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Biological Sciences at Neosho County Community College offers undergraduate training in general biology, botany, ecology, genetics, microbiology, anatomy & physiology, and zoology, as well as preparation for professional schools such as nursing and allied health. As a biology student at NCCC, you will be exposed to the principles, which underlie this science of living things. You also may engage in study leading to a more detailed understanding of the area in which you are most interested, for each of the areas is tailored to meet specific interests and needs.

Biological Sciences has 2 fulltime faculty members. The size of our classes are small and thus the faculty will get to know you as a person. You will have many opportunities to develop very beneficial relationships with the faculty at NCCC. The faculty are committed to helping you become a life-long learner, to helping you with career and educational opportunities after graduating from NCCC, and, in general, to showing you the joys of exploring biology.

Biological Sciences maintains experimental garden plots, located across from campus, for biology I, biology II, and general biology classes. Biological Sciences also maintains a small herbarium, a small insect collection, and a newly formed regional fossil collection for biology I, biology II, and general biology classes.

Philosophy for the General Education Biology Courses:

Our philosophy relative to these courses are based on the assumption that these are the only courses in the life sciences that the majority of our students will ever take. As such, we believe that the courses need to cover the most basic elements of biology, be rigorous, and expose the students to the diversity of issues that are relevant to them now and in the future. Understanding the basic concepts of biology is critical to developing the knowledge base and the analytical tools to understand how the world works and how to be a critical consumer of the information received on a daily basis.

We realize that any individual General Education Biology Course might place a greater emphasis on certain biological areas, such as health or environmental issues. Due to these differences, we conclude that specific competencies should be written with the individual course in mind. In order to most efficiently utilize the expertise and experience of the individual instructors and institutions, we have chosen 7 core competencies that we believe represent the essence of a General Education Biology Course. These 7 core competencies are considered to be the minimum material that is to be covered. These 7 competencies provide a uniform base for instruction of basic biological concepts, and yet allows flexibility in optimizing the resources of individual institutions.


7 Minimum Common Core Competencies for Biology.
  1. Understand the nature of science.
    1. Scientific processes.
    2. Scientific methods.
  2. Understand the levels of organization and emergent properties of life.
    1. Chemical.
    2. Cellular.
    3. Organismal.
    4. Ecological.
  3. Understand bioenergetics.
    1. Enzyme activity.
    2. Metabolism.
    3. Cellular respiration/photosynthesis.
  4. Understand the importance of reproduction in maintaining the continuity of life.
    1. Mitosis.
    2. Meiosis.
    3. Differentiation/development.
    4. Diversity of reproductive strategies.
  5. Apply principles of genetics to unity and diversity of life.
    1. Classical genetics.
    2. Molecular genetics.
  6. Discuss evolution as the mechanism of change in biology.
    1. Natural Selection.
    2. Speciation.
    3. Diversity of life/Classification.
  7. Understand principles of ecology.
    1. Ecosystem organization.
    2. Ecological interactions.
    3. Environmental issues.
12 Laboratory Topics/skills:
  1. Microscopy Skills
  2. Quantitative measurement skills incorporating the metric system
  3. Analytical and statistical skills including presenting and/or interpreting graphs, tables, etc.
  4. Experience with living organisms.
  5. Identification and proper use of laboratory equipment including the most current technology available
  6. Field experience
  7. Basic biochemistry
  8. Organismal and cellular structure and function
  9. Classification/Taxonomy
  10. Evolution/Natural Selection
  11. Genetics
  12. Reproduction (cellular and organismal)
Suggested Life skills for Biology students.
  1. Communication skills
  2. Cooperative learning
  3. Problem solving/Critical thinking
  4. Research skills
  5. Ethics
  6. Awareness of world/interdisciplinary
  7. Personal enrichment
  8. Biology enrichment
  9. Actionism/citizenship/responsibility
Science and Mathematics Club:
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