We live in what is being called 'The Century of Biology'.   There never has been a more exciting time to study the living world.   Biology 101 is an introduction to life at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and landscape levels.   This course is rigorous and demanding.   It is taught by scientists with active research programs who enjoy interacting with inquisitive students.   One of the great advantages of attending a major research university like the UW is the opportunity to learn biology that is too new to be found in textbooks!   

We will explore cell structure and function, energy and matter flow in the biosphere, patterns of inheritance, genetic engineering, plant biodiversity, plant structure, and plant physiology.   We will cover basic material in these topics – but we will also illustrate its importance for understanding some crucial research problems that have both scientific and social importance.    Biology 101 is an appropriate course for forestry, fisheries, oceanography, anthropology, psychology, and other science-oriented majors at a top-level university.   In the companion course, Biology 102, which is taught in Winter Quarter, animal physiology, ecology and conservation biology are covered.

We teach through lectures, labs, and discussions – and you need to take an active part in each of these to gain most from this course.   The Syllabus page gives you access to the lecture materials and the Lab Manual covers the material for the weekly lab session you must attend and contains exercises that you must complete and hand in.   

The class contains a large number of students with widely varying backgrounds and interests and many students find the course difficult. If you are having any difficulty with the material ...

... do not hit the   

Go to the Help page and take advantage of all the opportunities you have to improve your understanding of the course material.

Make sure that you look at the Announcments, Policy, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages. You access these and other pages of the Biology 101 site through the Site Index at the top left hand corner of this page.