More about Eddie Lunsford’s BIO 130 Class

Red Flame Azalea (locally called “wild honeysuckle”) Rhododendron calendulaceum

Arts & Sciences students usually take this class but it is open to anyone who has met the prerequisite. It may be used to partially fulfill the natural science requirement or it may be used as an elective. Because I stay busy teaching other classes, I do not get to offer this class nearly as often as I’d like. It is one of my special favorites. Zoology is the study of animals. In this introductory course we begin with protozoans that behave like animals and work our way up to the mammals. Along the way we learn about animal anatomy, reproduction, survival strategies, distribution, behavior and many other topics. This class is considered to be an advanced biology course. In other words, I assume that you have successfully completed either BIO 110 (Principles of Biology) or BIO 111 (General Biology I) or some other equivalent course before signing up for zoology. Students need a good background in topics like cell division, chromosome number conditions, basic taxonomy and the like to get the most out of the material in BIO 130.

Whenever possible I try to emphasize local animals in class lecture and discussion. During class, we watch films and do other activities to help us understand the animal kingdom. For example, students complete a major group project based on some theme or topic that is assigned. The project culminates in an oral presentation.

There are regular lecture and discussion sessions in class. There is a heavy emphasis on dissection in lab. We dissect organisms like starfish, frogs, squids, fish, grasshoppers, crayfish, earthworms, turtles and pigeons. We also dissect fetal pigs and/or cats. The fetal pigs are byproducts of slaughter houses. In other words, the adult female pigs were pregnant (likely unbeknown to their owners) when they were harvested for food. The cats come from animal shelters and were euthanized because they were not adopted. It is never good when an animal is unwanted and has to be put to sleep. But, in my way of looking at things, we can at least learn something from that animal rather than just seeing it thrown in the trash. I realize that many people are sensitive to the issue of dissection. This class may not be an ideal choice for you if you have strong feelings against the dissection of animals. It is of note that dissection is a legal practice and is common in biological education. One can learn a great deal from dissection.

Your grade in class will be based on the project, described above, on weekly lab reports and worksheets, two lab practicals, and five unit tests. I always provide a list of objectives to help students prepare for the unit tests and lab practicals. Students are expected to prepare for class meetings ahead of time by reading their textbook and reviewing past class materials. We meet about six hours per week and the successful student spends about 12 hours per week in outside study and preparation.