Course Description

A study of biological principles of physiology, genetics, and disease with emphasis on application to human life. Topics are explored from a scientific and biological standpoint through a Biblical worldview. Successful students in this course will apply scientific knowledge and learn critical thinking skills to societal issues. Meets natural science requirements.

Please visit Liberty University for details on this course’s prerequisites.

Rationale

NASC 210 is an approved general education science course for non-technical (science, math, and engineering) majors. This course will provide the basic scientific knowledge needed to discuss biomedical topics and scientific advances. It will arm the student with the specific language of science relating to current policy issues such as genetic engineering, reproduction, and IVF embryos.

Measurable Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Explain the basic structure of genes, gene expression, and inheritance.
2. Describe cellular reproduction and differentiation.
3. Differentiate between normal cell and cancer cell characteristics.
4. Analyze genetic technologies and their implication for society.
5. Determine the importance of a biblical worldview in providing a foundation for response to ethical dilemmas raised by scientific advances.
6. Review human development and lifespan in the context of current biotechnologies.

General Education Foundational Skill Learning Outcomes

Social and Scientific Inquiry: the ability to employ established methods of exploring the social and natural sciences in order to understand the human experience of various social structures and the natural world.

SSI 1: Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of social and/or natural sciences on the world in which we live.
SSI 3: Apply solutions for a social and/or scientific dilemma experienced in society.
SSI 4: Describe how social and/or scientific inquiry equips human beings to be participants in God’s redemptive work.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Discussion Board Forums (3)

Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum after reading the assigned case study. Each thread must be at least 300 words, include 1 citation from the Bible and 1 citation other than the course text, and demonstrate course-related knowledge. Sources must be cited in the current Turabian format. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

Chromosome Lab Activities (2)

The student will perform a hands-on activity, answer a series of fill-in-the-blank questions, and write 2 essays (1 essay in each of 2 modules/weeks) in response to the essay questions. Each essay must be 100–140 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge related to a specific case study reading in the course textbook. The essay must include 1 citation from the Bible and an outside source, and it must include photographs when assigned within the activity. Sources must be cited in the current Turabian format.

Karyotyping and Genetics Testing

The student will complete an online activity, answer a series of fill-in-the-blank questions, and write 1 essay in response to an essay question. The essay question answer must be 100–140 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. The essay must include 1 citation from the Bible and 1 from an outside source other than the course textbook. Sources must be cited in the current Turabian format.

Exams (8)

Each exam will cover the Reading & Study material for the module/week in which it is assigned. Each exam will be open-book/open-notes, contain 25 multiple-choice and true/false questions, and have a 30-minute time limit.