General Biology II (For Majors): Evolution, Biodiversity, and Ecology

Course Description

BSC2011C – General Biology II is a 4-credit, integrated lecture-and-laboratory course that serves as the second semester of the majors-track introductory biology sequence in Florida. The course covers the principles of evolution, the phylogeny and biodiversity of living organisms (prokaryotes, protists, plants, fungi, and animals), plant and animal anatomy and physiology at an introductory level, and the principles of ecology — populations, communities, ecosystems, and conservation biology. The integrated "C" format means lecture and laboratory meet as a unified course; students apply theoretical concepts directly through hands-on experimentation, organism identification, and ecological investigation each week.

The course sits within the Florida Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) under Biological Sciences > Biology and is offered at approximately 27 Florida public institutions. It is the required second course for biology majors, biotechnology majors, pre-medical and pre-health professions students, and most natural-science majors. BSC2011C is the direct continuation of BSC2010C – General Biology I (cellular and molecular biology); together, the year-long sequence is required by all SUS biology departments and most pre-health professional schools.

BSC2011C places strong emphasis on problem-solving, analysis, synthesis of information, and applying data effectively as it relates to biological concepts. Florida-specific examples — Florida ecosystems (Everglades, springs, coastal estuaries, pine flatwoods), invasive species, and conservation biology of the state's distinctive flora and fauna — are commonly woven into both lecture and laboratory.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of BSC2011C, students will be able to:

• Describe the principles and evidence for evolution: natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, and speciation.
• Apply population genetics at an introductory level, including the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and its assumptions.
• Construct and interpret phylogenetic trees, recognizing common ancestry, monophyly, and the relationship between phylogeny and classification.
• Describe the diversity of prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), their metabolic diversity, and ecological roles.
• Describe the diversity of protists, their cellular complexity, and ecological roles.
• Describe the major plant lineages (bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, angiosperms) and the evolution of plant adaptations to land.
• Describe the diversity of fungi, their ecological roles as decomposers and symbionts, and their economic importance.
• Describe the major animal phyla, their distinguishing features, and the evolutionary innovations that distinguish them.
• Explain plant structure, function, and reproduction at an introductory level: tissues, transport, growth, hormones, and flowering.
• Explain animal anatomy and physiology at an introductory level: digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, endocrine, immune, excretory, and reproductive systems.
• Apply ecological principles: population ecology (growth models, life history); community ecology (interspecific interactions, succession); ecosystem ecology (energy flow, biogeochemical cycles); biome distribution; biodiversity and conservation.
• Demonstrate laboratory and field competencies: organism identification, dichotomous key use, microscopy, dissection, ecological data collection, hypothesis testing, formal lab report writing.

Optional Outcomes

Depending on instructor and institutional emphasis, students may also:

• Engage with Florida-specific biodiversity and conservation issues: the Everglades restoration, invasive species (Burmese pythons, lionfish, Brazilian pepper), endangered species (Florida panther, manatee, sea turtles), springs ecology.
• Conduct an independent or guided ecological investigation, including study design, data collection, and analysis.
• Engage with climate change biology: range shifts, phenological mismatches, ocean acidification, and ecosystem responses.
• Apply quantitative methods in ecology: chi-square, t-tests, regression analysis, biodiversity indices.
• Conduct a field trip to a regional ecological site (Florida institutions commonly visit state parks, springs, beaches, or wetlands).

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Evolutionary Biology: Darwin and natural selection; evidence for evolution; population genetics and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; mechanisms of microevolution; speciation; macroevolution and the fossil record; the history of life.
• Phylogeny and the Tree of Life: Constructing and interpreting phylogenetic trees; molecular systematics; the three domains of life; classification and taxonomy.
• Prokaryotes: Bacteria and archaea; structural diversity; metabolic diversity (autotrophs, heterotrophs, chemoautotrophs); ecological and biogeochemical roles; bacteria and human health.
• Protists: Endosymbiotic theory; supergroups of protists; ecological and evolutionary significance.
• Plant Diversity: The colonization of land; bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts); seedless vascular plants (ferns, lycophytes); gymnosperms (conifers, cycads, ginkgo, gnetophytes); angiosperms (flowering plants) and the evolution of flowers and fruit.
• Plant Structure, Growth, and Reproduction: Plant tissues and organs; primary and secondary growth; transpiration and translocation; plant hormones and tropisms; flower structure and pollination; seed and fruit development.
• Fungi: Major fungal groups; mycorrhizae and lichens; ecological roles; medical and economic importance.
• Invertebrate Diversity: Sponges, cnidarians, flatworms, mollusks, annelids, nematodes, arthropods, echinoderms; major evolutionary innovations.
• Vertebrate Diversity: Chordate origins; jawless and cartilaginous fishes; bony fishes; amphibians; reptiles (including birds); mammals; primate and human evolution.
• Animal Form and Function: Tissues and organ systems overview; nutrition and digestion; circulation and gas exchange; immune system; osmoregulation and excretion; the nervous system and senses; endocrine system; reproduction and development.
• Population Ecology: Population growth models (exponential, logistic); life history strategies; population regulation.
• Community Ecology: Interspecific interactions (competition, predation, mutualism, parasitism); community structure; succession; biodiversity.
• Ecosystems and Biomes: Energy flow and primary productivity; biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, water); terrestrial and aquatic biomes; Florida ecosystems specifically.
• Conservation Biology: Threats to biodiversity (habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, pollution); conservation strategies; restoration ecology.
• Laboratory Practice: Microscopy of plant and animal specimens; dichotomous key use; dissection (frog, fetal pig, or alternative); plant identification; ecological field-data collection; biodiversity sampling; formal lab report writing.

Optional Topics

• Florida Ecosystems: The Everglades; Florida springs and karst hydrology; mangrove and seagrass ecosystems; coral reefs; pine flatwoods and longleaf pine ecosystems.
• Invasive Species in Florida: Burmese pythons, lionfish, Brazilian pepper, hydrilla, melaleuca — case studies in ecology and management.
• Climate Change Biology: Range shifts, phenology, ocean acidification, ecosystem responses.
• Quantitative Ecology: Statistical methods, biodiversity indices (Shannon, Simpson), spatial analysis.
• Behavior and Behavioral Ecology: Innate vs. learned behavior, communication, mating systems, social behavior.
• Field Trip: A visit to a Florida state park, springs, beach, or wetland for hands-on ecological observation.

Resources & Tools

• Most-adopted textbooks at Florida institutions: Campbell Biology by Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, and Reece (Pearson) — by far the most widely-used majors biology text across Florida; Biology: How Life Works by Morris, Hartl, Knoll, Lue, et al. (W. W. Norton); Biological Science by Freeman et al. (Pearson).
• Open-access alternative: OpenStax Biology 2e (free) — adopted at UCF, Valencia, FSCJ, and an increasing number of Florida institutions as a zero-textbook-cost option.
• Online learning platforms: Mastering Biology (Pearson, paired with Campbell); Smartwork (Norton); OpenStax Tutor; institution Canvas modules.
• Laboratory equipment: Compound and dissecting microscopes; preserved specimens (sponges, hydra, planaria, earthworms, clams, crayfish, starfish, frogs or fetal pigs); plant herbarium specimens; live cultures; field equipment (quadrats, transect tape, GPS units, water-quality kits).
• Florida-specific field resources: Florida Museum of Natural History (Gainesville); Florida Park Service educational materials; the Everglades Foundation; the Florida Springs Institute; UF/IFAS extension publications.
• Reference and visualization tools: Tree of Life Web Project (tolweb.org); HHMI BioInteractive (free animations and case studies); the Encyclopedia of Life (eol.org); iNaturalist for organism identification.
• Tutoring and support: Institution biology study sessions / SI (Supplemental Instruction) programs; tutoring centers; Khan Academy and Crash Course Biology supplements.

Career Pathways

BSC2011C completes the year-long majors biology sequence, opening the way to a wide range of biology and health-science careers. Florida-relevant pathways include:

• Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physician-Assistant, Pre-Veterinary, Pre-Optometry — the BSC2010C/BSC2011C sequence with a strong grade is required preparation for almost all U.S. health-professions schools.
• Biology, Botany, Zoology, Marine Biology, Ecology — pathway through SUS BS programs at UF, FSU, USF, UCF, FAU, FIU, FGCU, UNF, UWF.
• Marine Biology and Oceanography — particularly relevant in Florida; pathway through programs at FAU's Harbor Branch, USF St. Petersburg, NSU's Halmos College, FIT, and FIU. Major employers include NOAA, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Mote Marine Laboratory (Sarasota).
• Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist — Florida's robust conservation-employer landscape: the FWC, the National Park Service (Everglades, Biscayne, Big Cypress), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nature Conservancy.
• Environmental Scientist / Environmental Consultant — Florida's coastal development and water-quality industries.
• Biotechnology / Pharmaceutical Research — Florida biotech employers in Miami (UF Scripps), Jupiter, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.
• Allied Health Programs: Nursing (BSN-track), radiologic technology, respiratory therapy.
• Forensic Biology / Forensic Science.
• K–12 Science Teacher — pathway through Florida science education BS degrees with state certification.
• Park Ranger / Interpretive Naturalist — Florida State Parks, the National Park Service.

Special Information

Articulation and Transfer

BSC2011C is part of the Florida common course numbering system and articulates seamlessly to all SUS institutions. It satisfies the laboratory science general education requirement under the AA degree (when paired with BSC2010C, the sequence covers two semesters of biology with lab). A grade of C or higher is required at most SUS institutions for the course to satisfy major prerequisites and to allow use as a prerequisite for upper-division biology courses.

Position in the Biology Curriculum

BSC2011C completes the year-long majors biology sequence (BSC2010C + BSC2011C) required by all SUS biology departments and most pre-health professional schools. After BSC2011C, students typically move into upper-division coursework: genetics (PCB3063C), ecology (PCB3043C or PCB3044), animal physiology (PCB3712), microbiology (MCB3020 or MCB3023), and discipline-specific electives. The full majors sequence is the standard preparation for the MCAT, DAT, OAT, and similar professional-school admissions exams.

Critical: BSC2011C vs. BSC1005

As with BSC2010C, the for-majors BSC2011C is not interchangeable with the for-non-majors BSC1005 / BSC1005C. Pre-health and biology-track students must take BSC2011C; switching from BSC1005 to BSC2011C requires a complete re-take.

Prerequisites

The standard prerequisite is BSC2010C with a minimum grade of C. Some institutions also list co-requisite or recommended chemistry coursework (CHM1045C/CHM2045C or higher).

Course Format and Workload

BSC2011C is a demanding course. Expect 3 hours of lecture and 2–3 hours of laboratory each week, plus 10–15 hours per week of out-of-class study. The breadth of organismal biology is substantial — students must master not just principles but a large body of specific information about plant and animal lineages. Laboratory work commonly includes specimen identification, dissection, and field-data collection.

Course Code Variations

Florida institutions consistently use BSC2011C as the SCNS code for the second semester of the majors biology sequence. Some catalogs list it as "Integrated Principles of Biology II," "Biological Principles II," or simply "Biology II"; the SCNS code and content are consistent.