Assignments for Week Four - The Pattern of Life

Blog assignments for this week:

• Is there a drug around for just about everything?
• Can we raise our levels of dopamine ourselves?
• How do you think chimps and humans diverged as species?

Check out the following links:

http://www.resurgence.org/resurgence/articles/capra.htm
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OUR SECOND BRAIN
FRITJOF CAPRA

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/playground/life.html
The Game of Life

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-36174
Philosophy of biology

Assignments for Week Three - Genetic Evolution

Blog assignments for this week:

• “99.4% of the most critical DNA sites are identical in human and chimp genes”
  What do you make of this?
• Check out the Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes, & Viruses Tutorial
  http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/pev/page2.html
  Post your results in your blog
• Post a response to a classmate's blog
  

Use your blog to record your impressions of Human Genetic Evolution
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/LifeScience/PhysicalAnthropology/
HumanGeneticEvolution/mainpage.htm


*Reading Assignment - "Can you catch cancer?"*

Please read and prepare notes on the issues raised in the article in this week's class material entitled "Can you catch cancer?".


Check out the following links on Cybernetics:

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/COMPNATS.HTML
Self-organization and complexity in the natural sciences

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopoiesis
Autopoiesis

http://www.calresco.org/lucas/auto.htm
Autopoiesis and Coevolution

Assignments for Week Two - "Evo - Devo"

Blog assignments required for this week:

• Post your thoughts on Evo-Devo
• How does Darwinism matter to me?
• Respond to a classmate's blog

**Extra Credit Assignment**

Research the likely size of the Neanderthal population in Europe, and post a short report to your blog.

Reading Assignment

To prepare for our discussion next week on "Pharming", please read and prepare notes on the issues raised in the article in this week's class material entitled "Down on the pharm".


And check out the following links on Darwinism:

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/evolution/howdidwegethere.html
How Did We Get Here?
From the inheritance of acquired traits to natural selection to evo devo, evolutionary theory has itself evolved
By Steve Mirsky

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/arn/pearcey/np_dcpolicy0500.htm
Why Darwinism Matters
Washington DC Policy Briefing
May 10, 2000
By Nancy R. Pearcey

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/origin.asp
Origin of Life Questions and Answers
“Answers in Genesis”

Assignments for Week One - Our Biological Selves

1. Start your blog - try blogger.com - and send your url to laurence_spears@yahoo.com

Your blog assignments for this week:

• Post a short bio introducing yourself
  
• Choose one of the Discussion Issues raised in this week's class, and post your thoughts to your blog
  
• Post a comment to a classmate's blog entry
  

2. Check out the following links on Evolution:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwinism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
A PBS program from 2001
“Evolution – a journey into where we’re from…and where we’re going”

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/
UC Berkeley’s website
“Understanding Evolution”


Use your blog to record your impressions

Welcome!

Welcome to Integrative Medical Biology at AIMC Berkeley

My name is Larry Spears, and I'll be guiding you through your Biology Course here.

As you now know, your assignments will be carried out on your own blog
So, please email me as soon as you have set up your blog account
- my email address is laurence_spears@yahoo.com

The assignments for each week will be posted here on my blog, as will a list of blog addresses for the class.

Namaste

Larry