Teaching Team

Profs. Spencer Barrett (Team Leader), Robert Jefferies,

Locke Rowe, John Stinchcombe, and James Thomson
Corey Goldman, Course Coordinator
Meg St. John, Lab Coordinator
Office Staff Ulla Weimann, Course Administrator
Mike Serafin, BIO150/BIOME Webmaster
2007/08

BIO150 Office: Room 019 Ramsay Wright (25 Harbord St.), 416-978-7588, FAX: 416-978-0552
Monday to Thursday 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Course website: bio150.artsci.utoronto.ca Email: bio150@utoronto.ca

Welcome to BIO150: Organisms in their Environment. BIO150 provides an introduction to the diversity
of life, how and why it arose, and the interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment.
It is a prerequisite for almost all further life science courses at the University of Toronto, St. George campus.
Students enrolled in BIO150 must have previously completed senior-level biology in high school or have
received permission from the Course Coordinator.
BIO150 has two lectures per week, one lecture tutorial/help session per week, 12 formal lab periods in
alternate weeks, and four self-study laboratory exercises. In the first week of classes you should determine
when and where your laboratories are held and purchase the BIO150 Laboratory Manual from the U of
T Bookstore.

This document contains important course information and should be kept in a place
where you can refer to it throughout the year.

Required Course Materials: The BIO150 Laboratory Manual (2007/08) can be purchased from the U
of T Bookstore (214 College St.) for $20. Lecture material (referred to as Lecture Guides, including
articles) will be posted on the course website no later than one week before each lecture. These materials
contain all of the required reading for the course. Materials from previous years are not suitable.
Background Reading: You are not required to buy a textbook for BIO150. However, since students entering
the course have varied backgrounds in biology, some stronger and some weaker, we have selected a
book to recommend should you wish to purchase a reference textbook in biology. If you plan to continue
in the life sciences, owning a reference textbook in biology is a very good idea. The lectures and labs
in BIO150 will refer you to background reading in the textbook. However, no test questions will be
derived directly from the textbook. The reference textbook we recommended is BIOLOGY (8th edition)
by Peter Raven and colleagues, published by McGraw-Hill. This textbook is available from the U of
T Bookstore (214 College St.) for $112.95 (sale price until end of Sept.). A limited number of copies
are also available for short-term loan from the BIO150 Office.

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 BIO150 Course Syllabus 2007/08

Lectures: Day lectures are held on Monday and Wednesday mornings (L0101), begin at 10:10 and end
at 11:00, and are held in Convocation Hall. Evening lectures are Mondays (L5101) from 6:10 to 8:00 p.m.
in the Earth Sciences Centre Auditorium (EC 1050). The Monday and Wednesday day lectures are presented
together on Monday evening.
Note: The University is closed on Monday, Oct. 8 for Thanksgiving, and thus there will not be lectures
in BIO150 on this day. There will be a special guest lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 10-11, in Convocation
Hall; check the course website for details closer to the date.
Lecture Tutorials/Help Sessions: You have the opportunity to ask your professors questions in weekly
tutorials every Monday 8:10 to 9:00 p.m. and Thursday 5:10 to 6:00 p.m. (and not Wednesday 5:10
to 6:00 as previously announced). Both sessions are in the Earth Sciences Centre Auditorium (ES 1050).
We consider it essential that you keep either the Monday or Thursday tutorial time available, as these
may be the only opportunity you have to ask the lecturers questions. Attendance at tutorials is optional.
You can attend either the Monday or Thursday tutorial, or both.
Note: There will be no Thursday tutorial on Oct. 11 (week of Thanksgiving), Nov. 1 (Test 1), and Feb.
28 (Test 3).
Preparations for Lectures: It is important you come prepared to each lecture, having read the Study
Guide materials and required articles (both available online from the course website) beforehand and
familiarized yourself with the key terms and concepts that will be discussed.

Laboratories: Your labs in BIO150 are given in alternate weeks and are held on the first floor (street level)
of the Ramsay Wright Zoological Laboratories (RW), on the s.w. corner of Harbord and St. George
(25 Harbord St.). A lab schedule is provided on pages ix and x in your Laboratory Manual.
C Week 1 labs (P--01) begin the weeks of Sept. 17 (fall) and Jan. 7 (winter)
C Week 2 labs (P--02) begin the weeks of Sept. 24 (fall) and Jan. 14 (winter)
Note: If your lab section is P0102 (= Week 2 Monday) your lab on Monday, Oct. 8 (Thanksgiving),
1:30–4:30 p.m., will be rescheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:00–9:00 p.m. (same lab room and TA).

On Monday, Sept. 17, check the course website to determine the room number in RW where your
BIO150 lab will be held. Note: Day labs start at 1:30 p.m.; Wed. evening labs at 6:10 p.m.

Lab Section Additions/Changes: Most lab sections are full with the exception of Wednesday evenings.
If it is imperative that you change your lab section you can make a request to BIO150’s Ulla Weimann;
a change will only be possible if another student requests to move out of the lab section you requested.
Please make your “permanent lab change request” via the BIO150 website, click on the “Labs” link.
Preparation for Lab 1: Read pages v to xii and Chapter 1 in your Laboratory Manual. (A lab notebook,
such as required for chemistry and physics, is not required for biology. You don’t have to purchase a
lab coat specifically for BIO150.)

Your Blackboard Course Website: Like many other courses, BIO150 will be using Blackboard for its
course website this year. To access the BIO150 website, or any other Blackboard-based course website,
go to the UofT portal login page at http://portal.utoronto.ca and log in using your UTORid and password.
Once you have logged in to the portal, look for the My Courses module, where you’ll find the link to
the BIO150 course website along with links to your other courses with active Blackboard sites. (You
can also access the U of T portal page from http://bio150.artsci.utoronto.ca.)

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 BIO150 Course Syllabus 2007/08

All course announcements, including test information and marks, will be posted on the BIO150 website.
The course website also includes an online version of this syllabus, previous year’s test questions, “tips”
from successful students, and a link to the BIOME 1 Message Board, which provides you with forums
to communicate with your fellow students about issues relating to BIO150 and other courses.
Lecture Slides: The slides for the lecture presentations will be posted on the BIO150 website before
lectures, on late Friday afternoon of the previous week.
Audio Recordings: We will be digitally recording the lectures in BIO150 and making MP3 files available
to students from the BIO150 website. We do not guarantee that a recording will be available for each
lecture. These recordings are made available only for the use of individual students in BIO150, to enhance
their success in the course should they feel that listening again to parts of a lecture will be helpful. Taping
lectures with a personal recorder is permitted; however if you choose to place your recorder at the stage,
please do so with caution as in the past some recorders have gone missing after class.
BIOME is the popular online “meeting place for students in the life sciences at U of T,” containing
links to course websites and important resources of relevance to students in the life sciences (helping
you to navigate more directly to useful information), as well as providing message boards/discussion
forums structured to meet the needs of each cohort of students (year 1, year 2, etc.). Over 630,000
messages were posted in 220 forums last year. Check out biome.utoronto.ca.

Course “Use of Email” Policy: Much to our regret, but due to the large class size, it is not possible for
the lecturers to respond to email; please do not send email to the lecture professors. For help with lecture
material please attend the weekly lecture tutorials/help sessions, or speak with the lecturer immediately
before or after class. The staff in the BIO150 Office would be pleased to use email to respond to your
administrative queries about the course. When sending mail about BIO150 please be certain that (1)
you include your name and student number and (2) that the subject line includes “BIO150” and identifies
what your query is about (e.g., “BIO150: ill for Lab 2”).

Problems and Enquiries: For all course administrative matters, for example if you miss a test or lab, please
contact Ulla Weimann in the BIO150 Office. The office is located in the basement of the Ramsay Wright
Zoological Laboratories (room 019), on the s.w. corner of Harbord and St. George (25 Harbord St.).
The office is open Monday to Thursday 12:30–1:30 p.m. Email: bio150@utoronto.ca.

Laboratory Help: Academic help on lab material is available: (1) from your laboratory instructor during
regularly scheduled labs, (2) from Meg St. John during her office hours (Monday 11:00 to 12:00 noon
and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 12:00 noon to 1:00), or (3) call 416-978-5446 or email
meg.stjohn@utoronto.ca to make an appointment.

Academic Counselling: The Course Coordinator is available for personal counselling on matters relating
to BIO150 (e.g., academic performance in BIO150, or requests for special consideration due to illness
or other exceptional circumstances). Call 416-978-7163 or email corey.goldman@utoronto.ca to
make an appointment. For help with lecture content, attend the weekly lecture tutorials/help sessions,
or speak with the lecturer immediately before or after class. For general counselling, see your college
registrar.

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 BIO150 Course Syllabus 2007/08

Evaluation: You will be evaluated on your understanding of course content by way of tests and lab work.
Seventy percent (70%) of your final grade will be based on lecture material and 30% on laboratory
material. NOTE: You must obtain an average of 50% on the laboratory material (lab material on Tests
2 and 4 and the “other lab work”) in order to pass the course.
Test 1: 16% Lecture material only (40 multiple-choice questions)
Test 2: 26% Laboratory (9%) and Lecture (17%) material (66 m/c questions)
Test 3: 17% Lecture material only (43 m/c questions)
Test 4: 29% Laboratory (9%) and Lecture (20%) material (73 m/c questions)
Other Lab: 12% Quizzes & Library Assignment 7.8%, Ethics Report & Presentation 3.8%, Participation 0.4%
100%

Material tested
Test Duration Date and time*
Lecture # Lab Chapter

Fall 1 1 hr. 15 min. Thursday, Nov. 1, 6:00–7:15 p.m. 1–11 –

2007 2 2 hrs. Faculty Exam Period: Dec. 10–20 12–23 1–6, 12, 13

Spring 3 1 hr. 30 min. Thursday, Feb. 28, 6:00–7:30 p.m. 24–35 –

2008 4 2 hrs. 15 min. Faculty Exam Period: Apr. 21–May 9 36–49 7–10, 13 (again), 15

* Locations where tests will be written will be posted on the BIO150 website prior to each test.
The Faculty examination timetables are posted on Fri., Oct. 19, 2007, and Fri., Feb. 15, 2008.

Test Format: Lecture and laboratory material will be tested by computer-graded multiple-choice questions.
Marks are not deducted for incorrect responses. Bring your T-card, pencil, and eraser to all tests. Appendix
C in your Laboratory Manual contains tips on how to do well on multiple-choice tests. Test questions
from previous years can be viewed online to give you an idea of the style of test questions that you can
expect (and not necessarily the content, as course content changes each year, especially when new
professors to BIO150 join the teaching team).

Test Policy: Students who miss Test 1, 2, or 3 must contact the BIO150 Office on the day immediately
after the test if they wish to be scheduled to write a make-up test at a later date. Make-up tests consist
of short-answer questions. These students must complete a written request for special consideration
explaining the reason for missing the test, and attaching appropriate documentation, such as a medical
certificate or a letter from your college registrar. If a student misses a make-up test, s/he must discuss
the situation with the Course Administrator in person on the day that the test was to have been written.
Students who miss Test 4 in the Faculty examination period must petition to the Faculty of Arts and
Science. Note: Medical certificates must confirm your inability to attend a test and the dates of your
illness, and must show that the physician was consulted at the time of the illness.

Test Conflict with a Scheduled Class: If you have a scheduled class at a time when either Test 1 or 3
is being written your class takes precedence (i.e., attend your lecture and write the early test sitting for
BIO150). Contact the BIO150 Office no later than one week prior to the test date to arrange to write
the early sitting; this will be on the day of the test immediately before the regular sitting is scheduled
to begin. You must provide a copy of your timetable as proof of the conflict.

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 BIO150 Course Syllabus 2007/08

Missed Lab: If you miss your scheduled lab period for an authorized reason (e.g., illness), come to the
BIO150 Office during office hours to find out if space is available to arrange to attend a lab at another
time during the two-week period when each exercise is offered. Documentation authorizing your absence
(e.g., medical note or registrar’s letter) must be presented to the BIO150 Office only if you are unable
to attend a lab at another time and are requesting to be given special consideration. Students who do
not produce written documentation will lose the value of any quiz that took place during their absence.
Study Groups: Your learning can be enhanced by getting together with fellow students to review course
material, clarify concepts, and prepare for tests. Becoming a member of a study group of 4 to 6 students
can also be a great way to motivate you to study on a regular basis and to meet new friends. The Study
Groups page on BIOME (biome.utoronto.ca/studentlife/studygroups.htm) includes suggestions on how
to form a study group, what to do at the first and subsequent meetings, and locations where to meet
on campus with your study group. Because it can often be difficult finding other students who can join
a study group when you have the available time, visit the Study Groups forum on the BIOME 1 message
board to connect with other interested students.
Rewarding Student Excellence: We are eager to promote and reward academic excellence among our
students. At the completion of the course, students with a grade of A+ will receive a certificate which
acknowledges their outstanding achievement. In addition, the top student will receive a prize of $250
(which has been donated by a professional association).
Summer Research Experience Scholarship: BIO150 received the University of Toronto’s prestigious
Northrop Frye Award in 1999 in recognition of the course’s “distinguished achievements in linking
teaching and research.” The money received with the award has been used to create an endowment
for the Northrop Frye-Biology 150 Summer Research Experience Scholarship. The value of the
scholarship is about $6,000. The purpose of this scholarship is to enable an outstanding student in BIO150
to spend up to four months in the laboratory of a faculty member working in the disciplines of evolution,
ecology, or behaviour. Application information will be available from the course website in January
2008. The seventh annual scholarship will be awarded in the spring of 2008.
Student Feedback: We welcome your comments and opinions throughout the course; please send mail
to bio150@utoronto.ca. We will also ask for your comments several times throughout the year in
evaluations which will be conducted in your labs.
Lockers/Lounge/Lost and Found: Lockers are available for use in the Ramsay Wright building from Sept.
10, 2007 to August 15, 2008. You must remove your lock and locker contents no later than August
15. After August 15 all remaining locks and contents will be removed. A student lounge is located in
the basement of Ramsay Wright near room RW 013; you may find this a convenient place to study or
meet friends. If you lose something in Convocation Hall, call 416-978-2100; in ES 1050, call 416-978-
6760 and 416-978-6252; in a laboratory room or test location, come to the BIO150 Office during office
hours or email: bio150@utoronto.ca.
Counselling and Learning Skills Service: Professional counselling services and workshops for U of T
students (e.g., learning skills, stress management, exam preparation, personal counselling, sexual assault
counselling) are provided in the Koffler Centre, 214 College St. The Learning Skills Drop-In Centre
and Resource Library gives students immediate access to counsellors who can help develop reading
and writing strategies, design better time management systems, and write more effective class notes,
among other skills. For more information: 416-978-7970 or www.library.utoronto.ca/www/calss.

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 BIO150 Course Syllabus 2007/08

Lecture Topics - 2007/08

Orientation (Sept 10)

Evolutionary Biology – Prof. Spencer Barrett Ecology – Prof. James Thomson

1 Evolution: The Central Unifying Concept of 24 Introduction to Ecology (Jan 7)
Biology (Sept 12) 25 Physiological Ecology (Jan 9)
2 What Darwin Saw: A Geographical Perspective on 26 Population Growth (Jan 14)
Organisms and Environments (Sept 17)
27 Age-Structured Populations (Jan 16)
3 Evolutionary Significance of Genetic Variation
(Sept 19)
28 Competition and Predation (Jan 21)
4 Genetic Variation: Models and Measurement (Sept 29 Trophic Structure and Food Webs (Jan 23)
24) 30 Nature of Ecological Communities (Jan 28)
5 Reproductive Systems (Sept 26) 31 Ecological Succession (Jan 30)
6 Natural Selection (Oct 1) 32 Metapopulations and Landscape Ecology (Feb 4)
7 Population Differentiation & Local Adaptation 33 Herbivory, Parasitism, and Mutualism
(Oct 3) (Feb 6)
Special guest lecture: TBA (Oct 10) 34 Human-Influenced Ecosystems (Feb 11)
8 Speciation (Oct 15) 35 Conservation Revisited: Persistence of Populations
9 Biotechnology and Genetically Modified Foods (Feb 13)
(Oct 17)
10 Biological Invasions (Oct 22) Test 3: Thursday, Feb. 28, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
11 Biodiversity, Extinction and Conservation Biology
(Oct 24) Global Change – Prof. Robert Jefferies
Test 1: Thursday, Nov. 1, 6:00-7:15 p.m. 36 Quaternary Environments (Feb 25)
37 Quaternary Environments (Feb 27)
Behavioural and Molecular Ecology 38 Biogeochemical Cycling (Mar 3)
– Prof. John Stinchcombe 39 Biogeochemical Cycling (Mar 5)
40 Water, Salinity, and Desertification (Mar 10)
12 Natural Selection and Behaviour (Oct 29)
41 Water, Salinity, and Desertification (Mar 12)
13 Introduction to Foraging (Oct 31)
42 Coupling of Oceans and the Atmosphere (Mar 17)
14 Foraging and Predation (Nov 5)
43 Coupling of Oceans and the Atmosphere (Mar 19)
15 Sexual Selection: Male Competition (Nov 7)
44 Global Warming and the Ecological Consequences
16 Sexual Selection: Female Choice (Nov 12) (Mar 24)
17 Mating Systems (Nov 14) 45 Global Warming and the Ecological Consequences
18 Social Behaviour (Nov 19) (Mar 26)
19 Parent-Offspring Conflict (Nov 21)
Evolutionary Medicine – Prof. Locke Rowe
20 Introduction to Molecular Ecology and Genomics
(Nov 26) 46 Evolutionary Medicine I (Mar 31)
21 Human Evolutionary Genomics (Nov 28) 47 Evolutionary Medicine II (Apr 2)
22 Ecological Genomics and Adaptation (Dec 3) 48 Evolutionary Medicine III (Apr 7)
23 Speciation Genetics (Dec 5) 49 Evolutionary Medicine IV (Apr 9)

Test 2: Dec. 10–20 (2 hrs.) Test 4: Apr. 21–May 9 (2 hrs., 15 min.)

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 BIO150 Course Syllabus 2007/08

Laboratory Schedule - 2007/08

Fall Term

Lab Dates Exercise Chapter Quiz

1 Sept 17–27 Insect Diversity and Adaptation 1

Sept 17–Dec 7 Diversity of Plants (self-study) 12

The Scientific Method: 2

2 Oct 1–Oct 11* Orientation Behaviour in Isopods 1
Introduction to Statistics (self-study) 13

Population Genetics 3
3 Oct 15–25 2
Metal Tolerance I 4

Metal Tolerance II 4
4 Oct 29– Nov 8 Phenotypic Plasticity I 6 3
Library Research (intro) (self-study) 14

5 Nov 12–22 Genetic Variation in Natural Populations 5 4

6 Nov 26–Dec 6 Phenotypic Plasticity II 6 5

Dec 10–20 Test 2

* The Week 2 lab on Mon., Oct 8 (Thanksgiving), 1:30-4:30 pm, will be rescheduled for Tues., Oct. 9, 6-9 pm

Winter Term

Lab Dates Exercise Chapter Quiz

Jan 7–Apr 11 Animal Diversity (self-study) 15

Eutrophication I 7
7 Jan 7–17 6
Ethical Issues in Biology (intro) 11

Comparative Vertebrate Morphology 8

8 Jan 21–31
Library Research (assignment due) 14

9 Feb 4–14 Reconstructing Evolutionary Relationships 9 7

Reading Week: Feb. 18–22

Cooperative Behaviour 10
10 Feb 25–Mar 6 8
Ethical Issues (group discussions) 11

11 Mar 10–20 Eutrophication II 7 9

12 Mar 24–Apr 3 Ethical Issues (report due + presentations) 11

13 Apr 7–10 Pick-up graded Ethics Report (during first 30 minutes of lab period)

Apr 21–May 9 Test 4

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