Graduate Course Descriptions

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110 /1111 and 1120/1121. Structure, classification, evolution, importance, and life history of insects. Five hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 5051. Life histories, host-parasite relationships, and control measures of the more common parasites of humans and domesticated animals. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5050.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251; CHEM 2030/2031 or 3010/3011. Corequisite: BIOL 5131. Microscopic anatomy of vertebrate cells, tissues, and organs. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5130.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 5141. Structure, functions, life histories, and economic importance of the invertebrate phyla. Laboratory work comprises detailed studies of representative specimens. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5140.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251, 4110/4111, or 2020/2021; CHEM 2030/2031 or 3010/3011. Structure, function, and integrative mechanisms of vertebrate endocrine organs, with additional attention to invertebrate hormones. Three lectures.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 5181. Structure, life history, and classification of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Local representatives emphasized. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5180.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 5221. The morphology, physiology, taxonomy, and ecology of fishes. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5220.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Identification of local plants and animals and a consideration of the ecological principles governing them. Four hours lecture/laboratory.

A broad overview of biological principles and recent research developments. Two lectures.

Prerequisite: Permission of department. An intensive classroom and on-site study of a specific biome with special emphasis on data collection and analysis. Consult department head for specific credits and costs.

Prerequisite: BIOL 1110/1111. Corequisite: BIOL 5391. Innate and learned animal behavior in primitive and advanced animals including behavior associated with space, reproduction, and food getting. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5390.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/BIOL 1111, BIOL 1120/BIOL 1121, and BIOL 3250/BIOL 3251 (or permission of department). Major themes in the ecology and evolution of plants. Topics include how plants sense, respond, and adapt to their environment; life history; species; and patterns of diversity and abundance of plants. Three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.  

Prerequisite: BIOL 3250/3251. Corequisite: BIOL 5461. Application of the fundamental laws of inheritance to humans. Two lectures and one two-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5460.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251; CHEM 2030/2031 or 3010/3011. Plant growth; development and metabolism at the cellular and whole plant levels. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisite: BIOL 2230/2231. Corequisite: BIOL 5511. Interaction between microorganisms and food; industrial processes of human importance .Three hours lecture and two 1.5 hour laboratory meetings per week.

Corequisite: BIOL 5510

Prerequisite: BIOL 1120/1121. Plant cells, tissues, and organs. Emphasis on the survival value of the plant's various structural features. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

An intensive classroom and field study of natural science and resources in Tennessee. Special emphasis on data collection, analysis, and problem solving. Target groups are graduate students and upper-division undergraduates in the areas of biology and education. Consult the department chair for specific credits and costs. This course will not apply to the biology major or minor.

Prerequisites: BIOL 2230/2231 and senior/graduate level. Instruction in both theory and application of current research methodologies in biology and molecular biology. Topics include immunochemistry, polymerase chain reaction, restriction enzyme analysis, and electrophoresis. Five hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 5561. Introduces comparative neurobiology. Topics include the basic structure and function of the nerve cell and organization of nervous systems of representative species of invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5560.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111, 1120/1121; CHEM 1110/1111, 1120/1121, 3010/3011. Corequisite: BIOL 5571. Adverse effects of chemical agents on living organisms; current toxicological techniques in laboratory portion of course. Two hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5570.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111, 1120/1121; CHEM 1110/1111, 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 5581. Biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of major marine environments and their associated flora and fauna. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 5580.

Prerequisite: BIOL 4350/BIOL 4351 or equivalent; access to Mac or PC laptop must be confirmed. Takes a ground-up approach to teaching the fundamentals of biostatistical analysis using R programming language and RStudio. 

Prerequisite: BIOL 1120/1121. Human dependence on plants emphasized. Topics include origin of agriculture, fruits and nuts, grains and legumes, vegetables, spices and herbs, oils and waxes, medicinal plants, psychoactive plants, beverages, fibers and dyes, tannins, wood and ornamental plants. Three lectures.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing plus BIOL 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 6081. Fungi, with emphasis on taxonomy, morphology, culture, and importance to humans. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6080.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and a grade of C or better in each of the following: BIOL 3250/3251, BIOL 3400, and BIOL 3500 or permission of instructor. Ecological form and function of forested systems with a particular emphasis on communities of the southeastern U.S. and Tennessee. Topics include dendrology, community assembly and disassembly over time, abiotic and biotic drivers of forest community succession, phylogeography and biogeography, and threats and sustainable practices. Three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory.

Physical, chemical, and biotic conditions of freshwater lakes and streams and of population structure and dynamics in these environments. Five hours lecture/laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6131. Structure, taxonomy, natural history, and identification of birds. Emphasizes field work. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6130.

Corequisite: BIOL 6181. Morphology, physiology, systematics, and the development of mammals. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6180.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and one course in either ecology or physiology. A study of how animals function in and respond to their natural environments with special interest at the biochemical, physiological, morphological, and behavioral levels. Topics include allometry, heat transfer, thermoregulation, energetics, blood circulation, respiration, osmoregulation, locomotion, control systems, and sensory perception. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisite: BIOL 3250/3251. Mutation, natural selection, adaptation, isolating mechanisms, genetic drift, hybridization, ploidy in the process of species formation, and a history of the development and ideas of evolution. Two lectures.

Corequisite: BIOL 6211. Morphology, physiology, reproduction, ecology, taxonomy, and life cycles of the protozoa. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6210.

Prerequisite: BIOL 3400/3401. Corequisite: BIOL 6221. Morphology, natural history, and identification of amphibians and reptiles. Local representatives emphasized. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6220.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251 and STAT 3150 or equivalent courses or consent of instructor. Theory and practice of acquiring and analyzing whole-genome sequences and gene products. Genetic variation and patterns within genetic material and gene products of living organisms investigated. Three hours lecture/problem solving.

(Same as BIOL 7270). Prerequisites: BIOL 4110/4111; CHEM 3010/3011 and CHEM 3530/3531. Metabolic pathways of mammalian cells and the diseases that result from genetic defects that disrupt their normal function.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Application of scanning electron microscopy to study materials with emphasis on theory of scanning electron microscopy and preparation of biological specimens for microscopy. Seven hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251; MATH 1910. Corequisite: BIOL 6351. Intermediate-level introduction to biostatistical procedures used in research. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6350.

Prerequisite: BIOL 4290 or BIOL 6290. Theory of X-ray analysis and elemental analysis of materials using an energy dispersive X-ray system with scanning electron microscopy. One three-hour laboratory.

Prerequisite: BIOL 2230/2231. Corequisite: BIOL 6381. Mechanisms of immunity including the more recent developments in immunology. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory.

Corequisite: BIOL 6380.

Prerequisites: BIOL 2230/2231, BIOL 3250/3251; CHEM 2030/2031 or CHEM 3010/3011. Molecular biology of the cell with emphasis on current experimental techniques. Three lectures.

Corequisite: BIOL 6390.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Ultrastructure of the cell using basic and specialized techniques. Seven hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisite: BIOL 2230/2231. Comprehensive coverage of the most recent discoveries and techniques used for the identification of pathogenic organisms and their relationships to disease processes. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisites: BIOL 2230/2231; CHEM 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Emphasizes the main virus families and their biochemical composition. Experimental approaches and techniques will be developed in order to identify and manipulate viruses. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisites: BIOL 2230/2231 and 3250/3251; CHEM 1110/1111 and 1120/1121. Recent advancements in microbial genetics and gene manipulation with emphasis on applications of molecular genetics, including gene regulation and recombinant DNA technology. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisite: BIOL 3400/3401. Measuring biodiversity: species, ecosystem, and genetic diversity. Topics include conservation ethics, extinctions, habitat degradation, exotic species, and management of populations and ecosystems. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Plan, implement, and interpret a research problem in some area of biology. Available topics limited to areas of graduate faculty interest and expertise.

Prerequisite: Grade of B in one of the following: BIOL 4450, BIOL 4550, BIOL 5550, or BIOL 6450 or permission of instructor. Manipulating genetic material to achieve desired proteins, products, or qualities in targeted organisms. Lecture/lab.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111, 1120/1121; CHEM 1110/1111, 1120/1121, and 3010/3011. Ecological effects of chemicals in the environment and techniques currently utilized to assess these effects. Current environmental assessment techniques, including biomonitoring, will be covered in the laboratory. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Selection of a research problem, review of pertinent literature, and execution of the research.

Prerequisites or corequisites: BIOL 6620 and permission of department. Completion of the research problem begun in BIOL 6620; preparation of the thesis. Once enrolled, student should register for at least one credit hour of master's research each semester until completion. Minimum of three credits required for M.S. degree. S/U grading.

Discussion and critical evaluation of the primary scientific literature. Responsible conduct of research topics including data management, publication practices, peer review, and collaborative science emphasized. One two-hour session.

Development of written and oral communication skills relevant to obtaining research funding and presenting research results. Responsible conduct of research topics including mentor/trainee relationships, human subjects, animal research, research misconduct, and conflicts of interest emphasized. Two one-hour sessions.

Prerequisite: BIOL 1110/1111, 1120/1121. Corequisite: BIOL 6701. Evolutionary and ecological perspectives on how plants attract and repel symbionts and how those symbionts influence plant fitness. Topics include angiosperm evolution, the coevolution of plants with pollinators, herbivores, mycorrhizae, and N-fixing bacteria, and how plant secondary metabolites facilitate or mitigate these interactions. Two hours lecture and three hours lab.

Corequisite: BIOL 6700.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251; BIOL 4210/4211 or BIOL 6390/BIOL 6391 recommended. Corequisite: BIOL 6721. Processes and underlying molecular mechanisms by which a single fertilized egg develops into an adult organism. Focuses on vertebrate development, including insights gained from other model organisms. Three hours lecture and two hours lab.

Corequisite: BIOL 6720.

Prerequisites: BIOL 2230/2231; CHEM 1110/1111, 1120/1121, and 2030/2031 or 3010/3011 or consent of instructor. Survey of the physiology and biochemistry of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Biology and psychology underlying dyslexia and other common learning disabilities encountered in the school setting. Addresses practical classroom applications utilizing this background information. Five three-hour class meetings.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111, 1120/1121, 3250/3251. Processes and reasoning behind the human manipulation of plant species for agricultural and technological purposes. Topics include traditional breeding techniques, tissue culture, plant cell transformation, and general plant molecular biology techniques as well as current debate over genetically modified organisms. Six hours lecture/laboratory.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1110/1111 and 1120/1121 and CSCI 1170 or consent of instructor. Explores the emerging field of bioinformatics which involves the application of computer science to biological questions. Bioinformatics applies to the computational aspects of data gathering, processing, storage, analysis, and visualization methods used in revising and testing biological hypotheses. Student should have a strong background in either computer science or biology, be willing to learn about the other field in an accelerated fashion, and be willing to work cooperatively as part of an interdisciplinary team. Four hours of lecture/problem solving per week.

Prerequisite: BIOL 4550/4551, BIOL 5550/5551, or 4750/BIOL 6750. Explores current and emerging issues in biotechnology. Students will be asked to solve problems drawn from biotechnology industry. Seminars, field trips, and case study work.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251 and 3500. Theory and practice of biological systematics. Concepts of characters and taxa, methods of phylogenetic inference, and applications of systematic data addressed. Five hours lecture, discussion, and laboratory exercises.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor and one undergraduate biology course. Uses a process-oriented approach to the study of life science with emphasis on execution and analysis of content-based activities and experiments suited to actual classroom situations. (May not be used for biology majors or minors.)

Open only to students who are not enrolled in any other graduate course and who will take the master's comprehensive examination during the term. The student must contact the graduate advisor during the first two weeks of the term for specifics regarding the details of this comprehensive examination preparatory course. Credit may not be applied to degree requirements.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3500 and BIOL 6350/BIOL 6351 or STAT 6020. Overview of the use of genetic markers to answer ecological and evolutionary questions. Applications of phylogenetics, population genetics, and identification of individuals. Labs integrated with lectures to cover major algorithms and software. Four hours of lecture/problem solving per week.

Prerequisites: BIOL 3250/3251 and STAT 3150 or equivalent courses or consent of instructor. Theory and practice of acquiring and analyzing whole-genome sequences and gene products. Genetic variation and patterns within genetic material and gene products of living organisms investigated. Three hours lecture/problem solving.

Prerequisites: BIOL 4110/4111; CHEM 3010/3011 and CHEM 3530/3531. Provides a detailed overview of the major metabolic pathways in humans and explores how dysfunction of these pathways, through genetic mutation or other means, leads to disease. Three hours lecture/case study-based problem solving per week.

Prerequisite: Grade of B in one of the following: BIOL 4450, BIOL 4550, BIOL 5550, or BIOL 6450 or permission of instructor. Manipulating genetic material to achieve desired proteins, products, or qualities in targeted organisms. Lecture/lab.

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Admission based on recommendations and performance in teaching.

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Admission based on recommendations and performance in teaching.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor and one undergraduate biology course. Uses a process-oriented approach to the study of life science with emphasis on execution and analysis of content-based activities and experiments suited to actual classroom situations. (May not be used for biology majors or minors.)

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Overview of biology education with an emphasis on how students learn biology and current best practices for teaching biological concepts. Primary literature of the field featured as course emerges through lectures, discussion, small group activities, and group/individual presentations. Capstone experience will be student's development of an instructional unit of study including the formal teaching of selected biological concepts. Three hours lecture/discussion.

Walker Lab Amphibian and Fungal Research In The Smoky Mountains

May 2023 Biology Study Abroad - Costa Rica!

If interested in the 2024 course, contact Dr. Vincent Cobb