COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
BIOLOGY
(BIO)

5013 Survey of Environmental Sciences
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
An integrative examination of living and nonliving environmental systems. A detailed study of interrelationships among plants, animals, and the environment, addressing the chemical, physical, and biological properties of living systems, and the principles that drive their evolution. (Same as ES 5013. Credit cannot be earned for BIO 5013 and ES 5013.)

5023 Molecular and Genetic Bases of Living Systems
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
A comprehensive survey of modern principles of quantitative, molecular, and cell biology. An integrated examination of the biochemical, biophysical, and genetic properties of procaryotic and eukaryotic cells and multicellular organisms.

5243 Advanced Plant Ecology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3283, BIO 3292, or consent of instructor.
A study of the major biomes of the world, including North America and Texas, and the factors that influence the development of these biomes. Special consideration is given to species interactions that lead to high and low density species.(Same as ES 5243. Credit cannot be earned for BIO 5243 and ES 5243.)

5263 Microbial Ecology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3713 or consent of instructor.
Interrelationships between microorganisms and their environment, including natural habitats of microorganisms, normal human flora, and pathogens. Special consideration is given to application of genetically engineering microorganisms for environmental problems.(Same as ES 5263. Credit cannot be earned for BIO 5263 and ES 5263.)

5313 Cytogenetics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 2313 or an equivalent.
An analysis of chromosome structure and function, gene location, crossing-over, and variations in chromosome structure and number.

5333 Advanced Population Genetics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 2313 and BIO 2322, or their equivalents. Biostatistics highly recommended.
An experimental approach to the interaction of genotype and environment in populations, with emphasis on mutagenesis, selection, polymorphism, and adaptive mechanisms.

5353 Molecular and Biochemical Genetics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 2313 and BIO 3513, or their equivalents.
Molecular and biochemical aspects of structure, replication, mutation, and phenotypic expression of genetic material.

5363 Microbial Genetics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 2313 and BIO 3713, or their equivalents.
A study of bacterial, fungal, and viral genetics. Emphasis on the current literature, data interpretation, and experimental techniques.

5403 Advanced Comparative Animal Physiology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 4353 or an equivalent.
Physiology of the organs and organ systems of animals.

5423 Neuroanatomy
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
The anatomy of the vertebrate nervous system.

5433 Neurophysiology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 4353 or an equivalent.
Physiology of the nervous system. Emphasis on sensory and motor systems and neural correlations of behavior.

5443 Neurochemistry
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 3513, 3522, and 4433.
An examination of basic biochemical phenomena involved in normal neural processes and some pathological changes associated with neurobiological diseases and disorders.

5453 Neuroendocrinology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 3813 and 4433.
Anatomical and molecular neurobiology of the endocrine hypothalamus and associated organs. Morphological, cell biological, and feedback mechanisms of endocrine regulation are emphasized.

5463 Reproductive Biology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Courses in organ physiology and endocrinology or consent of instructor.
A comparative study of mammalian reproduction with emphasis on vertebrate/mammalian reproduction, including cellular and systems mechanisms, hormonal regulation, and the effects of environmental factors.

5473 Developmental Neurobiology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 4433 or consent of instructor.
A study of the development of the nervous system, with an emphasis on neurogenesis, neuronal migration, growth factors axonal guidance, and the role of neuronal activity in synapse stabilization.

5483 Computational Neuroscience
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite BIO 3433 or equivalent.
A non-mathematical approach to the computational functions of the brain, including sensory coding, neural control of movement, and the computational properties of neurons and neuronal networks.

5503 Sensory Physiology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 4433 or consent of instructor.
Principles of sensory physiology, including sensory transduction and central processing of sensory information in vertebrate and invertebrate species.

5523 Enzymes
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3513 or an equivalent.
A study of enzyme structure and mechanism, inhibitors, cofactor, kinetics, and regulation.

5543 Pharmacology and Toxicology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 3513, 3522, 3413, and 3422.
A review of the beneficial, adverse, and toxic reactions of individuals to a variety of drugs and environmental substances. Chemical, biochemical, pharmacological, toxicological, genetic, teratogenic, and pathological aspects are examined.

5563 Biochemical Macromolecules
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3513 or an equivalent.
Structure, function, and isolation of macromolecules. Emphasis is on nucleic acids and proteins and their interactions.

5583 Neuropharmacology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Graduate standing in the life sciences.
A study of drugs that affect nervous tissue, specifically those affecting the brain and autonomic nervous system.

5633 Cytodifferentiation
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in the life sciences.
Detailed study of selected areas of developmental biology relating to cellular differentiation, including nuclearcytoplasmic interactions, induction, and reversibility of differentiation.

5743 Biochemical Virology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in the life sciences.
A detailed study of the diversity of viruses and biochemical mechanisms for their replication.

5833 Membrane Structure and Function
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3513 or an equivalent.
A study of the composition, organization, transport functions, and permeability of natural and model membranes.

5971-3 Directed Research
1 to 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and permission in writing (form available) of the instructor and the student’s Graduate Advisor of Record.
The directed research course may involve either a laboratory or a theoretical problem. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to the Master’s degree.

6113 Advanced Plant Physiology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 4603 or consent of instructor.
Principles of plant physiology and biochemistry, with particular emphasis on plant hormones, nitrogen fixation, plant respiration, photosynthesis, and current research work. (Same as ES 6113. Credit cannot be earned for BIO 6113 and ES 6113.)

6133 Methods in Field Biology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3283 or an equivalent.
Examination of techniques to collect, identify, and preserve plants and animals. Field methods used in the analysis of populations and communities are considered. (Same as ES 6133. Credit cannot be earned for both BIO 6133 and ES 6133.)

6213 Advanced Ecology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3283 or an equivalent.
Interaction of organisms with their environment, allelopathy, competition, distribution, succession, and factors that control growth and dispersal. Special consideration is given to the concepts of climax, succession, and land management. (Same as ES 6213. Credit cannot be earned for BIO 6213 and ES 6213.)

6373 Invertebrate Physiology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3413.
An investigation of the mechanisms of respiration, movement, ion and water regulation, and hormonal integration in the invertebrates.

6483 Animal Behavior
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3413 or consent of instructor.
An examination of neural, endocrine, genetic, and environmental determinants of behavior.

6553 Fermentation Science
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 3713 and 3722, or their equivalents.
The principles and theory underlying industrial fermentations, such as vessel design and construction, media design, upscaling fermentations, process control, and product isolation.

6563 Food Science and Technology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: BIO 3713 and 3722, or their equivalents.
The science underlying industrial processes related to foods. The latest applications of technologies such as strain isolation and improvement, raw material selection and storage, process monitoring, and the assessment of chemical and microbiological status of products.

6663 Experimental Parasitology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: A course in parasitology or consent of instructor.
A study of animal parasites, with special emphasis on the physiology of host-parasite interactions.

6773 Host-Parasite Interactions
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3713 or consent of instructor.
A study of infectious disease processes, with emphasis on host-parasite relationships of selected microbial pathogens.

6803 Advanced Immunology and Immunochemistry
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 4743 or consent of instructor.
The study of current concepts of humoral and cell-mediated immunity, with emphasis on molecular mechanisms.

6823 Molecular Radiation Biology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3513 or consent of instructor.
A study of biological effects of ionizing and nonionizing radiation, with emphasis on repair mechanisms of radiation damage at the cellular and subcellular level. Applications in cancer therapy are included.

6873 Microbial Physiology and Energetics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3713 or consent of instructor.
Consideration of physiological activities of microorganisms, with special emphasis on metabolic capabilities of bacteria and other microorganisms.

6951-3 Independent Study
1 to 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and permission in writing (form available) of the instructor and the student’s Graduate Advisor of Record.
Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction of a faculty member. For students needing specialized work not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to the Master’s degree.

6961 Comprehensive Examination
1 hour credit. Prerequisite: Approval of the appropriate graduate program committee to take the Comprehensive Examination.
Independent study course for the purpose of taking the Comprehensive Examination. May be repeated as many times as approved by the Graduate Program Committee. Enrollment is required each term in which the Comprehensive Examination is taken if no other courses are being taken that term. The grade report for the course is either “CR” (satisfactory performance on the Comprehensive Examination) or “NC” (unsatisfactory performance on the Comprehensive Examination).

6973 Special Problems
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary, but not more than 6 hours, regardless of discipline, may be applied to the Master’s degree.

6983 Master’s Thesis
3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Permission of the Graduate Advisor and thesis director.
Thesis research and preparation. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 hours will apply to the Master’s degree. Credit will be awarded upon completion of the thesis. Enrollment is required each term in which the thesis is in progress.

7041 Life Sciences Colloquium
(1-0) 1 hour credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Discussions of current journal articles, reviews, and recent advances in specialized areas of the biological sciences. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. The grade report for this course is either “CR” (satisfactory participation in the colloquium) or “NC” (unsatisfactory participation in the colloquium). (Formerly BIO 5041. Same as ES 6941. Unless topic varies, credit cannot be earned for both BIO 7041 and ES 6941.)

7051 Seminar in Life Sciences
(1-0) 1 hour credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Formal presentations of research by outside authorities in the biological sciences. May be repeated for credit. The grade report for this course is either “CR” (satisfactory participation in the seminar) or “NC” (unsatisfactory participation in the seminar).

7113 Supervised Teaching in Life Sciences
3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
May be repeated for credit.

7211-3 Doctoral Research
1 to 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
May be repeated for credit, but no more than 24 hours may be applied to the doctoral degree.

7311-3 Doctoral Dissertation
1 to 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree and completion of at least 21 hours of BIO 7211-3. May be repeated for credit, but no more than 12 hours may be applied to the doctoral degree.

7413 Research Ethics and Responsible Conduct in Research
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
A case-study approach to formal training in the responsible conduct of research. Includes areas of conflict of interest; responsible authorship; policies for handling misconduct; policies regarding the use of human and animal subjects; and data management.

7513 Advanced Biochemistry
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3513 or an equivalent.
An in-depth discussion of structure-function relationships in biological systems, including bioenergetics of metabolism and hormonal and nonhormonal regulation of metabolic pathways. (Formerly BIO 5513. Credit cannot be earned for both BIO 7513 and BIO 5513.)

7571-3 Experimental Techniques in the Life Sciences
(0-2, 0-4, 0-6) 1 to 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics include research methods in cell and molecular biology, molecular neurobiology, and microbiology. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (Formerly BIO 5571-3.)

7643 Cellular and Molecular Biology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: BIO 3513 or consent of instructor.
Structure of eucaryotic and procaryotic cells, functions of biomembranes and cytoplasmic organelles, and regulation of cellular activity. (Formerly BIO 6643. Credit cannot be earned for both BIO 7643 and BIO 6643.)