Biological Sciences

This course provides an introduction to the scientific basis of modern medicine and the role of biological sciences in the understanding and treatment of disease. This is delivered through a series of lectures, facilitated group discussions, a practical class and assessed written reports. The course provides a basic understanding of practical material relevant to biological sciences and enables students to develop personal skills in interpreting basic scientific research and communicating scientific ideas and information in a clear, accurate, and well-organized manner.

On the basis of expanding the scope of students' knowledge of modern biology, strengthen the cultivation of students' practical ability through various experimental operations with points and aspects. At the same time, to promote the integration of students towards interdisciplinary aspects, focusing on the cultivation of students' innovative thinking, innovative ability and practical ability.

General biology experiment is a basic and comprehensive general education experiment course of life science for non-life science majors in the whole school. The course basically involves the major fields of current life science research. Taking into account the actual situation of students in different disciplines and majors, the experimental content is set up into four major sections, namely the form and structure of various types of organisms, tissues and cells, physiology and biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology, etc. At the same time, it tries to start from real life, and gradually in-depth into the basic principles and basic methods of life science And the latest progress of life science. In the course of design, in view of the characteristics of non-life science students, especially liberal arts students, who rarely conducted experimental operations by themselves before, the experimental operation steps start from simple and easy to operate basic experimental methods, and guide them to complete all experimental operations independently or cooperatively step by step; At the same time, they are required to examine and think about some phenomena in life from the perspective of their professional knowledge, and stimulate students' innovative thinking; By choosing some biological phenomena in daily life and the more cutting-edge experimental content in the current life science research, stimulate students' learning initiative and enthusiasm.

Structure and function of nervous system is a course designed to introduce the structure and function of the human nervous system. Learning formats include lecture, laboratory observation, and group discussion. The course begins with the structure of spinal cord, spinal, nerves, brain, and cranial nerves. Role of nervous system in sensation, movement, and homeostasis, higher mental functions, autonomic system, and special senses are introduced and developed as the course proceeds. Common diseases of the nervous system will be discussed in group. A neuroanatomy laboratory will observe the structures in gross brain specimens and models. 

Neuroendocrinology is the discipline concerned with how the nervous system controls hormonal secretion and how hormones control the brain. It is pivotal in understanding both general physiology and medicine. This course provides up-to-date and research-orientated information delivered as a series of lectures and group exercises. The lectures are presented by experts in the particular area of research, and the group exercises are based on current research literature and/or results, and are designed to develop students' ability to read, understand, and appraise the current research literature.

This course reviews the basic theory and understanding of the most important molecular genetic methods used in modern ecological and evolutionary research projects. The course is mainly based on practical learning through wet labs (DNA extraction, PCR, DNA sequencing) and computer exercises (editing of DNA sequences that you obtain during the course, phylogeny, and various programs for analysis of DNA sequences) and leads to mastery of different methods used to detect and analyze variation at gene, genome and protein levels within and between individuals, populations, and species. Emphasis is also placed on improving one's ability to assimilate and critically review scientific articles based on molecular genetic data and analyses. The course ends with a research project that is carried out in small groups.

This course examines marine system quantitative ecology including soft shores, rocky and coral reefs. It emphasizes quantitative methods including design, statistical analysis and interpretation of field experiments and observational studies.

The course introduces students to pharmacology, which can be defined as the study of the actions of drugs. The course has a strong focus on the nervous system. The basic principles of pharmacology are covered, including drug interactions with specific receptors in target tissues and pharmacokinetics. Students learn how drugs work and become familiar with pharmacological concepts and terminology. Students also consider the drug development process and the many ways in which new therapeutics are designed and developed. The effects of different classes of drugs upon the peripheral and central nervous systems and on different neurotransmitter pathways are covered. How drugs can be used to understand the function of these systems and to alleviate their malfunctioning in various diseases and afflictions is explained.

The focus of the course is on the relations between terrestrial ecosystems and global climate systems. Seen in a historical and present perspective as well as on a temporal and spatial scale, the interactions between climate and ecosystem are put in perspective of the ongoing and future climate change. Further, the course explains how models and data bases are used to develop future climate scenarios and reconstruction of previous climate conditions, as well as the anthropogenic role in the present changes in climate.

This course introduces the principles of terrestrial ecology. Major topics include diversity and distributions of terrestrial environments, soils and nutrient cycling, animal-plant interactions (pollination, seed dispersal, herbivory), disturbance ecology and succession, energy flow and food webs, population biology, and fragmentation. The course has a strong quantitative focus. The course also covers ecological processes in rural (agricultural) and urban terrestrial environments.

The course will provide students with an understanding of the basic human anatomy and physiology. Students learn the coupling of structure with function through a series of lectures, tutorials, and practicals.