Syllabus Application
NS 201
Discovering Life
Faculty
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Semester
Fall 2025-2026
Course
NS 201 -
Discovering Life
Time/Place
Time
Week Day
Place
Date
14:40-16:30
Mon
FENS-L055
Sep 29, 2025-Jan 3, 2026
14:40-15:30
Tue
FENS-L062
Sep 29, 2025-Jan 3, 2026
Level of course
Undergraduate
Course Credits
SU Credit:3, ECTS:6, Basic:5, Engineering:1
Prerequisites
-
Corequisites
Course Type
Lecture
Instructor(s) Information
Selim Çetiner
- Email: cetiner@sabanciuniv.edu
Course Information
Catalog Course Description
The objective of this course to give students a broad and comprehensive background in biology, and thus to prepare them for entry into biology-oriented programs in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences. The course includes an introduction to cell biology, genetics, structure and function of microbes, animals and plants. Growth and development of animals and plants will be covered in more detail. Evolution of plant and animal diseases as well as the biotechnological applications will be introduced. The course provides a solid basis for more advanced studies in all areas modern biology.
Course Learning Outcomes:
| 1. | Understand the evolutionary principles controlling biological phenomenon, |
|---|---|
| 2. | Formulate Hypotheses and design experiments to test this hypothesis |
| 3. | Know the structure of cells |
| 4. | Understand the significance of the polymerase chain reaction |
| 5. | Understand how DNA sequencing is performed |
| 6. | Identify the various parts of a gene and calculate the sequence of protein, given a gene sequence |
| 7. | Describe the processes of DNA replication, RNA transcription and protein translation and identify the enzymes that catalyze these biological reactions |
| 8. | Think of all biological phenomenon as chemical reactions |
| 9. | Understand the principles of the central dogma of molecular biology |
| 10. | Differentiate between the different fields of bioinformatics, genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology |
Course Objective
This is an introductory undergraduate course which surveys most areas of cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and immunology. This course is highly recommended for students planning to study molecular biology, genetics and bioengineering.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Related to This Course:
| Decent Work and Economic Growth | |
| Life Below Water | |
| Life On Land |
Course Materials
Resources:
Life: The Science of Biology 11th Ed. Sadava, Hillis, Heller, Hacker
ISBN 9781319010164
ISBN 9781319010164