BIOL 20 Life’s Innovations

Evolution has been an amazing problem solver, having created a huge variety of solutions to a few basic problems during the history of life. This course will introduce students to a number of these major problems and the solutions that bacteria, archaea, protozoans, algae, fungi, plants and animals have evolved. What is life? How can an organism solve many problems at one time? How should an organism make copies of itself? How do organisms acquire fuel to operate and then deal with the resulting waste by-products? How can an organism get from one place to another? How can an organism keep from becoming dinner for something else? When should organisms be solitary or live in groups? These are some of the major problems that organisms face, and this class will explore how organisms have evolved to solve them.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:TAS

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Biological Sciences