Undergraduate Admissions Office

Admissions Bulletin
Studying Biology at Cornell

Studying Biology at Cornell University

tudying biological sciences at Cornell may make your next four years
S the most exciting of your life so far. As we venture further into the 21st
century, our body of biological knowledge is expanding at a dizzying pace.
ships from sources such as the National Science Foundation and
the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
• Every year a substantial number of undergraduates receive credit
Not only is Cornell where much of the knowledge is unfolding, but it’s also for their independent research in Cornell’s laboratories. In fact, in
a place where the researchers who make the discoveries are teaching un- 2009-10, 400 students earned academic credit for their scientific
dergraduates. Studying biology at Cornell means coming into daily contact work. The research done by undergraduates is frequently published
with pioneers who increase our knowledge of the living world. But what’s so in scientific journals, and students are listed as authors or co-
special about biology at Cornell? We hoped you’d ask. authors. Many ultimately present their findings at national scientific
• There are hundreds of topflight biologists engaged in teaching and meetings.
research at Cornell. And that number doesn’t begin to include pro-
fessors teaching and doing research in related fields—animal sci-
ence, nutrition, and bioengineering, to name a few. You get to share “Research is a whole new type of learning.
in the excitement of their research in your science courses; with a It’s interactive and gives you hands-on
little initiative, you may wind up working on a research project with experience of what it really means to be a
them in their laboratories. scientist, while at the same time helping
• In response to rapidly growing and changing knowledge, Cornell you understand the mechanisms and
offers brand new courses every year in biological sciences, replac- logistics of procedures you only hear about
ing dated information with up-to-the-minute facts. in class. And when you get to the point that
you are designing your own experiments,
“Undergraduates come to the it really forces you to think outside the box
laboratory ready to learn and ready and to analyze all the little details to figure
to work hard. In the team setting out how to get the results you want.”
they ask some of the best Alex Gileta ‘12
questions because they have few
preconceived notions about the
ideas, the data, and the methods.” • You can take part in weekly department seminars in which speakers
Assistant Professor Nate Sutter from Cornell, other research institutions, and industry reveal their
Clinical sciences own recent findings. Attending seminars is a great way to find out
what’s what and who’s who around the world in the fields that spark
• Cornell’s Office of Undergraduate Biology (OUB) offers informa- your interest.
tion, workshops, and advising for biology students. Advisors help
you choose courses that suit your interests and work toward your
degree; conduct a summer job search; locate exciting school-year
research opportunities; and select and apply to graduate, medi-
cal, and veterinary schools. The OUB is also a great place to relax
between classes, meet other biology students, and swap ideas and
experiences.
• You can study biology or a biology-related subject in the College
of Arts and Sciences; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences;
the College of Engineering; or the College of Human Ecology (more
about that later).
• Approximately 20 percent of students who major in biological sci-
ences at Cornell go on to graduate study; approximately 30 percent
go on to medical or veterinary school.
• Biology majors are consistently competitive for prestigious fellow-

Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office Studying Biology at Cornell

Student Research Projects
Picture yourself in a lab coat. Scores of study and research options are
available to you as a biology student at the university. The study of biology
at Cornell is an ever-unfolding adventure. Sound exciting? It is! But lab op-
portunities give you more than just a hope for a firsthand crack at the thrill of
scientific discovery. A productive research experience or two is mighty im-
pressive on your grad, med, or vet school application. And you can establish
some rock-solid contacts for when you venture out into the real world.
Opportunities to study in the field abound as well. Immerse yourself (both
literally and figuratively) in oceanic exploration at Shoals Marine Lab,
Cornell’s marine biology station off the coast of Maine. Undergraduates at
Cornell have also travelled to exciting places such as Africa, Mexico, Costa
Rica, and the Dominican Republic to participate in Cornell faculty’s research
courses and projects.
Here are just a few of the research projects recently completed by Cornell
undergraduates:
Cloning and Characterization of Slo Family Potassium Channel
Isoforms in the Lobster Nervous System
Vinay Patel with Professor Ronald Harris-Warrick,
Neurobiology and Behavior
Host-Parasite Specificity and Local Host Adaptation Help to
Favor Dispersal as a Mechanism for Anciently Asexual Bdelloid
Rotifers to Avoid Extinction by Fungal Parasites
Grace Masters with Professor Paul Sherman,
Neurobiology and Behavior
Molecular Identification of the Equine Major Histocompatibility
Complex and an Investigation of its Role in Reproduction
Chia T Tseng with Professor Douglas Antczak,
Baker Institute for Animal Health
Genetic Consequences of Recent Range Expansions by the
Boreal Toad in Southeast Alaska
Iris Holmes with Associate Professor Kelly Zamudio,
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Characterization of a Possible Role of Mai1 in Effector-Triggered
Immunity in Nicotiana Benthamiana
Benjamin A Diner with Professor Gregory Martin,
Plant Pathology & Plant Microbe Biology
The Role of Scents for Prey Attraction in the Carnivorous Pitcher
Plant
Carly Elston with Professor Andre Kessler,
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Sperm Usage Patterns in the Dengue Vector Mosquito, Aedes
Aegypt
Laura Seeholzer with Professor Laura Harrington,
Entomology
Morphological and Developmental Patterning of Excitatory and
Inhibitory Interneurons in the Larval Zebrafish Hindbrain and In
Vivo Imaging of Synaptic Plasticity During Sleep
India Reddy with Professor Joseph Fetcho,
Neurobiology & Behavior
Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office
Majoring In Biology
If you want to major in biological sciences at Cornell, you can apply to
either the College of Arts and Sciences or the College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences. Since courses and requirements for the bio major are the same in
both colleges, we advise you to make your college choice according to your
secondary interests. It’s the nonbiology course options and requirements
that vary from college to college.
For example, students in arts and sciences are expected to become proficient
in a language other than English. Students in agriculture and life sciences
generally are not. Leaf through the Cornell course catalog offerings and the
overall degree requirements in both schools, and see where your second-
ary interests lean. If you’d like to explore astronomy, history of science, or
another humanities area, arts and sciences may be your choice. If, however,
you’re interested in science writing, animal science, or meteorology, agricul-
ture and life sciences may be better for you.
Actually, there is a good deal of flexibility in both colleges. In fact, every
college at Cornell allows you to take courses in the other colleges. You might
also want to consider majors focusing on biological applications.
The College of Human Ecology, for example, offers majors in nutritional
sciences or human biology, health, and society. And there is a joint program
in biological and environmental engineering sponsored by the College of
Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Programs of Study
Biology is a growing field, and it’s becoming more complex every day. Where
do you jump in? At Cornell, if you major in biological sciences, you begin
with basic courses in biology, chemistry, math, and physics. (Don’t worry
you don’t need to get them all out of the way in your first semester!) Once
you’ve built a foundation in biology, you pursue a more specific program of
study emphasizing whatever aspect of bio interests you most:
Animal physiology
How animal bodies (including human ones) work is a source of constant
wonder and delight to physiologists. Sometimes it’s a real puzzle, too. Physi-
ologists investigate life systems and their interactions, from the molecular
to the global. They also examine the ways organisms adapt to their environ-
ments. For instance, how is the mechanism that allows fish to conduct their
gas exchanges for underwater breathing different from a land creature’s
breathing apparatus?
Biochemistry, molecular and cell biology
Studies of things microscopic and submicroscopic are large matters.
Scientists in this field range from biophysicists using Cornell’s synchrotron
as a high-energy source for Xray crystallography to molecular geneticists
working on the molecular basis of gene regulation and biochemists studying
what makes cells divide and stop dividing. You can wrestle with questions
like: If you cut yourself and your body needs to make repairs, how does it
figure out that you need more skin cells or more blood vessel cells or more
muscle cells?
Computational biology
Math plus biology equals computational biology. In this newly emerging
field, scientists use their computational skills to gain insight into diverse
and important research questions involving, for example, the evolution and
organization of genomes, population dynamics of aquatic and terrestrial
organisms, and the structure and function of proteins. Computational biolo-
gists also use mathematical modeling to explore the evolution of animal
behaviors such as sexual selection, optimal foraging, and communication,
conflict, and cooperation.
Studying Biology at Cornell
Ecology and evolutionary biology
What do ecologists actually do? They spend time in the field collecting and
observing. And they’re in the lab experimenting and working on computers.
All of this helps them make sense of the ways organisms interact. And where
does evolutionary biology fit into the equation? Evolutionary biologists figure
out how plants and animals came to be the way they are. They study the
“good fit” of organisms to their environments and trace the natural history of
Earth’s enormous biological diversity.
General biology
If you think there is just so much wonderful stuff to explore that you don’t
want to pin yourself down to a specialty yet, general biology may be just the
thing for you. In general biology, once you’ve fulfilled the requirements for
the major, you can “graze” through the course catalog, experimenting with
courses that strike your fancy. You’re limited only by your own imagination,
curiosity, and drive.
Genetics and development
Each of us is made up of millions of cells, all of which contain the same ge-
netic material, from the same fertilized egg. How does an undifferentiated cell
mass (which is how we all start out) wind up with a brain, liver, heart, and
all the other makings of a human being? What causes mistakes in develop-
ment? Scientists in genetics and development seek to answer questions like
these by studying genes and how they function. They trace the process from
undifferentiated cells through fully developed plants and animals.
“Understanding scientific theory
is one thing, but to be able to
utilize my knowledge in the
context of biological explora-
tion is what really makes
learning fun for me.”
Dan Petkovsek ‘12
Insect biology
Did you know that insects represent the largest number and greatest
diversity of species on our planet? They range from the most disgusting of
creatures (well, maybe those who study them find them charming) like dung
beetles, to some of the most beautiful—delicate, pale green luna moths
and gaudy butterflies. Consider the risky courtship behavior of spiders or
how essential insects are to the reproduction of so many plant species. This
program lets you learn all about the basic biology of insects while building a
strong foundation in general science and math.
Microbiology
Microbes are the dominant cause of diseases such as AIDS, toxic shock syn-
drome, and Lyme disease, as well as diseases affecting wildlife, livestock,
and pets. They’re also the world’s tiny unsung heroes—the microscopic
workhorses that continuously recycle carbon, oxygen, and trace elements
and fix nitrogen. Harness natural populations of them and they clean up oil
spills or toxic wastes. Monkey around with their genetic material and they’ll
produce miracle drugs, like interferon and inexpensive insulin. Biotechnol-
ogy is firmly rooted in microbiology—an exciting place to be these days.
Neurobiology and behavior
Neurobiology and behavior’s got a lot of nerve! That is to say, neurobi-
ologists and behaviorists study the way nervous systems function, from
molecular activity (the manner in which chemicals pass through your cell
membranes so you can react to all those stimuli) to “simple” insect nervous
systems and behavior (for instance, how honeybees socialize) to the courting
and feeding behavior of mammals—absolutely fascinating stuff!
Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office
Nutrition
The rapidly changing science of nutrition draws on molecular biology,
biochemistry, physiology, and chemistry to understand how and why diet
affects human growth, development, performance, aging, and resistance to
diseases like heart disease and cancer. The study of nutrition involves you
in topics such as molecular toxicology; the structure and function of lipids,
proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, and minerals; and metabolic, health,
and environmental processes.
Plant biology
How do you genetically engineer a fungus so that it can be used instead of
pesticides to control insects? What are the physics involved in how a tree
holds up a couple of tons of limbs? How have plants rooted to the ground
evolved ways of taking care of themselves without moving? How can an
organism with both male and female sexual organs keep from mating with
itself? These are the kinds of questions plant biologists research.
Systematics and biotic diversity
Looking for a broad field of biology that encompasses (literally!) the entire
tree of life? The study of systematics and biotic diversity involves investiga-
tions of all kinds of living organisms: their classification and evolution, their
development, structure, and population genetics, and more. Specialists in this
discipline can be found in research laboratories and field stations, botanical
gardens, zoological parks, and museums around the world.
Even More Options
Do you think basic biology may be too basic for you? Listed on the next
two pages are some other majors at Cornell that are bio-related. Some are
offered in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS); some in the
College of Arts and Sciences (A&S); some in the College of Engineering (EN)
or the College of Human Ecology (HE); and some in more than one college.
Biology and society
If you love biology but also want to understand, even influence, issues of
major importance, give serious thought to the bio and society major. With
courses like Biology of Normal and Abnormal Behavior; Plants and Civiliza-
tion; Biotechnology and Law; Ecology and Social Change; and Ethics and
Health Care, you can explore the ways that biology, society, ethics, and
public policy tie in to each other. You can take a long and deep look at issues
such as health care, genetic engineering, environmental quality, or world-
wide food distribution. (CALS; A&S; HE)
Entomology
Are you bugged by a serious interest in the world of insects? Do you want
to study these fascinating organisms in even more depth than you would in
the general biology program? In the entomology major, you can investigate
everything from the theoretical (how insects synchronize their internal clocks
to match light and temperature cycles) to the practical and applied (how
insects develop resistance to pesticides). You may find that studying these
seemingly lowly creatures holds the key to our understanding of slightly
larger topics, such as the world economy and the natural environment.
(CALS)
Food science
Good to the last drop! Thick and zesty! Won’t melt in your hands! Advertising
may sell all those foods you can’t seem to resist, but it’s the food scientist
who develops them. Food scientists use scientific principles to control the
factors that affect the safety, nutritive value, and acceptability of foods. And
they develop new and exciting kinds of foods and food packaging. This is a
high-tech, fastmoving field! (CALS)
Studying Biology at Cornell
Animal science
Horses, cattle, swine, sheep, poultry—animal scientists use biochemistry,
animal biology, molecular biology, and other life sciences to study animals
that contribute to humankind’s well-being. As an animal science major, you’ll For more information:
study animal breeding, nutrition, physiology, growth, and management. The Office of Undergraduate Biology
field is diverse and the curriculum is flexible, allowing you to investigate top- 607.255.5233
ics ranging from genetics, endocrinology, and reproduction of typical farm www.biology.cornell.edu
animals to the study of tropical livestock or the propagation of exotic avian
species such as birds of prey. (CALS) To find out more about the majors
Biological and environmental engineering mentioned in this bulletin:
Are you interested in designing renewable energy systems or artificial Agriculture and Life Sciences
human organs? In engineering biomedical and/or food processes using soft- 607.255.2036
ware on a supercomputer? In exploring technology solutions to pollution, www.cals.cornell.edu
soil erosion, or disposal of solid wastes? The focus of these two wide-rang-
ing majors are some of the serious challenges involved in ensuring that the Arts and Sciences
world has an adequate and safe food supply; protecting or remediating the 607.255.4833
world’s natural resources; and developing engineering systems applicable to www.arts.cornell.edu
the mechanisms of living organisms. (CALS; EN)
Engineering
Human biology, health, and society 607.255.5008
The biology and social science of health and illness touch on complex www.engineering.cornell.edu
issues that affect our lives in crucial ways: How do we fairly reform health
care and health insurance systems? How do we employ nutritional therapy Human Ecology
in disease prevention and care in our own communities or in developing 607.255.5471
countries? What artificial materials are useful for repair of injured, diseased, www.human.cornell.edu
or aged human tissues and organs? If you are interested in investigating
health issues such as these from a social perspective, this major may be for Undergraduate Admissions Office
you. (HE) Cornell University
Natural resources 410 Thurston Avenue
Would you like to use what you know about biology to protect and manage Ithaca, NY 14850-2488
natural environments? Are you interested in the preservation of wetlands, the 607.255.5241
dynamics of forest ecosystems, or the behavior, physiology, nutrition, and www.admissions.cornell.edu
energetics of wildlife populations? The natural resources major focuses on
three major areas: ecology and management of landscapes; resource policy,
management, and human dimensions; and fish and wildlife biology. And in
courses such as International Environmental Issues, you can broaden your
ecological perspective by studying global issues such as whaling, Antarctic
development, ozone depletion, and tropical deforestation. (CALS)
Plant sciences
Plant sciences comes in many varieties at Cornell, where more than a
hundred (!) plant-sci courses are offered. You can study plant biology with
an eye to becoming a researcher in the biology, chemistry, anatomy, and
taxonomy of plants, or study plant breeding, where you apply genetics and
related sciences to improve agricultural and ornamental plant species. Or
you might want to become a plant pathologist, working to eliminate plant
diseases or at least bring them under control. Biotechnology provides plant
scientists with state-of-the-art tools and techniques for understanding and
developing new forms of plant life. Options are also available in floriculture
and ornamental horticulture, and fruit and vegetable science. (CALS)

Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office Studying Biology at Cornell