Note: Homework assignments are listed from the current assignment downward to the oldest assignment.

10. Homework 10 is an essay based on the reading "Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth" written in 1966 by Kenneth Boulding. This article is found in the reader -- it was one of the original articles. Please read about Boulding at the beginning of the article before you read the article in order to understand why he takes the approach he does. After reading and thinking about the article, please write a 300-500 word essay that addresses the following questions in a narrative style. If your French is rusty, know that "Apres nous, le deluge" means "After us, the flood". In other words: "What? Me Worry?" (to quote a famous American: Alfred E. Newman).

• What does Boulding propose about the concept of the "frontier?"
• What is the difference between an open system and a closed system according to Boulding?
• Compare and contrast the "cowboy" economy and the "spaceman" economy.
  
• What is the difference between "stock" and "flow" as they relate to these two types of economies?
• Does "consumption" and "use" mean the same thing?
• We are reading Boulding 42 years later. Does his analysis help us frame and understand any modern day issues? Which ones? How does it help?

9. Homework 9 is your materials and methods for Lab 15. Due, Wednesday, November 26.

8. Homework 8 is your proposal for Lab 15. Due Wednesday, November 19. (Notice, this homework is due before Homework 7)

7. Homework 7 is a genetics problem. Due Monday, November 24.

6. Homework 6 is a problem set in genetics. Due Wednesday, November 12.

5. Homework 5 is a short essay on horses, donkeys and mules.

Homework 5 is due on Wednesday, November 5, at the beginning of class. It is worth 10 points. Here is the background and question (note: this is taken from Challenge Question #2 on page 218).

Horses and donkeys are considered separate species. Horses have 64 (total) chromosomes and donkeys have a total of 62. When they mate, they produce mules--which are sterile. Using your knowledge of sexual reproduction and meiosis, describe this situation, including a reasonable discussion of why mules are sterile. In doing so, answer the following:
1) what is the chromosomal condition of horse gametes?
2) what is the chromosomal condition of donkey gametes?
3) what is the likely chromosomal conditon of mules?
4) what is the possible chromosomal condition of mule gametes?
5) what is a reasonable hypothesis for why mules are unable to reproduce?

You are to write a 300-500 word essay that addresses the questions listed above. It will be graded according to this standard:

Substance= 7 points
       Breakdown: 2 points for describing the chromosomes of horses and donkeys, 2 points for describing the situation in mules, 3 points for the discussion of infertility.
Organization = 2 points
     I would expect a brief introduction, the body and a brief conclusion of your own style.
Mechanics = 1 point.
    I will take off a point for misspellings and errors of grammar if they distract the reader (me!).


4. Homework 4 is a short essay in which you demonstrate to me that you have read the article "Life from Scum" by Lynn Margulis.

Home work 4 is due on Wednesday October 15,  at the beginning of class. It is worth 10 points. Please begin reading the article handed out in class on Monday September 29. I have discovered that there is one page missing from this printed version. I will bring printed, punched pages to class Monday, but alternatively, here is the missing page in pdf format.

Details for Homework Four.
The Margulis article is a wide ranging discussion about the possible origin of life, the possible endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria, chloroplasts and motility fibers, the pitfalls of a scientist with a novel idea and the most fundamental workings of energy flow through living systems. I wanted you try to read and understand this article, because if you can follow her presentation and logic, it means you have understood some of the most important processes in biology. If the article is a struggle to read and figure out, I would say -- give yourself lots of time and patience and go lookup the words or phrases that don't make sense to you. You will find most all of them in our text. Bring to class any that you have tried to figure out, but can't. To hopefully show me that you read and understood the article, I am asking you to:

•  Briefly summarize the Serial Endosymbiotic Theory as presented in this article

 and address the following questions:

• Why does Margulis find "panspermia" -- that life came from outerspace -- an unsatisfying answer to the question of life on earth?
  
• Why does Horowitz say (on page 269) that biology is the bridge between physics and history? What does he mean by this? What is he refering to? Give an example.
• What, in the final analysis, is the difference between "autocatalytic" reactions in the chemistry lab and "life?" How is this possible?
  

You are to write a 300-500 word essay that addresses the questions listed above. It will be graded according to this standard:

Substance= 7 points
       Breakdown: 4 points for correctly summarizing SET, 1 point for an adequate answer for the next three questions.
Organization = 2 points
     I would expect a brief introduction, the body with the questions answered in narrative style (don't list the questions!), and a brief conclusion of your own style.
Mechanics = 1 point.
    I will take off a point for misspellings and errors of grammar if they distract the reader (me!).

Home work 4 is due on Wednesday October 15,  at the beginning of class. The regular late penalty applies. See 1st day handout for details.

3. Homework assignment 3 consists of Case #1 and Case #2 of the "Hypothesis Testing" portion handed out in Lab 4 - Techniques (also available here.) You will need these pages, the handout on "Goodness of Fit Testing" given out in class, and you'll want to cross reference this with page 85 of the lab  manual, Lab Seven, Statistical Analysis Section. Here are the proper values for Table 7.3 page 85. We will understand this data later, but for now you can use these pages to help you with this homework assignment.

Phenotype	Genotype	# Observed (o)	# Expected (e)	(o - e)
Green	GG or Gg	72	63	(72-63)=9
	gg	12	21	(12-21)=-9
	Total:	84	84

In addition to filling out the calculations and blanks on the work sheets, you should write a short description of what the Chi-squared statistic is trying to help us decide and what our calculations mean in cases 1 and 2. This essay and the case study sheets are due Wednesday, Septembern 24 at the beginning of class. We will discuss this some on Wednesday, Sept. 17, after class. It is important that you have looked these pages over before this date.


2. In the reader, read the paragraph on A. G. Tansley and the selection entitled "Ecoystem." This, tiime however, I want you to write an essay that addresses the "Application Question." You do not need to copy the question into your paper. I encourage you to utilize the writing lab at COS. This assignment is due Wednesday, September 3 at 1:00 p.m.

1. In the reader, read the paragraph on Aristotle and the selection from "Parts of Animals."  Then, after reading the "Content Questions" that follow the selection and thinking about them, write out your answers in a computer-generated paper. The top of the paper should include your name, the class, the date it is turned in and a title: Content Questions and Answers for "Parts of Animals" by Aristotle. Then, in the body of the paper, include the question number and the question itself. On the next line write out your answer. Your answer must be in complete sentences, free from spelling and grammar errors. Your answers should be written in such a way as to embody the question so that a person just reading your answer would still understand what you are addressing. This assignment is due Monday, August 25 at 1:00 pm.