BIO230H1F

Table 1. Lecture and Lab schedule 2022

Lecture schedule:
Week of (L0101- day, L5101- evening) Labs
(Week) (Lab#-Week)
Tuesday Thursday
(12-2) (1-2)
Intro & Lecture
SEPT 5 (1) No Lecture No Labs
1-1

SEPT 12 (2) 1-2 1-3 No Labs

SEPT 19 (3) 1-4 1-5 1–1

SEPT 26 (4) 1-6 1-7 1-2

OCT 3 (5) 1-8 1-9 Lab quiz 1 2-1

OCT 10 (6) 1-10 1-11 Lab quiz 1 2-2

3-1
OCT 17 (7) 1-12 Lecture 2-1 Lab quiz 2
Writing Assignment due
3-2
OCT 24 (8) 2-2 2-3 Lab quiz 2
Writing Assignment due
4-1
OCT 31 (9)* 2-4 2-5 Lab quiz 3
Writing Assignment returned
NOV 7 Fall Reading Week – BIO230 Office Closed – No Lectures, No Labs
4-2
NOV 14 (10) 2-6 2-7 Lab quiz 3
Writing Assignment returned
5-1
NOV 21 (11) 2-8 2-9 Lab quiz 4
Revised Writing Assignment due
5-2
NOV 28 (12) 2-10 2-11 Lab quiz 4
Revised Writing Assignment due

DEC 5 (13) 2-12 No labs

2-hr FINAL EXAM covering Section 2 of the lectures and all Labs (check Announcements on
Quercus for date and location).
DEC 10-20
Fall term Lab mark enquiries must be made by Dec 12th, 2022.
Exam Period office hours and handback day for term assignments will be posted on Quercus.

*At the time of press, the midterm is scheduled for October 24th, 2022 from 5:30-7:15pm. Midterm room assignments,
location, and any changes in the date and time will be posted on Quercus under Announcements. See page 19 for
instructions to follow if you have a conflict with the midterm.

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Lecture Syllabus
The required textbook for BIO230H1F 2022 is an e-text rental derived from: Alberts, B., Heald, R., Johnson,
A., Morgan, D. O., Raff, M. C., Roberts, K., and Walter, P. (2022). Molecular biology of the cell, 7th edition,
New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. We have negotiated a price of $49 CAD for a 12-month rental of
the e-text. You can purchase the e-text on through the BIO230 Quercus site under Modules. Lecture notes
will be available on the BIO230 Quercus Site.

Section 1: Regulation of Genome Expression

Prof. K. Yip, Department of Cell and Systems Biology

Lecture 1: Genomes
- Review of genomes and genome expression
- Overview of the regulation of genome expression

Lecture 2-6: Regulation of the transcriptome

- Transcriptional regulation
- Post-Transcriptional regulation

Lecture 7-12: Regulation of the proteome

- Translational regulation
- Post-Translational regulation
- Protein sorting

Section 2: Cell and Developmental Biology

Prof. H. McFarlane, Department of Cell and Systems Biology

Lectures 1-3: Organizing the cell and its outside interactions

- Polarized intracellular trafficking routes
- Cortical polarity, the cytoskeleton and cell migration
- Cortical polarity, cell-cell interactions and the assembly of tissues

Lectures 4-6: Multicellular development

- Tissue morphogenesis
- Tissue patterning
- Tissue maintenance and stem cells

Lectures 7-9: Cell signaling

- Basic concepts and logic
- Signaling via small molecules
- Signaling via protein modifications

Lectures 10-12: The control of cell numbers

- Apoptosis and autophagy
- The cell cycle
- Cancer

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Lab Syllabus

1. Gene regulation Part I

2. Gene regulation Part II

3. RNA isolation and electrophoresis of RNA from E. coli

4. Live cell imaging

5. Role of the cytoskeleton in development (D. melanogaster)

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Course information
Welcome to BIO230! The genome is the book of life, providing instructions to construct an organism. This
course introduces genome biology and explores how the building blocks of life are integrated and
networked into functioning organisms. We will investigate how cells perceive internal and external cues,
how gene expression is shaped by this perception, and how these events give rise to the myriad of life
around us. A team of professors from the Department of Cell and Systems Biology will present basic
principles and recent advances. The laboratories reinforce concepts introduced in the lectures as well as
relevant laboratory techniques.

Course Address
BIO230 Office
Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto
Ramsay Wright Laboratories, 25 Harbord St., Room 206A
Toronto, ON M5S 3G5

Course Administrator
Dr. Kenana Al Kakouni
RW 206A
Tel: 416-978-6442
E-mail: bio230@utoronto.ca

Please contact Dr. Kenana Al Kakouni, the Course Administrator, if you have a general inquiry,
administrative problem, or have missed a test/Lab. Her office hours are Monday 2:00 - 4:00pm; Tuesday
to Thursday 10:00 -12:00pm and 2:00 - 4:00pm; Friday closed. Office hours are subject to change without
advance notice. If you cannot come during office hours, email or telephone to make an appointment.

Course Coordinator
Dr. Chris Garside
RW 206E
Tel: 416-978-7780
E-mail: chris.garside@utoronto.ca
Dr. Garside is the Course and Lab Academic Coordinator and is available for counselling on all matters
related to BIO230. Please email Dr. Garside to set up an appointment.

Lecturers
Day Lecture Section (L0101) Tuesday 12:00-2:00 pm and Thursday 1:00-2:00 pm in Convocation Hall.

Section 1 Prof. K. Yip

Section 2 Prof H. McFarlane

Evening Lecture Section (L5101) Tuesday 6:00-9:00 pm in MS 2158 (Medical Sciences Building).

Sections 1 & 2 Prof. K. Yip

Course questions should be posted on the Discussion Board and not e-mailed. Personal issues should
be e-mailed to bio230@utoronto.ca . The Quercus messaging system will not be checked.

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Course website on Quercus

The BIO230 website on Quercus is an excellent and valuable resource. It is mandatory that you check the
current news under the Announcements section at least once a week. Supplementary information not
found in this manual is located on this site. You can also access the discussion board, where you can ask
question to fellow students and staff, and get help with course material.

Required course material

The required textbook for BIO230H1F 2022 is an e-text rental derived from: Alberts, B., Heald, R., Johnson,
A., Morgan, D. O., Raff, M. C., Roberts, K., and Walter, P. (2022). Molecular biology of the cell, 7th edition,
New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. We have negotiated a price of $49 CAD for a 12-month rental of
the e-text. You can purchase the e-text on through the BIO230 Quercus site under Modules. Lecture notes
will be available on the BIO230 Quercus Site.

We do not recommend the use of the 5th or 6th edition of the textbook as it is significantly different from
the BIO230 textbook derived from Molecular biology of the cell, 7th edition. However, for your information,
an online version of the 4th edition of this textbook is available via the NCBI website:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21054/
You should be aware that the University has no control over the content or accessibility of this site.
Textbook page numbers are not given on the website and students may find this format difficult to use.

Multiple choice test/exam style questions and discussion style questions may be used in lectures and
lecture tutorials. These questions will not be graded, but we encourage you to come prepared to every
lecture. These questions will be used to stimulate active learning during lecture and will help you to better
engage with the materials and improve your learning. These questions will not be posted in the course
notes. Questions used in lecture (or ones similar to them) may appear on the midterm test or final exam.

Course manual: Available in early September at the University of Toronto bookstore.

Safety glasses or goggles: Required by Health and Safety regulations for all Labs. You will be denied access
and forfeit credit for that Lab if you are not wearing safety glasses or goggles.

Lab coat: Required by Health and Safety regulations for all Labs. You will be denied access and forfeit credit
for that Lab if you are not wearing a Lab coat.

Course announcements: Posted on the BIO230 Quercus website. Lecture notes, Lab notes, and other
important course materials are also available on Quercus.

Environmental guidelines
Although the majority of course materials are available electronically, we appreciate that this course
material could require the use of a significant amount of paper. We are conscious of this paper use and
therefore this course manual is printed double sided on recycled paper. We similarly request that where

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possible, you, as students, use double sided paper for BIO230 course material. We provide the online
lecture notes in 1 slide per page formats in order to accommodate the learning styles of all BIO230
students. Please use the print function in Adobe Reader to print lecture slides in the 2 slides or 4 slides per
page formats if needed. We are aware that some students may not be able to print these slides on double
sided paper, but we request that if you are able, please do so.

Evaluation
Your final mark will be based on one midterm test, a final exam, textbook reading quizzes, a Writing
assignment, and 5 laboratories.

35% Laboratories, Writing assignment, and Quizzes

Labs
18% Lab work
Quizzes
6% Lab quizzes— Best 3 of 4 quizzes--each worth 2%
2% Textbook/lecture on-line reading quizzes (If you complete 8 out of 11 Quercus lecture
reading quizzes with a perfect score by the deadline, you automatically earn 2%).
Writing Assignment
4% Writing assignment
5% Revised Writing assignment

65% Exams
30% Midterm (October 24th, 2022) covering Section 1 of the lectures (~40 multiple choice
questions on Section 1 lectures)
35% Final exam (December) covering Section 2 of the lectures and all Labs (~40 multiple choice
questions on Section 2 lectures and ~8 multiple choice questions distributed amongst Labs
1-5 inclusive.)

Course Policies
Students are expected to have read these policies. In addition, critical announcements are made weekly
on Quercus under the Announcement section. These announcements are required reading and are not
repeated in lecture.

Lectures
Sections L0101 Tuesday 12-2 pm & Thursday 1-2 pm in Convocation Hall. Section L5101 is held Tuesday
6:00-9:00 pm in MS 2158 and covers the same material as the day section. However, the pace may vary as
a result of lecture scheduling. You must attend the section in which you are registered.

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BIO230 Custom Textbook Reading Quizzes

We will be providing short textbook reading quizzes on Quercus. The purpose of these quizzes are to help
you to keep on top of the material that you will be learning in lecture and also to help you prepare for tests
and exams. In addition, as the custom textbook provides a lot of information on many topics, these quizzes
will help you to gauge the depth to which the instructors will be expecting you to do the readings prior to
lecture. Please bear in mind that the instructors will likely go into more depth on some topics during lecture
(and this, as well as the textbook readings, will be examinable), so you will need to review the custom
textbook readings in more depth following the lecture. We reserve the right to include quiz questions on
mid-term or final exams.

Each Wednesday at 9am, a new quiz for the following week’s assigned readings will be posted on Quercus.
You will have 12 days to complete a quiz, but we encourage you to complete each quiz within 1 week, and
ideally before the relevant lectures to maximize their benefit to your learning. The extra days are provided
to allow for occasional scheduling conflicts, family emergencies, or illness.

You need a perfect score on the quiz for it to count towards your mark, but you can take the quiz as many
times as you like. The practice quiz will become available on Quercus on September 7th, 2022 at 9am. This
quiz must be correctly completed before September 19th at 9am. Quiz 1, the first of 11 quizzes counting
towards your textbook quiz mark, will become available on Quercus September 14th at 9am. On September
21st, we will post quiz #2, and remove the practice quiz. This staggered approach will continue throughout
the term (see Table 2 for a full schedule).

To ease you into the routine, the practice quiz will not count for marks. The quizzes will count toward your
final grade starting with Quiz 1. You need to obtain a perfect score on 8 out of 11 quizzes to get the full 2%
assigned to this portion of your grade. We will pro-rate marks as required. You may use as many attempts
as you need before each 2-week deadline. Be aware that Quercus may be busy during peak times (i.e. near
the deadline), or your own internet provider may be slow. This is beyond our control and extensions will
not be provided, so do not to leave quiz completion until the last day.

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Table 2. Textbook Reading Quiz Schedule 2022

Quiz (Section-Lecture#) Release Date (by 9am) Due Date (by 9am)
Practice Quiz (I-1,2) September 7th September 19th
Quiz 1 (I-3, 4) September 14th September 26th
st
Quiz 2 (I-5,6) September 21 October 3rd
Quiz 3 (I-7,8) September 28th October 10th
th
Quiz 4 (I-9,10) October 5 October 17th
Quiz 5 (I-11,12) October 12th October 24th
th
Quiz 6 (II-1,2) October 19 October 31st
Quiz 7 (II-3,4) October 26th November 14th*
nd
Quiz 8 (II-5,6) November 2 November 14th*
Quiz 9 (II-7,8) November 9th November 21st
th
Quiz 10 (II-9,10) November 16 November 28th
Quiz 11 (II-11,12) November 23rd December 5th
th
*Please note that there are two quizzes due on Nov 14 so that you do not have any quizzes due during
reading week

Labs
Labs are held on alternate weeks. Multiple section times are held in the Department of Cell and Systems
Biology, Ramsay Wright Laboratories (RW) – 2nd floor, 25 Harbord Street. There are 5 laboratory exercises.

Lab Room Assignments

You can check your Lab room assignment under Groups on QUERCUS. The QUERCUS information will show
that the Lab sections are divided into groups A, B, C, D, and E. See Table 3 for dates, times, Lab groups, and
location. Read this carefully as it is crucial that you attend your scheduled Lab section at the right time, on
the right day, and in the right room. Cycle 1 Labs begin the week of Sept 19th and cycle 2 Labs begin the
week of Sept 26th. Labs are every other week in sequential order (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). Note that there are
no Labs running the week of November 7th (See p. 13).

Arrive on time for your Lab

Labs start promptly at 10 minutes past the hour (9:10 am, 2:10 pm, 6:10 pm). If you arrive late, you will
still be expected to finish the Lab within the three hours, with no compensation if you cannot. You will also
be expected to find out from fellow students what was covered in the Lab talk as the TA may be busy
helping other students in the Lab. If you have missed a quiz, you will forfeit those marks. At the discretion
of the TA, if you have missed too much of the Lab, you may not be permitted to complete the Lab for credit.

Hand in Pre-lab work at beginning of the Lab

Pre-lab work such as flowcharts or worksheets are due at the beginning of the Lab. They will not be
accepted before the Lab or after the Lab.

Finish on time
The Labs are designed to be completed within the scheduled three hours. Students will be asked to leave
by the end of this time (i.e., 12 pm, 5 pm or 9 pm). It is therefore essential that you come to Lab prepared.

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Lab changes
Students must attend their first Lab as scheduled (check QUERCUS). Lab changes may be requested only
during a restricted time of the year. We will only consider fall term direct class conflicts or late enrolment
problems. These Lab changes may ONLY be completed by contacting the BIO230 office from Sept 13th –
Sept 16th. Students should email the BIO230 office at bio230@utoronto.ca and request a Lab change
request form. We make no guarantees of Lab space at times requested. No Lab changes/additions will be
possible after September 16th.

Missed Labs
If you miss a Lab and you have submitted your Declaration of Absence for the missed Lab on ACORN, we
will either approve you to sit in with another Lab, or to complete an alternate Lab-related written
assignment to earn the marks for the missed Lab. Lab work is an integral part of this course and of a science
education, thus we will limit the number of alternate assignments to a maximum of one for the course.
Specific instructions are given below. Serious and extended illnesses affecting two consecutive Labs or
more will be considered on an individual basis.

Contact the BIO230 office within one week (preferably sooner) of your missed Lab with a screenshot of
your declaration of absence to acquire the necessary Lab/assignment permission form.

Alternative Lab sittings for missed Labs

If space is available, we may permit you to sit in with another regularly scheduled Lab to make up a missed
Lab providing you submitted your Declaration of Absence for the missed Lab on ACORN. Busy timetables,
vacations, extracurricular activities or work commitments are not valid reasons for missing your regularly
scheduled Lab.

If there is not a suitable time to sit in with another Lab, you will be assigned an alternate Lab-related
assignment worth the same marks you could have earned for the missed Laboratory (this does not include
the Lab quiz mark); this assignment should take you about three - four hours to complete. You will have
one week to finish the assignment and submit it on Quercus.

Make-up quiz for missing a Lab with a quiz

If you miss a Lab which has a quiz and are not able to sit in with another regularly scheduled Lab, you will
write a make-up Lab quiz in the BIO230 office. Please make an appointment with Dr. Kenana Al Kakouni
and come well prepared to take the quiz as there will not be any other alternative quizzes.

Lab marks
You may earn up to a total of 35% of your total grade through your Lab assignments (Note that 2% of this
grade is apportioned to the textbook reading quizzes). Labs are worth between 4% and 6% each (check
Evaluation section in each Lab write-up for specific values), plus there are 4 Lab quizzes of which the best
3 will count for a total of 6%. There is a Writing assignment worth 4% and a revised Writing assignment
worth 5%. Note that a portion of the final exam will be composed of Lab-related questions.

Your Lab mark will be based on your preparation before the Lab, your technical execution of the
procedures and your participation in Lab discussions and group work during the Lab, and the quality of

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your written work before, during, and after the Lab. See the Evaluation section for each Lab in the
laboratory manual and other supporting information posted to Quercus.

You will have 4 Lab quizzes that you will write in the Lab throughout the term. The best 3 out of 4 will count
towards your final mark and each will be worth 2% each. For every Lab starting with Lab 2, you will have a
quiz during the Lab. Lab quiz 1 will be in Lab 2, Lab quiz 2 in Lab 3, Lab quiz 3 in Lab 4, and Lab quiz 4 in Lab
5. Lab quiz 1 will test the Gene regulation materials presented in the Lab 1 and Lab 2 manuals and Lab 1
and 2 notes on Quercus. Lab quiz 2 will test the materials presented in the Lab 3 manual and Lab 3 notes
on Quercus, Lab quiz 3 will test the materials in the Lab 4 manual and Lab 4 notes on Quercus, and Lab quiz
4 will test the materials presented in the Lab 5 manual and Lab 5 notes on Quercus.

Confirm your marks regularly (IMPORTANT!)

Lab TAs will enter marks after each Lab and prior to your subsequent Lab. Check your marks every couple
of weeks and report any errors or missing marks to your TA immediately.

Mark enquiries
Mark errors or questions related to coursework (Lab assignments or tests) must be attended to as close to
the event as possible. University policy states that enquiries need to be made within two weeks of the
return date of the work (Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar, p. 41;
https://artsci.calendar.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/PDFs/2021-2022_FAS_Calendar.pdf). Please deal
with mark enquiries promptly.

Note: It is important to make these enquiries as soon as possible. This ensures that any issues with your
mark(s) are resolved accurately and promptly.

Writing assignments
Please keep copies of your Writing assignments in case we ask to see them.

Due dates: Your Writing assignments are due online at the beginning of your regularly scheduled Lab 3 and Lab 5
(revised Writing assignment). Check the course schedule and assignment instructions for details (see the ‘Writing
assignment’ tab on Quercus). Please do not wait until the last day to do this work in case you become ill or
experience computer problems. Marked writing assignments will be returned online before or immediately
following your scheduled Lab 4.

See notes below if you need to miss a Lab where a Writing assignment or Revised Writing assignment is due or if
you are not finished on time (be aware that late penalties are high).

If you need to miss a Lab: If you have rescheduled your regular Lab in advance as a result of a religious holiday or
an acceptable and documented reason, your Writing assignment is still due online before the beginning of your
regularly-scheduled Lab. If it is not submitted before the beginning of your Lab it will be considered late. For
example, if your Lab is on Wednesday from 2pm – 5pm, your writing assignment must be submitted by 2 pm on the
Wednesday of your scheduled Lab 3 or Lab 5.
Late Writing assignments: Writing assignments: If you do not submit your Writing assignment online by the due
date, it is considered late. You have 24 hours following your regularly-scheduled Lab to submit your Writing
assignment online. The late penalty is minus 10% of the total value of the assignment.

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Writing assignments submitted online after 24 hours following your regularly-scheduled Lab without an approved
extension will receive a grade of ‘0’.

Sick on the day of your Lab Writing assignments are still due online by the start of your regularly scheduled Lab. Do
not assume you have an extension. You are given ample time to complete this assignment, so do not wait until the
night before in case you become ill. It is your responsibility to submit your Writing assignment online and on time.
In the case of extended illness, please email the BIO230 office and include a screenshot of your Declaration of
Absence for all the days you missed classes.

Questions about marks: For clerical errors that you spot or mark entry errors on Quercus, show your TA
immediately and they will correct the mark.

For any other concerns about marks, you will need to submit your Writing assignments for a remark. You will need
to fill out a remark sheet and submit this with your original Writing assignment. You may not request a remark on
the first draft of your Writing assignment until you have handed in your revised Writing assignment. The purpose
of remarking is to ensure that Writing assignments were marked consistently according to the guidelines on
Quercus. Remarks do not provide comments or additional feedback. The mark may stay the same, go up, or go
down.

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Lab organization
Dates
Cycle 1 Labs (Pxx01)
Labs are every two weeks starting the third week of term.

Week of Sept 19th, Oct 3rd, Oct 17th, Oct 31st, and Nov 21st.

Cycle 2 Labs (Pxx02)

Labs are every two weeks starting the fourth week of term.

Week of Sept 26th, Oct 10th, Oct 24th, Nov 14th, and Nov 28th.

Lab sections
Labs are divided into cycle 1 and cycle 2. The cycles are further subdivided into groups A, B, C, D, or E. For
example, P0201A, P0201B are cycle 1 Labs; and P0202A, and P0202B are cycle 2 Labs. You will be able to
find your Lab section and group under Groups on Quercus. Your Lab group assignment will determine when
you start your Labs and the location (RW room #) of your Labs. It is crucial that you consult this information
and attend your scheduled Lab section at the right time, on the right day, and in the right room.

Lab order
Labs are every other week and are completed in a sequential order (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5).

Lab rooms
All BIO230 Labs are in the Department of Cell and Systems Biology, Ramsay Wright Laboratories (RW), 25
Harbord St. Your Lab will be in the room listed in the Lab Room Table on the next page. You will be assigned
one Lab room for the entire semester.

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Table 3. Lab schedule and room assignment*

TIME MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
9AM-12PM SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION
RW203 P0101A P0401A/P0402A P0601A
RW205 P0101B P0401B/P0402B P0601B
RW217 P0101C NO LABS P0401C/P0402C P0601C
RW216 P0101D P0401D/P0402D P0601D
RW214 P0101E P0401E/P0402E n/a

2-5PM
RW203 P0201A P0302A P0501A/P0502A P0701A/P0702A
RW205 P0201B P0302B P0501B/P0502B P0701B/P0702B
RW217 P0201C P0302C P0501C/P0502C P0701C/P0702C
RW216 P0201D P0302D P0501D/P0502D P0701D/P0702D
RW214 P0201E P0302E n/a P0701E/P0702E

6-9PM
RW203 P5101A P5201A/P5202A
RW205 P5101B P5201B/P5202B
RW217 P5101C NO LABS P5201C/P5202C NO LABS
RW216 P5101D P5201D/P5202D
RW214 P5101E P5201E/P5202E

*Cycle 1 (Pxx01) - Week of Sept 19th, Oct 3rd, Oct 17th, Oct 31st , and Nov 21st.
*Cycle 2 (Pxx02) - Week of Sept 26th, Oct 10th, Oct 24th, Nov 14th, and Nov 28th.

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Quercus
It is essential that you view the BIO230 Quercus site each week to find announcements, lecture notes, Lab
notes, test information, grades, Lab group section, and to use the discussion board to communicate with
your fellow students.

The BIO230 discussion board has been set up within Quercus. The electronic discussion board enables
students to discuss course content with one another and the course professors. THE BOARD MAY BE
MONITORED BY THE COURSE, but keep in mind that responses from other students may or may not be
accurate. Therefore, use information from other students with caution. Common courtesy toward fellow
students and BIO230 staff is a requirement for the continued use and availability of the discussion board.

Academic conduct
Individual work
The University of Toronto takes academic integrity very seriously. Please note that assignments intended
as individual work such as flowcharts, Pre-lab worksheets, Writing assignments, and textbook quizzes must
be completed on your own. You should not work with other students on these assignments, nor should
you copy from other students (or let them copy from you). Individual work that is submitted and found not
to be the work of the student who submitted it, will lead to action at the course and departmental level
and could lead to academic misconduct proceedings through the Dean’s office.

Referencing
The terms acknowledgement, citation, referencing, and documentation refer to the practice of informing
readers of the source(s) for your information. You must cite your sources and give credit for the knowledge
or idea to the original author, for moral and legal reasons (and to avoid being charged with the academic
offence of plagiarism or the legal offence of copyright infringement), and also to demonstrate your
understanding of the topic in the context of current knowledge articulated by leaders in the field.

The underlying principles of referencing are the same, but the style varies. Cite (refer to) sources using the
conventional format accepted by the discipline, in this case biology, as the rules for citation vary
considerably from discipline to discipline. For example, scientists rarely use direct quotations or footnotes/
endnotes to acknowledge sources; instead, information is re-worded (paraphrased) and the citations are
inserted directly into the text (refer to Appendix 3 of the Self-guided Writing assignment for examples).
The two types of formatting styles for citations in science are either giving the name of the author(s) and
publication year (name-year system) or by referring to each source by a number (citation-sequence
system).

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General referencing instructions in BIO230

I. Use the citation-sequence or name-year system in all assignments for BIO230 unless stipulated
otherwise. This is the style decided upon by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html). We have chosen this style since it is
commonly used in the biological sciences.

II. In scientific writing, direct quotations are rare and extremely unlikely to be necessary for Writing
assignments in BIO230. Put the ideas into your own words (paraphrase), but you must still cite the
source. Refer to Appendix 3 of the Self-guided Writing assignment for examples.

Citing references for your Writing assignment:

A. For journal articles, list ALL* authors' names and initials in the general form of:

Author A, Author B. The title of the article. Name of the Journal [you may use standard abbreviation]
Publication year; Volume: page numbers.

* if your reference has more than six authors, list the first six in the format above and insert et al.
Below are some examples. Note the order of every part of the citation, the use of periods (.), what to
capitalize, and the lack of italics for titles (species names are an exception and are italicized). You may
abbreviate the journal name. Leave a space between citations.

(1) Paabo, S. Ancient DNA: extraction, characterization, molecular cloning, and enzymatic
amplification. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1989; 86:1939-1943.

(2) Paabo S, Wilson AC. Miocene DNA sequences-a dream come true? Current Biology 1991;
1:45-46.

(3) Poinar HN, Hoss M, Bada JL, Paabo S. Amino acid racemization and the preservation of
ancient DNA. Science 1996; 272:864-866.

The following types of references are not expected for your Writing assignment, but are included in case you find
them necessary.

B. For books, including a textbook, refer to the examples below:

(4) Lodish H, Berk A, Zipursky SL, Matsudaira P, Baltimore D, and Darnell J. Molecular Cell
Biology. 5th ed. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company; 2003. p. 24-30.

(5) Sagan C. The demon-haunted world: science as a candle in the dark. New York: Random
House; 1996. p. 457.

(6) Saiki RK. The Design and Optimization of the PCR. In: Erlich HA, editor. PCR Technology.
Principles and Applications for DNA Amplification. New York: Stockton Press; 1989. p. 7-16.

C. Electronic resources:

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i) E-journals – Reference scholarly journals as described in examples (1), (2), or (3) as above,
regardless of whether you happened to obtain them electronically. Most are available in both
paper and electronic formats.

Zhang M, Holman CD, Price SD, Sanfilippo FM, Preen DB, Bulsara MK. Comorbidity and repeat
admission to hospital for adverse drug reactions in older adults: retrospective cohort study. BMJ.
2009 Jan 7;338:a2752. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2752

Comai L, Maheshwari S, Marimuthu MP. Plant centromeres. Current Opinion in Plant Biology
[Internet]. 2017 Apr [cited 2022 Aug 26];36:158-67. Available from:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbi.2017.03.003

ii) Web site:

(7) NCBI [homepage on the Internet]. Bethesda: National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S.
National Library of Medicine.;c1994-2007 [Revised: 2007, July 3; cited 2007, July 13]. Available from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.

D. Lab manual

(9) Cordon A, Neumann M. Review: DNA, RNA and Protein Structure. In: Neumann M, Donaldson S,
editors. BIO240H Cell and Molecular Biology Course Manual. Toronto: University of Toronto Press,
2007. p. 2-1 – 2-11.

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Plagiarism
Adapted (with permission) from Prof. Margaret Procter’s “How Not to Plagiarize” website.

Procter M. How Not to Plagiarize. http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-

plagiarize. Originally accessed July 30, 2012.

How not to plagiarize--what, when, and where to reference

To plagiarize is to present someone else's words or ideas as your own. Understandably, plagiarism is a
serious academic offence.

“Can't I avoid problems just by listing every source in the reference list at the end?” No, you need to
integrate your acknowledgments into what you are saying. Give the reference as soon as you have
mentioned the idea not just at the end of the paragraph or the end of the report.

“If I put the ideas into my own words, do I still have to clog up my pages with all of the names?" Yes you
do. In academic papers, you need to keep mentioning authors and dates to show how your ideas are related
to those of the experts and to credit and distinguish your originality from someone else's. Whether you
quote a passage directly in quotation marks (which you should avoid), paraphrase it in your own words, or
just summarize it, you need to identify the source then and there.”

Please ensure that for your Writing assignments that you use your own words. The nature of the Writing
assignments ensures that your TA will know what your references are, and as a result some students may
think that it is not necessary to use their own words in the annotation. However, you must use your own
words to demonstrate that you thoroughly understand what you have read and also to avoid plagiarism.

Note: it may be better/safer to use less formal language than ‘fancy’ technical language. It is also better to
show a ‘somewhat’ incomplete understanding of the science than to plagiarize. It is not easy to completely
understand the technical aspects of scientific manuscripts and will take time, patience, and practice.
Remember that you will get a second attempt with the revised Writing assignment. Refer to the Writing
assignment guidelines posted on Quercus for further guidelines and suggestions.

Another useful link on how to avoid an academic offense is

https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academic-advising-and-support/student-academic-integrity
Please take a look at the helpful tips found here.

Examinations
You will have one midterm test and a final exam, the midterm test will be in October and the final exam
will be in December in the Arts and Science exam time period. The midterm will be one hour and forty
minutes long and the final exam will be two hours long. The specific format of each, as well as your room
assignment, will be posted under Announcements of the course website in early October and late
November.

Because our final exam is held in the Faculty of Arts and Science examination time period, dates, times,
and rooms are not within our control and are determined by the Faculty. Do not book vacations for
December until you know the exam schedule.
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What to bring to the exam/test

You will need your U of T student photo identification card, a pencil, and an eraser for the multiple-choice
computer answer sheet. No aids such as calculators are required or permitted.

Midterm test
At the time of press, the midterm is scheduled for October 24th, 2022 from 5:30-7:15pm*. Please see the
course website for more details and for any changes in the date and time of the midterm.

* Note: the BIO230 midterm is in the evening. If this time conflicts with a Lab/lecture/tutorial from a
different course, email the BIO230 office between Sept 26th and Oct 13thand we will provide a make-up time.
However, if any other course schedules a midterm exam during your BIO230 Lab time, you must go to
that course office to obtain permission to write a make-up. Pay special attention to specific course
deadlines.

December Final Exam

If you miss the December exam, you must petition through your college registrar abiding by the regulations
governing final exams as described in the Rules and Regulations section of the Faculty of Arts and Science
Calendar. The December deferred exam will be held in February in the special deferred exam period run
by the Faculty of Arts and Science.

If you are seeking special consideration for an exam, please be advised that, if your petition is granted, you
will be given the opportunity to write the respective deferred exam with the other students writing the
deferred exam. We do not re-weight the other components of the course.

While the University and instructors have worked diligently to accommodate students with disability-related
barriers, unfortunately many students learn of Accessibility Services much too late to have arrangements work
smoothly, even though the service is widely publicized in electronic and printed communications. Accommodations
work best for all concerned if the student comes forward to Accessibility Services early, rather than after tests have
been taken and marks have been assigned. For more information regarding this service please visit them at
http://www.accessibility.utoronto.ca

Laboratory safety & procedures

Emergency response guidelines
Prep Room/ Course Lab Technician RW 219—Tanja Vasic
St. George Campus Emergency Local Telephone Numbers:
Campus Police 8-2222
Metro Police 9-911
Fire Department 9-911
Student Health Services 8-8030
Hazardous Chemical Spills 8-7000
Phones for emergency use are located in each room.

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General rules
Please observe the following rules of conduct in the BIO230H Lab rooms (Failure to observe these rules may
result in your expulsion from the Lab and you will forfeit all marks associated with that Lab):

1. No food, drink, or smoking is allowed in the Lab.

2. Wear appropriate clothing in the Labs; wear a Lab coat, safety goggles / glasses, and disposable gloves if
chemicals are handled (gloves are provided).
! 3. Do not wear open-toed shoes in the Lab. For example, flip-flops are unacceptable.
4. Advise your instructor of any special health conditions you have that they should know about in the event
of an emergency.
5. Do not behave in any way that disrupts the class or endangers the health and safety of other people in
the class. Report any accidents, breakage, or damage of equipment immediately to your instructor.
6. Clean up after yourself. Dispose of waste in the appropriate containers. Clean your glassware. Wash your
hands before leaving the Lab. Do not wear disposable gloves outside the Lab.

Rules when working with chemicals

1. Always wear protective clothing (Lab coat, safety goggles, and gloves) when handling chemicals.
We advise not wearing contact lenses when handling chemicals.
2. Do not pipette solutions by mouth. Use only the dispensers provided.
3. Keep solutions capped when not in use.
4. Dispose of chemicals in the labeled containers. Do not put solutions down the drain.
5. Read the safety data on the chemicals you will use so that you know what to do in case of a spill or
emergency.
6. Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the Lab.

First Aid
For a minor injury:
First aid kits are found in each of the laboratory rooms. All injuries, no matter how minor, should be reported
to your TA who fill out an incident report form online at ehs.utoronto.ca.

For a serious injury or illness:

Call the Campus Police at Local 8-2222. Use the phone located in each of the laboratory rooms. Familiarize
yourself with the location of the nearest campus phone.

Chemical First Aid

Check the material safety data sheets (MSDS) found in the BIO230 prep room RW 219 for the recommended
first aid procedure for each chemical. The three common chemical hazards are inhalation, ingestion, and
skin/eye contact. For most chemicals the following basic first-aid procedures apply:

Inhalation: Move patient to fresh air.

Ingestion: Call poison control and notify (9-416-813-5900).

Skin/eye contact: Flush area with water for 15 minutes. Wash skin with soap and water. Consult physician if
irritation persists. All Labs are equipped with an eye-wash station.

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Fire
1. Activate the nearest wall-mounted fire alarm located in the hallways near the exits.
2. Phone the Campus Police, Local 8-2222.
3. Evacuate the room and building.
4. Report to Campus Police if anyone is suspected of being in the building after general evacuation.
5. Attempt to extinguish a fire only if you can do so safely. Each Lab room has a fire extinguisher next to the
door.
6. Familiarize yourself with the location of fire exits and fire extinguishers.

Chemical Spill
For a minor spill:
1. Soak up the chemical in paper towels. Wear gloves.
2. Dispose of the contaminated towels in the appropriate waste container (ask your instructor).
3. Report the accident to your instructor.

For a major spill:

Alert your instructor. They will decide to either evacuate the room and call the Hazardous Chemical Control
at Local 8-7000, or to contain and clean up the spill with the hazardous spills kit located in the prep room.

Equipment
Report broken or damaged equipment promptly to your TA or the course technician and describe the nature
of the problem as best you can (“broken” or “not working” is not a sufficient description to diagnose a
problem).

Report spills in / on equipment immediately to your TA or the course technician. Some chemicals will
permanently damage the equipment if not cleaned up properly and quickly.

Glass and “Sharps”

1. Dispose of broken glass in the orange buckets, and razor blades in the small yellow containers. Please do
not put paper waste in the "sharps" containers. Never throw glass into the garbage bins. If you are unsure,
please ask your TA.
2. Use a dustpan and brush to sweep up broken glass. Ensure that all broken glass is cleaned up (dustpan
and brush are located in the prep room).

Lab Coats, Safety Glasses/ Goggles, and Gloves

Lab coats are compulsory for ALL Labs in BIO230. Safety goggles (the ones you have from your CHM courses
are fine) or safety glasses must be worn in ALL Labs. Students with eyeglasses must also wear safety goggles
or glasses.

Labs in BIO230 require you to wear gloves that we will be providing as needed. These gloves will protect you
from exposure to hazardous chemicals and also protect your work from contamination (thereby maintaining
proper Lab safety). If you have to leave the Lab for any reason, you need to remove your gloves. If you have
any chemical residue from the Lab materials on your gloves, everything you touch may have that residue
transferred to it, creating a potential health risk to others.

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Microscopes
1. Always begin by examining your slide under the LOWEST magnification.
2. Do NOT expose microscopes to corrosive liquids.
3. Carefully remove slides from stage after use.
4. The swiveling binocular heads on the Olympus compound microscopes easily become loose and may
fall off. Please check heads and tighten screws if needed.
5. Wipe the microscope’s eyepieces with 70% ethanol before sharing the microscope with other students.

Pipettors
1. ALWAYS USE TIPS!!!
2. Do NOT over or under-dial pipettors.
3. Do NOT place pipettors in a horizontal position with liquid in the tip. The liquid can flow into the
pipettor.
4. Do NOT hold pipettors upside down at any time.
5. Do not walk around with a pipettor in your hand.

Preparation (Prep) rooms

Not to be used by students to cross between Lab rooms except for emergency use. It may disrupt technical
preparation and sensitive set-up.

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