Learning Objectives
| The Department of Biological Science offers one of the broadest and most comprehensive undergraduate program in plant and animal science in Pakistan. It is designed to offer broad, general training in plant science and research specialization and to meet the needs of students preparing for additional studies. |
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Requirements for the Major
| A total of 48 credit hours in biological sciences: 24 credit hours of BIOL 201,BIOL 202,BIOL 203,BIOL 204,BIOL 301,BIOL 302,BIOL 303, and the remaining 24 credit hours from BIOL 205,BIOL 313,BIOL 317,BIOL 402, BIOL 404,BIOL 451,BIOL 461,**BIOL 499, BTNY 207,BIOL 304,BIOL 315,BIOL 319,BIOL 321,BIOL 403,BIOL 455,BIOL 457, BIOL 459,BIOL 463,BIOL 469,BIOL 471,BIOL 473,BIOL 475, ZOOL 302,BIOL 303,BIOL 304,BIOL 403,BIOL 405,BIOL 406,BIOL 407, and BIOL 408.
Students majoring in Biological Sciences must take 8 credit hours of Chemistry courses in consultation with faculty advisor. ** Students with cumulative GPA 2.5 or above will be eligible for research. Students with CGPA less than 2.5 will have to take TWO additional courses from electives listed for Biological Science Majors. |
| There are no particular requirements found for this course. |
Requirements for the Minor
8 credit hours of mandatory courses and eight (8) credit hours at the 300 and 400 levels selected in consultation with the Faculty Advisor. An intention to minor in Biological Sciences must be declared prior to the Junior (3rd)Year.
For information about a minor in this department, please consult the department chairperson.
Course Descriptions
| BIOL 101 – Man and Environment (4 credits) |
| Only for students who have not studied biology in higher secondary school or A level or equivalent Life on the earth revolves around the interaction of living organisms with their environment. This course emphasizes the role of plants, animals and environment as it relates to survival and welfare of mankind. |
| BIOL 102 – Introductory Plant Biology (4 credits) |
| Only for students who have studied biology In higher secondary school/A level or equivalent This course covers structure-function relationship of plants, basic principles of genetics and molecular genetics, biotechnology and its use in modifying plants. Ecosystem, environmental issues and the relevance of flowering plants in human life are also examined |
| BIOL 103 – Elementary Human Biology (4 credits) |
| Only for students who have not studied biology in higher secondary school or A level or equivalent Basic human anatomy; nutrition; genetics of blood groups; genetic diseases, an effect of environment on human health. |
| BIOL 104 – Life on Earth (4 credits) |
| Only for students who have not studied biology in higher secondary school or A level or equivalent The science of biology and its various branches. Characteristics of life, organizational levels (from biological molecules and cells to organisms), ecology and evolution, a survey of various groups of organisms and their phylogenetic relationships. |
| BIOL 105 – General Zoology (4 credits) |
| Only for students who have studied biology in higher secondary school/A level or equivalent The structure, functions, ecology and evolution of all major animal groups including invertebrates and chordates. The origin of multicellular forms and basic environmental factors affecting them. |
| BIOL 201 – Cell Biology (3 credits) |
| This course will examine: the ultra structure of cell; the cell membrane, cytoskeleton, nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplast, ribosome, dictyosome, vacuole, microbodies & cell surface. Protein synthesis and secretion, chromosomal aberrations, mitosis, meiosis & cell cycle regulation will also be discussed. |
| BIOL 202 – Diversity in Plants (4credits) |
| This course deals with the classification of organisms; survey of algae, fungi and various groups of plants with emphasis on evolutionary trends. |
| BIOL 203 – General Genetics (3 credits) |
| Introduction; concept of gene; Mendelian inheritance; sex-linked inheritance; linkage and crossing over; cytoplasmic inheritance; structure, chemistry, functions and types of DNA and RNA; recombination in viruses, bacteria, fungi and eukaryotes; Operon model; transposable elements; genetic code; variation in chromosomal number and structure; population genetics; problems related to the theoretical course. |
| BIOL 204 – Diversity in Animals (4 credits) |
| Classification and phylogenetic relationship of various groups of animals, an overview of all major groups of invertebrates and chordates (general survey of animal kingdom). |
| BIOL 205 – Biostatistics (3 credits) |
| Introduction to statistics including mean, mode, median, standard error & standard deviation, probability and test of significance, correlation, analysis of variance, regression and experimental design. |
| BTNY 207 – Economic Botany (3 credits) |
| The course will cover the study of plant from their economic point of view. The improvement of plants for better yield of their economic products and the strategies for the domestication and preservation of economic plants. Plants as a source of food; beverage, herbs and spices; medicinal plants; psychoactive plants; poisonous and allergy plants; fibers, dyes, tannins; hydrogel, latexes and resins, wood cork and bamboo. Cultural and molecular approaches to improvement of economic products and domestication and preservation of economic plants. |
| BIOL 301 – Plant Form and Function (3 credits) |
| This course deals with the analysis of plant structure and function. The topics include an overview of plant organization from cell to organismic level, and appreciation of physiological processes as they relate to the plant survival and adaptability. |
| BIOL 302 – Animal Form and Function (4 credits) |
| Comparison of animals with one another. Similarities and differences among the major phyla of animal kingdom. External and internal variations in organs and systems; adaptations that enable them to live successfully in their respective environments. |
| BIOL 303 – General Ecology (3 credits) |
| The primary objective of this course is the elucidation of basic principles of ecology such as interaction of organisms with their environment, species and population dynamics, community structure, and human interactions with natural populations and ecosystems. Emphasis will be on local environment, flora and fauna. |
| BIOL 313 – Biochemistry (3 credits) |
| Prerequisite for non-science students: CHEM 110 The chemistry of biological compounds: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Enzymes and enzyme kinetics, isozymes. Bioenergetics and metabolism. Information pathways: replication transcription, reverse transcription and translation. |
| BIOL 317 – Environmental Biology (3 credits) |
| Applied aspects of ecology like environmental degradation, pollution & deforestation, which are major human concern today, is the theme of this course. Emphasis will be on the role of plants in conservation of nature and biodiversity. |
| BTNY 304 – Integrative Plant Anatomy (3 credits) |
| This course is designed to acquaint the students with the study of plant structure. Emphasis is laid on the complementarity between structure and function and between structure and environment. Central theme of this course would be integration of plant anatomy with other fields. |
| BTNY 315 – Fundamentals of Microbiology (3 credits) |
| This course deals with the study of microbial life and its function using pure culture techniques, microscopy, bacterial morphology, anti-microbial resistance and their applications in industry, biotechnology, environmental sciences and basic research. |
| BTNY 319 – Mycology (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite for non-biology students: BIOL 202 This course will deal with the study of structural specialization, diversity, and economic importance of fungi. The lab work shall encompass maintenance of pure cultures and isolation of fungi from various sources |
| BTNY 321 – Phycology (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite for non-biology students: BIOL 202 Biology & diversity of algae, their importance in fresh water and marine communities, economic importance. Use of algae as models for study of biological questions. Students should become familiar with common freshwater and marine algae. Lecture & laboratory, field trips. |
| ZOOL 302 – Evolution, Palaeontology and Zoogeography (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 204 Evidences of evolution, Larmakism. Darwinism, natural selection and modern synthetic theory, modern concepts of microevolution and macroevolution. The role of the environment, continental drift theory and distribution of animals, fossilization, fossil fields and records, dating methods, significance of fossils. |
| ZOOL 303 – Animal Physiology and Endocrinology (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 Sub-disciplines of Physiology. Intracellular organization & their integration. Feeding, digestion & metabolism. Internal transport & gases exchanges. Mechanism of contractile system & movement. Osmoregulation & disposal of metabolic wastes. Neural signaling and regulation. Mechanism of sensory receptors. Hormone regulation and reproduction, development and growth, and their social behaviour. |
| ZOOL 304 – Developmental Biology and Animal Behavior (4credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 Study of the early stages of development involving the cellular basis of morphogenesis in representative animals; fundamentals of behavior, Innate and learning orientation, feeding and social behavior, animal communication, physiological basis and evolution. |
| BIOL 402 – Limnology (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 The structure and physiological characteristics of freshwater bodies, relationship of living and nonliving substances, composition of sewage and drainage water and their cleaning mechanisms. |
| BIOL 404 – Conservation Biology (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 The philosophy and significance of wildlife conservation; effects of industrialization, agriculture and urbanization on wildlife; wildlife rules and regulations; wildlife sanctuaries, game reserves and national parks; endangered species; international conventions. |
| BIOL 451 – Molecular Genetics (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite: BIOL 203 This course will include principles of genetic engineering, applications of genetic in plant improvement, molecular study of mutation and recombination. Gene regulation and differentiation. Step to step concept of mechanisms present from gene to phenotype shall be studied. Construction of genomic libraries; transgenic proteins and basic cloning experiments considering human and plant genome project shall be studied. |
| BIOL 461 – Fundamentals of Biotechnology (4 Credits) |
| This course will examine cloning, DNA finger printing, molecular forensic, transgenic organisms, green engineering and bioremediation; bioprocess and metabolic engineering, bioinformatics, functional genomics and proteomic; use of biotechnological advances towards solving real problems. Students will discuss problem-solving strategies from current literature in the area of medicine, agriculture, environmental protection/restoration and industrial biotechnology. Advance techniques in biotechnology such as PCR, hybridization experiments, chromosomal walking etc. shall also be covered. |
| BIOL 499 – Research (5 Credits) |
| Students with cumulative GPA 2.5 or above will be eligible for research. Students with CGPA less than 2.5 will have to take TWO additional courses from electives listed for Biological Sciences Majors. |
| BTNY 403 – Plant Physiology (3 credits) |
| Prerequisite for non-science students: BIOL 301 Application of physical and biological principles to the understanding of plant processes involved in assimilation, metabolism, and regulation of growth and development. |
| BTNY 455 – Advanced Plant Anatomy (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite: BTNY 304 Application of comparative plant anatomy and developmental plant anatomy. Use of plant anatomy in solving important problems. |
| BTNY 457 – Plant Tissue Culture (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite: BIOL 201 History of in vitro techniques. Plant growth regulators. Culture media. Cellular totipotency, callogenesis, organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis. Protoplast isolation and their culture. Somatic hybridization. Micropropagation. Production of pathogen-free plants |
| BTNY 459 – Stress Physiology (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite: BTNY 403 Stress and stressful environment. Some principles of plant responses to environment, drought stress, salt stress, temperature stress, irradiation stress and allelochemical stress. |
| BTNY 469 – Plant Pathology (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite for non-biology students: BIOL 202 This course deals with basic principles of plant pathology, disease symptoms, groups of plant pathogens and plant diseases; diseases of economically important plants; methods of plant disease control. |
| BTNY 471 – Conservation and Management of Environment (4 credits) |
| This course will examine the human impact on environment and ecosystem; energy in human affairs; land use and sustainable agriculture; water management; controlling pollution, solid and hazardous waste management; conservation of biodiversity; environmental ethics, policy and decision making. |
| BTNY 473 – Industrial Microbiology (4 credits) |
| Prerequisite: BTNY 315 This subject is designed to extend the student’s understanding and appreciation of the attributes of micro-organisms and the applications of modern techniques in the applied areas of industrial and environmental microbiology. It will also develop an advanced understanding of the applications of micro-organisms to the industrial production of foods and other useful products. |
| BTNY 475 – Environmental Bacteriology (4 credits) |
| Concept of sustainability with reference to interaction between the environmental and microbial species. Pollution control. Effect of heavy metals, their genetic toxicity and microbial resistance. Bioremediation, types of environmental deteriorating microbes. Molecular approach for environmental management |
| ZOOL 403 – Icthyology (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 Aspects of knowledge related to fish, fish groups comparative fish anatomy and physiology (ten body systems), ecology and icthyogeography, fish behavior and phylogenetic relationships. |
| ZOOL 405 – Animal Nutrition (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 Energy requirements, chemistry of feed ingredients, their source, and metabolism; ingredient constraints, feed additives, toxins and contaminants; water intake and metabolism, specifications and manufacturing of animal feeds. |
| Ornithology – Ornithology (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 Features of bird life. The skeleton of birds, the musculature types, flights feeding mechanism, syrinx and songs, system of bird behavior, evolution and migration of birds, classification of birds with special reference to the fauna |
| ZOOL 407 – Fish Diseases and Management (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 Bacterial, viral and fungal infections and diseases among fishes. Diseases caused by protozoans, worms, different types of food and the environments. Remedial and pathological care. |
| ZOOL 408 – Entomolgy (4 Credits) |
| Pre requisite BIOL 302 Origin of insects, morphology, anatomy, natural habitat, social behavior, appendages, life histories, economic importance, biological control of pests. |
Career Opportunities
Biological science majors are well prepared to pursue employment in education, entry level research positions, as well as providing preparation for additional education and specialization