Kingsborough Community College of The City University of New York
Biology Department
718-368-5502
Biology 70 - The Science of Nutrition, 3 Credits/3 Hours, Spring 2008
Instructor: Peter Pilchman, Ph.D., S-117, ppilchman@kbcc.cuny.edu
Course Information
This course satisfies college requirements for a Group V science course. This course is not required for Biology majors nor can Biology majors use this course as credit toward the biology major.
Course Description
Biology 70 presents the principles of nutritional science and does not require previous science background. Biological and chemical principles are explained and applied to nutritional science as required. The course begins with an introduction to basic nutritional principles and the systems organization of the human body. Study of the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system follows. Nutrients are then considered sequentially - water, carbohydrates, lipids, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Discussions of body weight maintenance and loss, healing, common diseases, herbs, pregnancy diets, athletic nutritional needs, environmental contamination of the body, and current nutritional advertising occur in the context of each major course area. Students are encouraged to ask questions; those of general interest will be covered in class; those of a more personal nature will be deferred and answered after official class time.
Successful completion of the course requires passing the 4 unit examinations, e-mail submission of a research summary, submission of an analyzed personal diet survey, and passing the final examination.
Textbook
Boyle, M.A., and Long, S.., Personal Nutrition, 6th edition, Thomson/Wadsworth, California, 2007. ISBN: 0-495-01934-8
Course Goals (Course Outcomes)
1. Develop the knowledge to select a diet healthy for now and for a lifetime.
2. Apply scientific knowledge to investigate nutritional issues and evaluate food labels and claims.
3. Analyze the interactions of nutrients in the framework of the body’s metabolic patterns.
4. To involve students in the study of current nutritional research concerns.
5. Analyze the influence of marketing forces on foods and supplements regarding consumer
purchases.
Attendance, Exam and Assignment Policies
Absence from 6 or more hours of class (15% of the 36 hours of the course) is grounds for the WU (unofficial withdrawal) grade. Absence from exams earns a zero on the exam and make-up exams are at the instructor’s discretion. Assignments submitted late receive partial credit and those not submitted earn zero.
How Your Grade is Computed
4 Examinations 15 points each = 60 (Based on lectures and text; short answer and essay)
Journal Report 10 points = 10
Diet Survey and Analysis 10 points = 10
Final Examination 20 points = 20
Total = 100 points
Course Outline
Week Topic Textbook Reading
1 - 3 Basic Nutritional Concepts Chapters 1, 2, and appendix
Digestive System pages A1-14.
Basic Biology and Chemistry
Examination #1 (15 points)
4 Water Chapter 7, pp. 200-206.
5 Carbohydrates Chapter 3
Examination #2 (15 points)
6 Lipids Chapter 4
7 Lipids, continued
Research summary is due week 7 (10 points)
8 Proteins Chapter 5
9 Energy and Weight Control Chapter 9
Examination #3 (15 points)
10 Vitamins Chapter 6
Diet Analysis is due week 10 (10 points)
11 Vitamins, continued
Minerals Chapter 7, pp. 206-237.
12 Minerals, continued
Examination #4 occurs during the final week of the term (15 points)
Journal Report
This report must follow the following format. All reports must come from research articles in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (in the KCC library and online).
1. What Title
2. Who Authors
3. When Date of Publication
4. Where What City, hospital, location in general.
5. How Type of study: e.g., epidemiological, controlled, double blind?
6. N Number of subjects in the study.
7. Length/Repetitions How long did the study take to complete and was it repeated (or only done once).
8. Organism used Human, rat, insect, or microorganism?
9. Why/Conclusions Clearly explain why the authors say the study was done. Clearly explain their conclusions. This is the most important part of the report and should take-up at least half a page in essay format.
10. Evaluation How would you judge the worth of the report based on items 1-9, the knowledge you have gained in this course, and your common sense?
Academic Honesty: In completing the journal report and any other reports for this class, you may quote
freely from books, journal articles and other sources including the Internet, but be sure to indicate your
sources in footnotes or in parentheses after each quote. Do not commit plagiarism, which is taking other
people’s exact words without giving them credit. Plagiarism gets you a zero for the paper and no respect.
Diet Survey and Analysis
Your instructor will give you a form on which you may record your diet and do the required analysis.
If data are missing (such as computation of the % RDA values for your particular diet) you will receive only
partial credit for the report.
Final Examination The final examination is cumulative; you must review the entire term’s work. (20 pts) |