New Mexico Tech Department of Biology Web of Knowledge PubMed
Science Nature PNAS PLoS Biology BioMed Central
Field Stations NSF REU NIH Summer Research
PLoS blogs Scitable blogs
Excellent books
Austad SN. Why We Age. Both the physiological why and the evolutionary why.
Brand, S. Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto. Only science and engineering can solve environmental problems. Nuclear power and genetically-modified organisms are good.
Csikszentmihalyi M. Finding Flow. Happiness comes from doing difficult things.
Dawkins R. The Selfish Gene. Evolution is stranger than you thought.
Diamond J. Guns, Germs, and Steel. Why didn't Native Americans invade Europe?
Kelly, K. What Technology Wants. There is only one machine. Biology and technology are inseparable.
McDougall, C. Born to Run. Tarahumara distance runners and the biomechanics of running.
Tufte E. The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint. PPT weakens reasoning. Never read aloud from slides.
Vogel S. Life in Moving Fluids. Clear writing about the interface between physics and biology.
Weiner J. The Beak of the Finch. A lifetime of field work on the evolution of Galapagos finches.
Weiner J. Time, Love, Memory. How to be an experimental biologist, and why fruit fly behavior matters.
Wilson EO. The Social Conquest of Earth. Ants and humans rule because of their social structures. Group selection can work.
Bio 112, General Biology II (spring 2013)
You may pick up your graded final exam from the Biology Secretary.
Required handouts (date assigned):
Syllabus (16 Jan); First day questions (16 Jan); Control of gene expression (18 Jan); Animal development (23 Jan); Problem set (25 Jan); Hormones (30 Jan); Homework #1 (1 Feb) and Key; Exam #1 Key (15 Feb); Reproduction (15 Feb); Neurons (20 Feb); Synapses (27 Feb); Homework #2 (1 Mar) and Key; Exam #2 Key (20 Mar); Sensory physiology (22 Mar); Muscles (25 Mar); Exercise physiology (1 Apr); Homework #3 (5 Apr) and Key; Evidence for evolution (5 Apr); Bird evolution (10 Apr); Phylogenetic Trees (19 Apr); Exam #3 Key (22 Apr); Mechanisms of Evolution (24 Apr); Homework #4 (26 Apr) and Key; Problem Set (1 May) and Answers; Final exam key.
Required video:
Control of gene expression (16 Jan).
Recommended readings:
nature:Education: Evolution, Mutations, Natural selection.
TalkOrigins, especially: Radiometric dating, Transitional forms, Anatomical vestiges, Five major misconceptions about evolution.
Science and Creationism (National Academy of Sciences).
Description and narrated animation of muscle proteins.
Diagrams of muscle cells and contraction mechanisms.
Neuroscience Online, chapters 1-3, and chapter 6.
Menstrual cycle (Merck Manual).
Human hormones.
Embyonic development, and Frog embryology, and FlyMove.
Control of gene expression: Essentials of Cell Biology, Unit 2.3.
A new or used copy of a college-level introductory biology textbook, e.g. texts by Sadava, Freeman, Raven, or Campbell.
Other resources:
Berthold et al. 1992. Rapid microevolution of migratory behaviour in a wild bird species.
Hou 1996. Adaptive evolution in birds ...
Cardiovascular Physiology
Vital Circuits: On pumps, pipes, and the workings of circulatory systems. S. Vogel, 1992.
Why evolution is true. J. Coyne. 2009.
Understanding Evolution, UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology.
Neuroscience, a searchable (but not browseable) advanced text; e.g. search for "action potential".
Human embryology, including a timeline.
Female reproductive cycle, including a movie of ovulation.
Essential psychopharmacology: Stahl, 2008. Introduction to neurons and synapses.
Prime Mover: A natural history of muscle. S. Vogel, 2001.
You may pick up your graded final exam from the Biology Secretary.
Required handouts (date assigned):
Syllabus (16 Jan); First day questions (16 Jan); Control of gene expression (18 Jan); Animal development (23 Jan); Problem set (25 Jan); Hormones (30 Jan); Homework #1 (1 Feb) and Key; Exam #1 Key (15 Feb); Reproduction (15 Feb); Neurons (20 Feb); Synapses (27 Feb); Homework #2 (1 Mar) and Key; Exam #2 Key (20 Mar); Sensory physiology (22 Mar); Muscles (25 Mar); Exercise physiology (1 Apr); Homework #3 (5 Apr) and Key; Evidence for evolution (5 Apr); Bird evolution (10 Apr); Phylogenetic Trees (19 Apr); Exam #3 Key (22 Apr); Mechanisms of Evolution (24 Apr); Homework #4 (26 Apr) and Key; Problem Set (1 May) and Answers; Final exam key.
Required video:
Control of gene expression (16 Jan).
Recommended readings:
nature:Education: Evolution, Mutations, Natural selection.
TalkOrigins, especially: Radiometric dating, Transitional forms, Anatomical vestiges, Five major misconceptions about evolution.
Science and Creationism (National Academy of Sciences).
Description and narrated animation of muscle proteins.
Diagrams of muscle cells and contraction mechanisms.
Neuroscience Online, chapters 1-3, and chapter 6.
Menstrual cycle (Merck Manual).
Human hormones.
Embyonic development, and Frog embryology, and FlyMove.
Control of gene expression: Essentials of Cell Biology, Unit 2.3.
A new or used copy of a college-level introductory biology textbook, e.g. texts by Sadava, Freeman, Raven, or Campbell.
Other resources:
Berthold et al. 1992. Rapid microevolution of migratory behaviour in a wild bird species.
Hou 1996. Adaptive evolution in birds ...
Cardiovascular Physiology
Vital Circuits: On pumps, pipes, and the workings of circulatory systems. S. Vogel, 1992.
Why evolution is true. J. Coyne. 2009.
Understanding Evolution, UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology.
Neuroscience, a searchable (but not browseable) advanced text; e.g. search for "action potential".
Human embryology, including a timeline.
Female reproductive cycle, including a movie of ovulation.
Essential psychopharmacology: Stahl, 2008. Introduction to neurons and synapses.
Prime Mover: A natural history of muscle. S. Vogel, 2001.
Bio 344 Ecology (spring 2013)
Your may pick up your Exam #2, Student Paper #2, Lab Report #2, and Lab Talk #2 from the Department Secretary after Tuesday 7 May at 1 pm.
Required text:
Stewart Brand, "Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto".
Required handouts (date assigned):
Syllabus (16 Jan); First day questions (16 Jan); Thermal ecology (18 Jan); Homework #1 (25 Jan) and Key; Geographic range (28 Jan); Allometry (4 Feb); Demography (6 Feb); Homework #2 (8 Feb) and Key; Discussion of paper #1 (8 Feb); Age structure (13 Feb); Problem set (13 Feb); Population growth equations (20 Feb); Discussion of paper #2 (22 Feb); Homework #3 (22 Feb) and Key; Epidemics (25 Feb); Discussion of paper #3 (8 Mar); Exam #1 Key (18 Mar); Paper #1 assignment (18 Feb); Global C cycle (18 Feb); Discussion of Brand ch. 5 (22 Feb); Discussion of paper #4 (27 Mar); Climate change (1 Apr); Climate feedback mechanisms (3 Apr); Homework #4 (5 Apr) and Key; Global cooling by stratospheric sulfate (10 Apr); Paper #2 assignment (12 Apr); Discussion of paper #5 (12 Apr); Exam #2 Key (24 Apr).
Required papers:
Deutsch et al. 2008. Impacts of climate warming on terrestrial ectotherms across latitude.
Nordling et al. 1998. Reproductive effort reduces specific immune response and parasite resistance.
Rickard et al. 2010. Food availability at birth limited reproductive success in historical humans.
Norby et al. 2010. CO2 enhancement of forest productivity constrained by limited nitrogen availability.
Dorrepaal et al. 2009. Carbon respiration from subsurface peat accelerated by climate warming in the subarctic.
Papers cited in lectures, homeworks or problem sets:
John Latham, geoengineering by cloud brightening. Robock on geoengineering.
IPCC 2007. Fourth Assessment Report.
Seralini et al. 2012. Long term toxicity of a ... Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize.
Falkowski et al. 2000. The global C cycle ...
Jacobson and Delucchi. 2011. Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power ...
Portner and Knust. 2007. Climate change affects marine fishes ...
Angert and Schemske. 2005. The evolution of species' distributions: reciprocal transplants ...
Bettencourt et al. 2007. Growth, innovation, scaling, and the pace of life in cities.
Gapminder.org, beautiful data graphics on human demography and economics.
Other resources:
NRDC, an effective group of activist environmental lawyers and scientists.
Some excellent graduate programs in ecology: UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Harvard, UNM.
MPA and MPP programs with an emphasis on environmental policy: Columbia, Duke, UCSB.
The best environmental law schools: Vermont, UC Berkeley, Lewis and Clark.
Your may pick up your Exam #2, Student Paper #2, Lab Report #2, and Lab Talk #2 from the Department Secretary after Tuesday 7 May at 1 pm.
Required text:
Stewart Brand, "Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto".
Required handouts (date assigned):
Syllabus (16 Jan); First day questions (16 Jan); Thermal ecology (18 Jan); Homework #1 (25 Jan) and Key; Geographic range (28 Jan); Allometry (4 Feb); Demography (6 Feb); Homework #2 (8 Feb) and Key; Discussion of paper #1 (8 Feb); Age structure (13 Feb); Problem set (13 Feb); Population growth equations (20 Feb); Discussion of paper #2 (22 Feb); Homework #3 (22 Feb) and Key; Epidemics (25 Feb); Discussion of paper #3 (8 Mar); Exam #1 Key (18 Mar); Paper #1 assignment (18 Feb); Global C cycle (18 Feb); Discussion of Brand ch. 5 (22 Feb); Discussion of paper #4 (27 Mar); Climate change (1 Apr); Climate feedback mechanisms (3 Apr); Homework #4 (5 Apr) and Key; Global cooling by stratospheric sulfate (10 Apr); Paper #2 assignment (12 Apr); Discussion of paper #5 (12 Apr); Exam #2 Key (24 Apr).
Required papers:
Deutsch et al. 2008. Impacts of climate warming on terrestrial ectotherms across latitude.
Nordling et al. 1998. Reproductive effort reduces specific immune response and parasite resistance.
Rickard et al. 2010. Food availability at birth limited reproductive success in historical humans.
Norby et al. 2010. CO2 enhancement of forest productivity constrained by limited nitrogen availability.
Dorrepaal et al. 2009. Carbon respiration from subsurface peat accelerated by climate warming in the subarctic.
Papers cited in lectures, homeworks or problem sets:
John Latham, geoengineering by cloud brightening. Robock on geoengineering.
IPCC 2007. Fourth Assessment Report.
Seralini et al. 2012. Long term toxicity of a ... Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize.
Falkowski et al. 2000. The global C cycle ...
Jacobson and Delucchi. 2011. Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power ...
Portner and Knust. 2007. Climate change affects marine fishes ...
Angert and Schemske. 2005. The evolution of species' distributions: reciprocal transplants ...
Bettencourt et al. 2007. Growth, innovation, scaling, and the pace of life in cities.
Gapminder.org, beautiful data graphics on human demography and economics.
Other resources:
NRDC, an effective group of activist environmental lawyers and scientists.
Some excellent graduate programs in ecology: UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Harvard, UNM.
MPA and MPP programs with an emphasis on environmental policy: Columbia, Duke, UCSB.
The best environmental law schools: Vermont, UC Berkeley, Lewis and Clark.
Bio 446/581 Environmental Toxicology (fall 2012)
The syllabus, handouts, problem sets, slides, exams and exam keys are available on Google Drive.
The syllabus, handouts, problem sets, slides, exams and exam keys are available on Google Drive.
Bio 111, General Biology I (fall 2012)
The syllabus, handouts, problem sets, exams and exam keys are available on Google Drive. The videos are available on YouTube.
There is no required textbook, but I recommend these excellent sources:
1. A new or used copy of a college-level introductory biology textbook, published in the last several years. These include texts by Sadava, Freeman, Raven, or Campbell.
2. eBooks from Nature Education: Genetics, Cell Biology, and Cancer.
3. Searchable (but not browsable) online books from the NIH: Molecular Biology of the Cell, The Cell, and Biochemistry.
4. Inside the Cell, from NIH. The structure and function of organelles.
5. Glossaries of biological terms: 1, 2, 3.
Other resources:
Protein folding: 1, 2, 3. Three-dimensional cells: 1, 2. Diffusion: 1, 2, 3.
National Centers for Systems Biology. Metabolic pathways. Inside Cancer.
Intro. to Biology course from CMU. Fundamentals of Biology course from MIT.