Biology (General)
College of Letters and Science
College of Natural Resources
Overview
There is no department of biology at UC Berkeley; courses in the biological sciences are offered through the departments of Integrative Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Plant and Microbial Biology.
However, Berkeley offers three interdepartmental biology courses, which provide a broad, basic introduction to the biological sciences for both majors and non-majors. These courses are taught by faculty from all three of the biology departments on campus. The name "biology" has been retained for these courses to reflect their interdepartmental character.
Biology 1A/1AL and 1B are each taught both semesters, and students may enroll in either (but not both) during either the fall or spring semester. Courses do not need to be taken in any particular order.
Degree Requirements
For degree requirements and program information, please see the listings in this bulletin for each department:
Integrative Biology
Molecular and Cell Biology
Plant and Microbial Biology
BIOLOGY 1A General Biology Lecture 3 Units
Department: Biology
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. 6 hours of Lecture and 2 hours of Discussion per week for 8 weeks.
Prerequisites: Chemistry 1A and 1AL or equivalent with grade of C- or higher, or a 4 or 5 score on the Chemistry AP test; Chemistry 3A or 112A recommended; Biology 1AL must be taken concurrently (unless exempt by major).
General introduction to cell structure and function, molecular and organismal genetics, animal development, form and function. Intended for biological sciences majors, but open to all qualified students.
1B may be taken before 1A.
BIOLOGY 1AL General Biology Laboratory 2 Units
Department: Biology
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 1.5 hours of Lecture and 3 hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks. 3 hours of Lecture and 6 hours of Laboratory per week for 8 weeks.
Prerequisites: 1A must be taken concurrently.
Laboratory that accompanies 1A lecture course. Intended for biological science majors, but open to all qualified students.
BIOLOGY 1B General Biology 4 Units
Department: Biology
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture, 3 hours of Laboratory, and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. 6 hours of Lecture, 6 hours of Laboratory, and 2 hours of Discussion per week for 8 weeks.
General introduction to plant development, form, and function; population genetics, ecology, and evolution. Intended for students majoring in the biological sciences, but open to all qualified students. Students must take both BIOLOGY 1A and 1B to complete the sequence. Sponsored by Integrative Biology.
BIOLOGY 11 Introduction to the Science of Living Organisms 3 Units
Department: Biology
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: For students not majoring in a biological science and for non-science majors.
Principles of biological organization and function using examples from plant and animal kingdoms. Similar in scope to Biology 1 except that knowledge of physical sciences is neither required nor assumed. Sponsored by Plant and Microbial Biology.
Students will receive no credit for 11 after receiving credit for both Integrative Biology 15 and 30. Instructors: Jones, Quail
BIOLOGY 11L Laboratory for Biology 11 2 Units
Department: Biology
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Laboratory and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Must be taken concurrently with Biology 11.
Laboratory designed to accompany BIOLOGY 11, Introduction to the Science of Living Organisms. Weekly laboratory exercises and one field trip to the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden.
Instructors: Jones, Quail
Print this page.
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.
All pages in Academic Catalog.