Courses

Science is an integral part of culture. It's not this foreign thing, done by an arcane priesthood. 

It's one of the glories of the human intellectual tradition.  ― Stephen J. Gould

Course Description: This course examines the fundamental basis of biological science, including cell theory, gene theory, metabolism, homeostasis, and physiology.  SB211, the lab version of this course, is a required element of the general science major; SB201, the elective version of this course, omits the practical laboratory session. 

“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”

― Theodosius Dobzhansky

Course Description:  This elective course examines the fundamental basis of biological science, including cell theory, gene theory, metabolism, and evolution.  This is the foundational USNA course in biology, and is a necessary component of the biochemistry concentration (SCB) and of medical corps preparation.  It is also recommended for all students interested in biology as a free elective.

“Anatomy is to physiology as geography is to history;

it describes the theatre of events.”

― Jean Fernel

Course Description: This elective course examines the structure and function of the human body, and is essential preparation for future study of dentistry, medicine, other medical fields or more advanced physiology.  As such, it focuses on human anatomy (in lab) and physiology (in lecture), and prepares students for medical and dental entrance exams.  This course is extensive in its technical depth and demanding in its level of content, so come ready to read thoroughly, study diligently, and work hard, keeping your long-term goals served by this course in mind!

“Every aspect of the world today

– even politics and international relations –

is affected by chemistry”

― Linus Pauling

Course Description:  This is a mandatory two-semester sequence for all midshipmen, presenting the fundamental laws and theories of chemistry. Major topics include chemical stoichiometry, periodic trends, atomic structure, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, nuclear chemistry, electrochemistry and kinetics. The lecture material is complemented with experiments designed to develop the student's laboratory skills. Naval applications of chemistry are introduced throughout the courses to provide an awareness of chemistry in normal Navy operations.  Plebe Chem is the beginning of the technical core of classes at USNA, and for all students the study of chemistry is an opportunity to expand technical skill and critical thinking

“Beadle believed that genetics were inseparable from chemistry—more precisely, biochemistry. 

They were, he said, 'two doors leading to the same room.'” — Warren Weaver

Course Description:  This course introduces a molecular approach to understanding biological processes and cellular structures.  We will examine in chemical detail the central paradigm of biochemistry; that the central unit of life is the cell, enclosed by a semipermeable membrane, built from macromolecular polymers, powered by the sun through metabolic processes, with reactions which are carried out by enzymes, constructed by RNA and encoded and inherited through DNA.  

“All of biology is chemistry"

Course Description:  This elective course continues to develop a molecular understanding of biological processes and cellular structures.  We will examine enzyme reactions and mechanisms in greater detail and develop a chemical understanding of regulation, signaling, the metabolic processes of lipids, nucleotides, carbohydrates, and photosynthesis, and of the molecular basis of disease.  This course is the second half of the two-semester sequence in biochemistry, following SC335.  These courses, accompanied by biology I and II and biochemical research, are the foundation of the biochemistry certificate program.

“Humans are transient guests in a sophisticated microbial world.” - Arthur Kornberg

Course Description:  What makes you sick?  This course will study the answers to this question at a biochemical and molecular level.  From the structure and molecular targets of Anthrax toxins to the mechanism of the antibiotic Zithromax, this course will examine a representative range of pathogens, immune responses, and medical interventions.  The successful student will emerge with a fundamental understanding of the chemical roots of disease processes and the treatment of disease.  This course is especially recommended for those preparing for medical school or graduate school in biochemistry.

“The genome is a book that wrote itself, continually adding, deleting and amending over four billion years.” 

– Matt Ridley

Course Description:  What is the information structure of life?  215 petabytes of information can be stored in the quaternary structural code of a single gram of DNA, far surpassing the information density of traditional storage media.  How can we leverage this genetic information for better understanding of the living world and our own wellbeing?  This elective course will explore these questions and more as we study modern biological applications of data science including genomics, proteomics, and metagenomics.  Analytical techniques will include DNA and protein homology, structural prediction, sequence validation and interpretation, genome assembly and annotation, taxonomy and systematics, metagenomic processing, diversity analysis, and principal component analysis.