551-0001-AAL  General Biology I

SemesterSpring Semester 2018
LecturersU. Sauer, O. Y. Martin, A. Widmer
Periodicityevery semester recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentEnrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit.


AbstractOrganismic biology to teach the basic principles of classical and molecular genetics, evolutionary biology and phylogeny.
First in a series of two lectures given over two semesters for students of agricultural and food sciences, as well as of environmental sciences.
ObjectiveThe understanding of basic principles of biology (inheritance, evolution and phylogeny) and an overview of the diversity of life.
ContentThe structure and function of biomacromolecules; basics of metabolism; cell biology; membrane structure and function; basic energetics of cellular processes; respiration, photosynthesis; cell cycle, meiosis and sexual life cycles; Mendelian and molecular genetics; animal reproduction and behavior; sensory and motor mechanisms; population biology and evolution; principles of phylogeny.

We will treat the following Campbell chapters:

2 Atoms and molecules
3 Chemistry of water
4 Carbon: the basis of molecular diversity
5 Biological macromolecules and lipids
7 Cell structure and function
8 Cell membranes
10 Respiration: introduction to metabolism
10 Cell respiration
11 Photosynthetic processes

12 Mitosis
13 Sexual life cycles and meiosis
14 Mendelian genetics
15 Linkage and chromosomes
20 Evolution of genomes
21 How evolution works
22 Phylogentic reconstructions
23 Microevolution
24 species and speciation
25 Macroevolution
Lecture notesNo script
LiteratureCampbell et al. (2015) Biology - A Global Approach. 10th Edition (Global Edition
Prerequisites / NoticeThis is a virtual self-study lecture for non-german speakers of the "Allgemeine Biology I (551-0001-00L) lecture. The exam will be written jointly with the participants of this lecture.

Example exam questions will be discussed during the lectures, and old exam questions are kept by the various student organisations. If necessary, please contact Prof. Uwe Sauer (Link) for details regarding the exam.