and the department chair for each grade of Incomplete that the faculty member submits at the end of the semester.   

3.      The student must complete all remaining work by the date specified on the form above.  This date is determined by the instructor in collaboration with the student, but it may not be later than the final withdrawal deadline in the subsequent long semester.  

4.      Students will retain access to the course Blackboard page through the subsequent semester in order to submit work and complete the course. Students will be able to log on to Blackboard and have access to the course section materials, assignments, and grades from the course and semester in which the Incomplete was awarded.  

5.      When the student completes the required work by the Incomplete deadline, the instructor will submit an electronic Grade Change Form to change the student’s performance grade from an “I” to the earned grade of A, B, C, D, or F. 

If an Incomplete is not resolved by the deadline, the grade automatically converts to an “F.”  Approval to carry an Incomplete for longer than the following semester or session deadline is not frequently granted.

Required Textbooks and Materials:

1. Required: Biology by Campbell and Reece (12th Edition)  First Day Access – available through Blackboard as a digital version – with associated learning software.  The fact is that you can get very similar information from the 11th edition and so there is no reason why you can’t use a used book or one that is a 11th edition.  I would not recommend going back any further in editions because biology is a field where material does change rather quickly and an older edition can truly be out of date in its information.
2. Recommended: Vandegraaff’s Photo Atlas.  This is also a highly recommended lab book and will help you with identifications and anatomy of the various organisms we will be examining in lab.

Other Materials:

1. All students will be required to utilize computers during this course.  You will need to use the latest microsoft products (Word,  Excel, & Powerpoint) to utilize and create materials for the class.  Fortunately, as an ACC student you have access to Microsoft Office for free. 
2. All students will be required to utilize digital photography during this course (cell phone camera is adequate). 

David Froehlich

BIOL 1407-007/008 (26508/15501)

007 – Monday/Wednesday Lecture (RRC 8306 – 3-4:20 PM)

008 - Tuesday/Thursday Lecture (RRC 8306 – 4:30-5:50 PM) Spring 2026

Tentative Class Schedule

BIOL 1407   Structure and Function of Organisms

Lab Schedule 

Spring 2026 [January 20 – May 17]

BIOL 1407 Structure and Function of Organisms

Common Course Objectives

Course Description:
BIOL 1407 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF ORGANISMS (4-3-3). General biology course designed for
science majors and students with a strong science background who desire an in-depth approach to
biological topics. An introduction to the diversity, anatomy, physiology, reproduction, development, behavior,
and evolution of living organisms. Includes viruses, prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants and animals. BIOL
1407 and 1409 may not both be counted toward graduation. Fee: $24 Insurance $2. Skills: E Prerequisites:
BIOL 1406 with a minimum grade of C.
Rationale:
This course serves students who plan to become biology and related science majors (e.g. biochemistry), as
well as students who intend to enter the health professions (e.g. those in premedical and prepharmacy
programs). In addition, BIOL 1407 is required by the ACC Biotechnology Program. To help prepare these
students for their future coursework and careers, BIOL 1407 should (1) expose students to the amazing
diversity of organisms in what may be the only chance for many of these students to study this material, and
(2) emphasize basic biological principles as well as science process and critical thinking skills that will be
invaluable to them in the future.
Overall Goals/Aims:
As you can see in the course description, BIOL 1407 Structure and Function of Organisms covers a wide
territory. There are two main components to the course content: (1) a survey of biodiversity and (2) a study of
structure-function relationships. Evolution should be the basic underlying concept that links these
components together. In addition, the course should develop students’ science process, communication and
critical thinking skills.
Weighting of course content:
Instructors should seek to balance coverage of biodiversity versus structure-function relationships. It is
recommended to spend approximately equal amounts of time on each area.
A note on taxonomy:
As is obvious from a survey of current general biology textbooks, the taxonomy of organisms is in a great
state of flux at this time. Instructors should cover the basic concepts of hierarchical classification and
binomial nomenclature and discuss why and how the classification system is changing. It is up to each
individual instructor to determine how detailed he or she wishes to be about scientific names, provided he or
she understands and communicates the importance of classification systems and scientific names in
scientific communication and evolutionary understanding.

Science Process Skills:
Students should gain experience in the use of the following science process skills:
1. Observation

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2. Recording descriptive and quantitative data
3. Microscope use
4. Graphing
5. Measuring
6. Hypothesis formation
7. Quantitative analysis, including descriptive statistics
8. Experimental design
9. Scientific report writing/communication (e.g. posters)
Core Concepts:
The following subjects should be covered by all instructors. Note that these are kept fairly general to give
instructors flexibility in how they cover them. In the case of structure-function objectives, the examples used
to illustrate the concepts should incorporate a broad range of taxa, rather than be limited to just plants or just
animals. It is also important that consideration of animal structure-function relationships be spread over
numerous animal taxa rather than devolving into human biology.
The order of concepts below is not meant to suggest that instructors must follow this sequence.
A. Evolution, Taxonomy & Systematics
Goal: Provide a basic understanding of these concepts as background for
understanding the rest of the concepts.
Topics:
1. Evolution
a. Natural selection as a mechanism of evolution
b. Evidence for evolutionary history
c. Patterns of evolutionary history of life on earth: adaptive
radiations, evolutionary novelties, mass extinctions
2. Taxonomy & Systematics
a. Binomial nomenclature
b. Hierarchical system of classification
c. Interpretation of phylogenetic trees
d. Reasons why naming systems and phylogenetic trees change
B. History of Life on Earth

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Goals: Provide a basic understanding of
a. The diversity of organisms that exist and how they are related
b. Basic structural differences among major taxonomic groups
c. Major events in Earth history and how they have impacted
organisms (and vice versa)
Topics:
1. Origin of Life
a. Abiogenesis & the origin of cells
2. Prokaryotic Evolution
a. The three domains
b. Prokaryotic cell structure/function
c. Impacts of prokaryotes on Earth history and ecology
3. Viruses
4. Origin of Eukaryotes and Protistan Diversity
a. Evolution of eukaryotic cells
b. Multiple eukaryotic lineages led to a wide diversity of
unicellular, colonial, and multicellular eukaryotes
c. Taxonomic confusion at the kingdom level.
d. Introduction to at least a few eukaryotic lineages that are
not plants, fungi or animals.
e. Advantages/disadvantages of multicellularity
5. Plant Evolution
a. Adaptations of plants to life on land: the challenges of a
terrestrial existence
b. Basic understanding of the plant life cycle and how it differs
from fungal and animal life cycles.
c. Major plant lineages and their structural and reproductive

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differences, evolutionary relationships and adaptive radiations.
• Should include at least
Mosses
Ferns
Conifers
Flowering plants
6. Fungi
a. Fungal structure/function relationships
b. The fungal life cycle and how it differs from plant and
animal life cycles.
c. Impacts of fungi on evolutionary history and ecology
7. Animal Evolution
a. Characteristics of animals
b. Overview of animal life cycle and development
c. Competing taxonomic schemes for animal kingdom
d. Body plan characteristics
e. Animal lineages that illustrate the major steps in animal
evolution and major body plan features
• Should include at least
Sponges
Cnidarians
Flatworms
Annelids
Arthropods
Echinoderms
Chordates
• Small, poorly understood phyla optional
• A brief survey of arthropod diversity should be included

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since they are so important in terms of diversity and
ecological impact
C. Structure/Function Relationships
Goals: Provide a basic understanding of structure/function relationships of
plants and animals. General concepts include
1. Homeostasis
2. Surface area-volume relationships
3. Body size-complexity relationships
4. Cellular transport processes and bulk flow in transport in
multicellular organisms.
5. Exchanges of materials with the external environment
6. Components and functioning of control systems
7. Responses to changing external environment
Topics:
1. Plant Structure & Growth
a. Special features of plant cells
b. Major anatomical features of dicots
c. Plant growth patterns compared to animal growth patterns
2. Exchanges with the External Environment: Nutrition
a. What are essential nutrients?
b. Differences between essential nutrients in plants and animals
c. Sources of nutrients in plants and animals
d. Processes of digestive systems in animals
e. Types of digestive systems in animals
3. Exchanges with the External Environment: Gas Exchange Systems
a. Gas exchange in plants
b. Functions of respiratory systems in animals
c. Types of respiratory systems in animals

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d. Relationships of respiratory systems to body size, metabolic rate &
respiratory medium in animals
4. Controlling the Internal Environment
a. Waste disposal, water balance and ion regulation in plants
b. Functions and types of excretory systems in animals
c. Processes involved in excretion in animals
d. Water balance in animals in various habitats
e. Body temperature regulation in animals
5. Transportation Systems
a. Transport of water, minerals and photosynthate in plants
b. Functions and types of circulatory systems in animals
c. Processes involved in function of circulatory system in animals
d. Relationships of circulatory systems to body size, metabolic rate &
type of respiratory system in animals
6. Control Systems
a. Hormones and how they work via signal transduction systems
b. Basic classes of plant and animal hormones and examples of each
(without necessarily being exhaustive)
c. Hormonal control of plant responses to external environmental
changes: tropisms, photoperiodic control of flowering, for example
d. Hormonal control of homeostasis in animals, eg. glucose or
metabolic rate regulation
e. Electrical signaling in plants and animals, including
• action potential generation and conduction in animals
• neurotransmitters and integration in animals
f. Types of nervous systems in animals
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integration, motor output
h. Types and function of sensory receptors in animals
i. Muscles as effectors and locomotion in animals