Biology 11 The Science of Life: DNA to Disease

Transcription

1 Biology 11 The Science of Life: DNA to Disease Professor Prof. Tom Jack LSC 331 Office Hours: M 12:30-2, Tu 10-11:30, 1:30-2:30, F 11:15-12:15 Note: No office hours on Monday 10/15 or Tuesday 10/16. Overview Biology 11 is open to all students interested in biology and is the entry course for all other major courses in biology. There are several offerings of Biology11 each year. Each is designed to provide a synthetic overview of the life sciences, and to introduce the fundamental ideas, processes and theories on which the modern life sciences are built. Different offerings of Biology 11 have different themes that the instructors have chosen to introduce fundamental concepts and develop a perspective on the life sciences. Different offerings may also be organized somewhat differently, in the way the professors combine to give the lectures, the scheduling of discussions, and the role of quizzes, exams and papers in student assessment. When there is more than one offering in a term, students may choose the one they prefer. All Biology 11 offerings will cover the key basic principles and concepts in biology. However, the specific details of what you learn in DNA to Disease will be different from what students learn in other offerings of Biology 11. A useful analogy is to think about Biology 11 as a first year seminar in biology. Dartmouth s first-year writing seminars are focused on different topics, but all first-year seminars teach valuable writing skills. Similarly, Biology 11 offerings feature different specific information, but all will teach you how to think critically and in a more sophisticated way about biology. There are four main goals/objectives of this course. The first is to stimulate interest in the science of biology. The second is to encourage critical, analytical thinking in science. The third is to communicate key concepts in biology. The fourth is to develop an appreciation for the specific material that is the focus of DNA to Disease. By the end of this course, students will have acquired knowledge of key biological concepts such as evolution, the relationship between structure and function, information flow, and the interconnectedness of living systems. Students also will have developed analytical skills about how present-day research is carried out and interpreted. DNA to Disease is one of three offerings of Biology 11 in In this offering, we have chosen "DNA to Disease" as the central topic, because we are of the opinion that this topic offers an interesting and important springboard into many areas of contemporary biology. The last decade has resulted in extremely rapid progress in the genetic analysis of human disease. In DNA to Disease, we will focus on a small number of human genetic diseases, some of which are caused by defects in a single gene while others result from defects in multiple genes. Our analysis of these diseases will span from the molecular level to the population level. We will explore how genes and proteins function in cells, how cells communicate, and how these molecular and cellular mechanisms become defective in human disease. We will investigate how mutations arise and how disease alleles behave in populations. Over the course of the term, students should gain a perspective on the diverse toolkit available to study problems in human genetics. We will take opportunities during the course to discuss the linkages among the many disciplines in the life sciences, and the options for more advanced study in those fields as an undergraduate at Dartmouth. 1

2 Prerequisites There are no prerequisites for Biology 11; it is open to all students. Biology 11 is a prerequisite for all upper level courses (numbered higher than 11) in the Biology Department. Textbooks / Readings 1) Required: The Language of Life by Francis S. Collins (Harper Collins Publishing, 2010). This book on the medical genetics revolution is written for the educated non-scientist. The author is physicianscientist Francis Collins, former director of the Human Genome Project and present director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This book covers many of the topics that we will emphasize in DNA to Disease. You will read this book on your own during the course. A small percentage of points on each of the first 4 quizzes will be on the assigned Collins readings, and there will be opportunities to raise questions in the interactive discussions each week. This book is available in the local bookstores. 2) Recommended: We will assign background readings from a general comprehensive biology text: Biology The Dynamic Science by Russell, Hertz, and McMillan (Brooks/Cole second edition (2011)). Only rarely will a lecture segment match this text closely, but Russell covers much of the basic science underlying the course, and would be a useful reference for further studies in biology. In previous years, some students found a basic textbook like Russell extremely useful, while others did not use it at all. This reflects different levels of interest and motivation, as well as different levels of high school biology preparation among the students taking Biology 11. There are several options for acquiring the Russell textbook: 1) I recommend that everyone access the ebook online. In addition to the ebook, there are a number of other useful resources (e.g. animations, practice questions etc.) available with online access. The cost of the ebook is $75. Online access is via: 2) Via the Cengage website above, you also have the option to purchase a soft cover version of the textbook. The cost of online ebook access plus soft cover text is $110 (including shipping). If you order the book online, Cengage will ship it to you. 3) You can purchase the soft cover version of the book at the Dartmouth Bookstore or Wheelock Books. If you purchase the book at either of these places, it will come with online ebook access. The cost purchasing via local bookstores likely will be more than $110. 4) You can purchase the textbook (hard cover or soft cover) through another retailer, but if you choose this option, it will not come with online ebook access (you would need to spend $75 to purchase that separately). This is unlikely to be the least expensive option. Interactive discussions For each quiz time is allocated to interactive discussion, specifically on Monday during the weeks when we have a Wednesday quiz, and on Thursday prior to quiz 5, we will present some clicker questions for your response. Also bring your own questions, from lectures and from the readings in Collins. You are expected to attend these discussions. The material we cover, both in the clicker questions, and in response to questions from students on lectures, can be included quizzes. Office hours Profs. Jack will have several scheduled office hours each week. In previous years, many students have taken advantage of these sessions, resulting in lively group discussions and some concentrated preparation for quizzes. We invite you to come to office hours and see how they work for you! Special appointments If you have particular concerns, difficulties or interests that you would like to discuss individually with the faculty, contact me in person or via to set up an appointment. 2

3 Study groups We encourage students to form their own study groups. The Academic Skills Center will be organizing study groups for Bio 11, each led by a student who has previous taken Biology 11. The sign up for study groups will be during the second week of the course. Blackboard We have set up a Blackboard site ( for Bio 11. This syllabus, announcements, the reading assignments for each week, Powerpoint lecture presentations, screencasts, solutions to quizzes etc. will be posted. We will use the Discussion Board feature in Blackboard to facilitate questions and interactions among students and faculty. Clickers We will use interactive technology in Bio 11 that will require you to have a hand-held device (a "clicker"). Pick up clickers at the computer store, where you will be charged a fee ($30 on DA$H card) at the beginning of the term. When you return the clicker at the end of the term, you will receive a $20 credit. Please get your clicker immediately, and bring it to class on Wednesday 9/12, and to all classes for the rest of term. Clickers won t be needed on quiz days. When the class responds to clicker questions, we will see immediately how many students chose each response. Class participation using clickers will count for a small percentage of your overall grade. With clickers, the key is to participate; we will not be keeping track students answers to questions (some clicker questions don t even have correct/incorrect answers). What is important is that you participate and attempt to answer the clicker questions. To get full credit for clicker participation, you need to enter at least one response in 85% of the class periods. In other words, if you forget your clicker one day, or are sick and have to miss a class, then you will not be penalized until you have missed more than 15% of classes. In previous years, students found that clicker participation stimulated thinking, and helped them to focus and learn. Assessment of your academic performance We will have 5 quizzes, during the X hours, roughly every other Wednesday. Your best 4 scores will count toward your final grade, each contributing 17%, for a total of 68%. Quizzes will focus mainly on the topics covered in the preceding two weeks. However, in keeping with the goals of the course, we will take opportunities to link each week s topics with earlier material, and those connections will be reflected in the quizzes. It is your responsibility to make sure you wake up and get to class in time for quizzes. If necessary, set two reliable, sufficiently loud alarms. If you oversleep, and miss a quiz, you will receive a zero on that quiz, and it will be the quiz score that you drop. In fairness to other students, we can arrange alternative quiz times only in cases of documented emergencies or illness. A documented illness requires confirmation from a physician or Dick s House, prior to the quiz. If you wake up the morning of the quiz and feel too sick to take the quiz, it will count as your dropped quiz. Even though one of the 5 quiz scores can be dropped, we strongly suggest that it is in your interest to take all quizzes. The final exam will cover all topic areas (i.e. it is cumulative), and will count for 30% of your final grade. It will be less detailed than the quizzes, and will emphasize major concepts, integration and synthesis. The remaining 2% will be based on class participation using clickers. Academic Honesty Academic honesty is essential. The following is quoted directly from the Dartmouth College Student Handbook: "Students who submit work that is not their own or who commit other acts of academic dishonesty forfeit the opportunity to continue at Dartmouth." The complete text of the Academic Honor Principle is in the Student Handbook. Please read it carefully; you are responsible for it. In Bio 11, where assessment is based on in-class quizzes and a final exam, the application of the Honor Principle is quite simple; all your quiz and exam work must be 100% your own, and you may not use notes, text or other resources during the quizzes and exam. Any violations of the Honor Principle within the context of Biology 11 will be referred to the Committee on Standards and can result in your suspension for multiple terms or, in the most extreme cases, separation from the College. 3

4 Disabilities We encourage students with disabilities, who may need disability-related classroom accommodations, to make an appointment to see one of the professors as soon as possible-- certainly before the end of the second week of the term. All discussions will remain confidential, although the Student Accessibility Services office may be consulted to discuss appropriate implementation of any accommodation requested. Religious observances Some students may wish to take part in religious observances that occur during this academic term. If you have a religious observance that conflicts with your participation in the course, please meet with the professor before the end of the second week of the term to discuss appropriate accommodations. 4

5 Class Schedule (check Blackboard for revisions during the term) 1 1 Sep 10 M Introduction. DNA to Disease Overview 1 2 Sep 12 W What is a gene? Using clickers 1 3X Sep 13 Th DNA structure 1 4 Sep 14 F Mutation 2 5 Sep 17 M interactive discussion 2 Sep 19 W QUIZ 1 2 6X Sep 20 Th Meiosis and patterns of inheritance 2 7 Sep 21 F Genetic variation 3 8 Sep 24 M Evolution I 3 9 Sep 26 W Evolution II 3 10X Sep 27 Th Huntington s disease I 3 11 Sep 28 F Huntington s disease II 4 12 Oct 1 M interactive discussion 4 Oct 3 W QUIZ X Oct 4 Th Linkage 4 14 Oct 5 F Human disease mapping I 5 15 Oct 8 M Human disease mapping II 5 16 Oct 10 W DNA repair and colon cancer 5 X Oct 11 Th No Class - Life Sciences Symposium - Alternative Protein Conformations in Biology and Disease held in Oopik Auditorium 9AM-5PM 5 17 Oct 12 F DNA repair and skin cancer 6 18 Oct 15 M interactive discussion 6 Oct 17 W QUIZ 3 6 X Oct 18 Th No class 6 19 Oct 19 F BRCA1/2 and breast cancer I 7 20 Oct 22 M BRCA1/2 and breast cancer II 7 21 Oct 24 W Macular degeneration I 7 22X Oct 25 Th Macular degeneration II 7 23 Oct 26 F Gene therapy and cystic fibrosis 8 24 Oct 29 M interactive discussion 8 Oct 31 W QUIZ X Nov 1 Th Shen et al., (2010). Nature Genetics 42, Nov 2 F Shen et al., (2010). Nature Genetics 42, Nov 5 M Shen et al., (2010). Nature Genetics 42, Nov 7 W Shen et al., (2010). Nature Genetics 42, X Nov 8 Th interactive discussion 9 Nov 9 F QUIZ Nov 12 M interactive discussion and synthesis Nov 16 F Final Exam 8 AM - location TBA 5