Biological Sciences

This course examines how ecosystems function and how they provide services for humans: information which is essential for ecologists, conservationists, and land managers. The course considers examples of natural systems being altered by man to demonstrate how ecosystems function and the consequences of anthropogenic change. Disturbance and regulation in ecosystems, atmospheric, and hydrological regulation (including the greenhouse effect and acidification), soil ecology, conservation and management of natural resources, agricultural and grazed ecosystems (including GMOs), urban ecosystems, and aspects of sustainable development are also discussed.

This course provides an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of biodiversity from lecture instructor lectures and from field work in the NTU Experimental Forest. The course invites multiple instructors to provide general knowledge of biodiversity, sustainable development goals and the idea of 30 by 30. The course includes a five-day field trip to the NTU Experimental Forest where students conduct hands-on experiments with the instructors and discuss biodiversity management with the local community. 

This course introduces the basic principles of toxicology: the physical and chemical properties of poisons and their distribution processes (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion); Toxicokinetics, and Toxicodynamics. The course also discusses the effects on toxic distribution, toxic reactions and mechanisms, and then the distribution of chemical substances in the environment. Finally, the course explains emerging technologies applied in toxicant metabolism and environmental toxicology, which is accompanied by a laboratory tour. 

This introductory course provides basic knowledge about the human body, diseases, and research. Human body includes the anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of various organs and various diseases that develop in our body. This course also includes basic research methodology and thinking processes for research on the causes and treatments of diseases with examples of what the instructor actually did for each organ. 

This course highlights the key food security considerations and research trends relating to sustainable urban food production. It covers the scientific and technological innovations in agriculture and aquaculture, with topics including genetics, nutrition and health involved in the production of fish and plants, and scientific considerations for a robust food safety system such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based risk assessment and testing of different food safety hazards relating to different food innovations. The course develops an appreciation of the emerging risks in urban food production against the current backdrop of accelerating food production innovations and climate change. The course requires students to take prerequisites in General Biology and Chemistry.

This course examines key management, microbiology and food processing concepts used to produce safe high-quality food products. It covers concepts of food hygiene, food safety and food quality; food safety hazards; food hygiene and biological hazards; food processing technology for safe foods; hygiene and sanitary practices; food safety management through HACCP; food safety and quality management systems - ISO 9001 standard, 22000 standard and total quality management; quality control and statistical quality control.

This course covers current topics on aerobiology and public health. The particular topics of interest include, but are not limited to, cutting-edge technologies used for aerobiological research, effects of airborne microorganisms on global climate, emerging airborne infectious diseases, or biodefense associated with airborne microbial agents. Prerequisites: Aerobiology and Public Health

Chemical biology is an emerging scientific discipline that spans the fields of chemistry and biology. Chemical biology involves the use of chemical methods, tools, and molecules that are designed and made through synthetic organic chemistry, to study, understand, and manipulate biological systems. It attempts to use chemical principles to perturb or control biological systems to either investigate the mechanisms or create new functions. In the class we will review the chemical biology of small molecules, biomacromolecules, and concepts and techniques.

This course examines the different anatomical structures that are involved in voice production and speech articulation. Topics include: tissues, organs, systems, and apparatus; locomotor system; the bony skull and cranial norms; facial bones; central and peripheral nervous system; brain stem; cranial nerves; nerve pathways; muscles of the head; mimic muscles; nose; pharynx; oral cavity; tongue; larynx; vocal cords; thorax; diaphragm muscle; respiratory system.

To study the normal activity process of various systems, organs and cells of the human body, especially the internal mechanism of the functional performance of each organ and cell, and to clarify how the functional activities of the human body as a whole are coordinated and mutually restricted, and the influence of changes in the internal and external environment of the body of these activities.