BIOL 110Biodiversity, Biomes, and Evolution
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Science
- Subject
- Biology
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
A survey of organisms that inhabit a range of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs, lakes, forests). Through a lens of evolution this course focuses on how life has adapted to physical conditions, interactions with neighbouring organisms, and the influence of flora and fauna on the world we inhabit. Evolutionary and ecological frameworks will be used to explore how organisms diversify and are considered distinct species. Laboratory activities include developing hypotheses, collecting and analyzing data, and determining how to best communicate results will be carried out.
Prerequisites
None listed.
Antirequisites
- Not open to students enrolled in Faculty of Environment programs
Leads to
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 7046 | 312 / 320 | MW 13:30–14:20 |
| LAB 101 | 7047 | 30 / 32 | Sep 14 14:30–17:20 Sep 28 14:30–17:20 Oct 19 14:30–17:20 Nov 2 14:30–17:20 Nov 16 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 102 | 7048 | 32 / 32 | Sep 15 09:30–12:20 Sep 29 09:30–12:20 Oct 20 09:30–12:20 Nov 3 09:30–12:20 Nov 17 09:30–12:20 |
| LAB 103 | 7049 | 31 / 32 | Sep 15 14:30–17:20 Sep 29 14:30–17:20 Oct 20 14:30–17:20 Nov 3 14:30–17:20 Nov 17 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 104 | 7050 | 32 / 32 | Sep 16 09:30–12:20 Sep 30 09:30–12:20 Oct 21 09:30–12:20 Nov 4 09:30–12:20 Nov 18 09:30–12:20 |
| LAB 105 | 7051 | 31 / 32 | Sep 16 14:30–17:20 Sep 30 14:30–17:20 Oct 21 14:30–17:20 Nov 4 14:30–17:20 Nov 18 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 106 | 7052 | 31 / 32 | Sep 21 14:30–17:20 Oct 5 14:30–17:20 Oct 26 14:30–17:20 Nov 9 14:30–17:20 Nov 23 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 107 | 7309 | 32 / 32 | Sep 22 09:30–12:20 Oct 6 09:30–12:20 Oct 27 09:30–12:20 Nov 10 09:30–12:20 Nov 24 09:30–12:20 |
| LAB 108 | 7310 | 31 / 32 | Sep 22 14:30–17:20 Oct 6 14:30–17:20 Oct 27 14:30–17:20 Nov 10 14:30–17:20 Nov 24 14:30–17:20 |
| LAB 109 | 7860 | 30 / 32 | Sep 23 09:30–12:20 Oct 7 09:30–12:20 Oct 28 09:30–12:20 Nov 11 09:30–12:20 Nov 25 09:30–12:20 |
| LAB 110 | 7861 | 32 / 32 | Sep 23 14:30–17:20 Oct 7 14:30–17:20 Oct 28 14:30–17:20 Nov 11 14:30–17:20 Nov 25 14:30–17:20 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
80% liked it47% easy62% useful
From 151 ratings and 42 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
I had paul Craig as my prof and the dude is useless, I learned nothing the entire semester and the only saving grace for the course is the extremely easy lab portion with bruce wolff who is awesome. Paul Craig should not be a teacher
Dec 2023 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
This course was not easy! There's a lot of terminology and a lot to memorize. I had Marcel Pinheiro as my prof, he was really enthusiastic and engaging. We had clicker quizzes every class which counted towards our marks, so we had to read our textbooks in advance. The labs were really fun and easy, you get to dissect all kinds of species. The lab exam though, was SO hard! There was a slideshow with arrows pointing things that were indistguishable and you had to fill in the blank. Exams are a bit tricky too. Helps with Biol 165 though!
Jul 2014 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Really enjoyed this course Pinheiro is the best prof I've had so far, he makes a lot of jokes and records his lectures
Mar 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
loved this course. loved the lectures, final exam was easy but underwhelming. a lot of the interesting things taught weren't on the exam.
Dec 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
If you remember grade 11 bio, this course takes that and expands on it a crazy amount. Content is decently interesting (Pinhero is hilarious) though it'll depend on how much you like zoology. Labs were definitely the highlight of this course, the TAs are wonderful + it's a free grade boost w/ all work being done in class (exception was final lab report but it was a joke, 1 page and possible to complete in ~2hr)! I cannot emphasize enough how important keeping up with the lectures is. Pinhero does post recorded lectures on LEARN: my strategy was watching those recordings and making my own notes at a later time (I do suggest that you go to class just so you have a general idea of what he…
Dec 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
69 posts and comments in 49 threads mention BIOL 110, August 2012 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Fall 2024
be honest do I end it next term 37 points, 48 comments
u/Apophis_06: “I wouldn't wish that monday on my worst enemy, 6:30 - 9:20 lab is also diabolical”
u/madie7392: “admittedly i took biol211 a very long time ago, but the labs were very rarely actually 3hrs long. it’s dissections so basically once you’re done you can leave (very similar to biol110). i had the same section and always left before 8:30”
BIOL 110 LAB BOOK 1 point, 0 comments
u/supbabd82: “Anyone need a lab manual willing to sell for cheaper than W store price since dropping course.”
Used/Cheap Textbooks 2 points, 7 comments
“Hello! This is my first reddit post so please bear with me lol I'm a first year biology undergrad student who's looking for access to free or cheap textbooks. …”
u/SwingDue7753: “What specific ones do you need”
u/Ok-Ebb-789: “unfortunately im in biol 110 & 130 but i rlly appreciate the offer ty!!”
Spring 2024
Does anyone have notes from previous years for BIOL 130 and BIOL 110? 2 points, 0 comments
u/mrboyo23: “I've been wanting to use them to try and prepare myself for the upcoming term and I was wondering if any past students here have them.”
Fall 2023
Bird Purse Science courses? 4 points, 4 comments
“I'm a CS Major (1B) I wanted to see if there were any pure science courses I could take that's the easiest. I heard about Chem 120 & Physics 111? Are they still the easiest?”
u/MacaroonDependent510: “Biol 110”
Science Courses 4 points, 6 comments
“I am looking for some courses offered by faculty of science (i.e., with course codes: AVIA, BIOL, CHEM, EARTH, MNS, OPTOM, PHARM, PHYS, PDPHRM, SCI, SCBUS) that are available to general science …”
u/camie_txt: “BIOL 150 has some basic math. BIOL 110, 165, 211, and 220 are relatively easy (memorization courses) and have no prerequisites. Good luck”
Bio 130 - & 110 5 points, 5 comments
“long story short i NEED to pass bio 130 and 110, i have about 1 month exactly to do so. I have gr 12 high school knowledge however its a bit rusty now. …”
u/candianbastard: “… I have done BIOL 110 Zoology with Marcel, a really great prof whose lecture are A fantastic. There is too much content to absorb. …”
u/niihowdyy: “… As for BIOL 110, I never took the course since I had an override in my upper years, but if it’s anything like the other 100-level biology courses, I’d say start with whatever units the test is on, make sure you have those pat down, then focus reviewing the previous units. …”
u/Black_Hole_Cow: “… I don’t know anything about BIOL 110, but I’m in BIOL 130 now and I’ve been making quizlets about every screencast if you’d like to check them out. I would definitely recommend the screencasts at 1.5x speed even if you don’t take notes during them. …”
Course selection 2 points, 1 comment
“Course selection is on Thursday and I'm unsure with what elective I should take. My second semester is ENGL 193, MATH 127, BIOL 239 and CHEM123 with one elective. …”
u/shuckle4: “… Im also currently taking BIOL110 which is zoology (fun & easy course with a hands on lab). MNS101 has the best professor ever so I would consider checking it out + the course load is very manageable. …”
Spring 2023
How to get into lab that’s full 1 point, 2 comments
u/baristabautista: “I need BIOL 110 for my post-graduate program, and I have been checking almost hourly to see if any spots have opened. I only have availability Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 2:30-5:20. All those labs are at max capacity already. Any suggestions? …”
u/Miserable-Ad2744: “If worst comes to worst see if emailing an academic advisor may help. They might slip you in?”
u/OrchidNo795: “Science labs are pretty strict in the number of spots though, mostly for safety and equipment reasons. Most people tend to switch around their lab sections before the term starts though so I'll turn on notifications on uwflow and hopefully a spot opens up!”
Fall 2021
Good place on campus to do dissection? :) 1 point, 3 comments
u/SAYAVASA: “I need to cut open a fish for an BIOL 110 assignment. I feel very uncomfortable doing it in res in front of my room mate. Any good place on campus? Also, can someone join me for the emotional support :)?”
BIO110, BIO120, BIO130, CHEM 120 2 points, 2 comments
u/ProfessionalDoubt238: “i took a gap year and i literally don't remember anything from highschool science classes. can i still do well in these courses? are they basically just repeats of highschool courses? will they prepare me for upper year science courses? …”
Any tips for BIOL 110, 150 or 130? 0 points, 5 comments
u/SAYAVASA: “Would really appreciate any helpful response :)”
u/spicysalmontunaroll: “For BIOL 110, I made a comparison chart of all of the species we talked about throughout the term which I found helped me study for the midterm/final.”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them