Biology 274: Genetics Syllabus Description: An examination of the basic principles of genetics in eukaryotes and prokaryotes at the level of molecules, cells, and multicelluar organisms, including humans. Topics include Mendelian and non-mendelian inheritance, structure and function of chromosomes and genomes, biological variation resulting from recombination, mutation, and selection, and population genetics. Faculty: Professor: Dr. Heather Doherty, Ph.D. Office: Archer 566 Office hours: Tue & Thu 9am-10am in Archer 503 Tutors: Stephanie J Laurer Ashley Maceli Course Meeting Time: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am-11:15am in Archer 503 Prerequisites: Prerequisite: BIO 111/L111. Pre- or Co-requisite CHEM 111/L111. Strong math skills. Textbook: Principles of Genetics, Sixth Edition by Snustad & Simmons Credit Hours: 3 Suffolk University follows the Federal Government s Credit Hour definition: As an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutional established equivalence that reasonably approximates no less than: One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of student work out of the classroom each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit. Work Load: For this course you should expect to be reading the assigned chapter(s) every week before the class session for which they are assigned. Starting the second week of class, reading questions will be assigned to go with each chapter that are due by 5pm the day before class on Blackboard and problem sets will be assigned due roughly every other week to be handed in during class. I would expect to set aside 6-8 hours per week outside of class to have enough time to complete these assignments. If you tend to find math difficult, you should expect to put aside a few extra hours to work on math skills as they are essential to your success in this course.
Course Goals & Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will know/understand: The Mendelian and non- Mendelian modes of inheritance that govern passage of genetic traits across generation The basic structure and function of DNA and chromosomes as well as how chromosomes move through mitosis and meiosis The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation and the requirements for maintaining Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in a population The basics of the molecular processes of DNA replication, transcription and translation as well as the important characteristics of the genetic code How to make a genetically modified organism -The origins of the human species - How a genetic sequence is determined and how it helps us understand genetic relationships between species Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Use this knowledge of inheritance to track alleles through generations and categorize and predict genotypes and phenotypes Draw the stages of mitosis and meiosis and explain how the process of mutation occurs and generates phenotypic diversity Calculate p, q, p 2, q 2, and 2pq for a population before and after the occurrence of selection - Draw and name all the relevant machinery for DNA replication, transcription, and translation - Identify the parts of a gene, transcribe it, and then translate it into protein Describe the steps in making a genetically modified organism and be able to predict the outcome of making a mistake in the process -Name the species to which they belong and its predecessors as well as the type of evidence used to determine these facts - Describe the process of genetic sequencing Student will be assessed on these learning outcomes by: Course policies: Attendance & Exams: Attendance at all course sessions is required and necessary for your success in the course. The activities during class are a crucial part of the learning experience and lectures from each week build on the previous week. Repeated tardiness or absence will be addressed on an individual basis and will detrimentally affect your grade.
If you know that you will be absent for any class sessions, please let me know ahead of time if possible. Absences from regular class sessions will be handled on a case by case basis. Absences for will be excused only with a doctor s note stating you were unable to take the exam. Your other exam scores will be averaged and substituted for the missed exam. Makeup will not be given. Quizzes, homeworks and other assignments will be treated in the same manner as with the average of your other scores substituted for the missed work. No quizzes, homeworks, or will be dropped. Exam material will be taken from the book and from lectures. Not all material covered in the is in the book so taking notes in class is important! Classroom courtesy: As a courtesy to all the members of our classroom community, please turn off your cell phones and keep your side conversations to a minimum. Laptops will be permitted to be used during class, but those found abusing this privilege will no longer be allowed to have a laptop in class. Preparation for Class: Arrive on time and ready to participate and learn. Arrive having read any assigned chapters and have any homework that is due ready to turn in. You should have with you: a pen and pencil (or two different colored pens), a notebook, a calculator, and scrap or notebook paper for practice problems and activities. Readings & Homework: Non-textbook readings will be posted ahead of time on the Blackboard website. If you would like to have a copy with you during class, please bring a printed copy to class. Readings on the syllabus should be completed ahead of time in order to fully understand the lecture material. Reading questions will be posted to accompany most readings. These questions should be answered online on Blackboard and turned in by 5pm the day before the class session. They will count toward your final grade. Problem sets will be posted weekly (for most weeks) and are due the following week. The homework will be handed in, but only be graded on a check+, check, check- scale for effort and completeness. If you would like to work with others on your homework, that is permitted. ON YOUR HANDED IN ASSIGNMENT, YOU MUST NOTE WHO YOU WORKED WITH AND YOUR ANSWERS MUST BE YOUR OWN! The purpose of the homework is for you to practice solving problems and to preview the types of questions that are likely to be on an exam. Quizzes: Vocabulary and short-problem based quizzes lasting about 10 minutes will be given at the beginning of class on the days noted below. Genetics is a language of its own and learning it will make this course and future biology courses easier.
Extra credit: There will be ONE extra credit assignment towards the end of the semester for those interested. It can be used to increase your grade up to 5% depending on how well it is completed. Details to come later in the semester. Contacting Faculty: The best way to contact me is by email. Unless it is a holiday, emails will generally be answered within 24 hours. Please plan accordingly. Blackboard: Lectures, assignments, reading questions, review materials, announcements and grades will all be posted on the Blackboard website for Biology 274. It is advisable that you become comfortable with Blackboard and check the website daily. Classroom community: My philosophy as a teacher is that learning is an action verb and a dynamic process. It requires students to actively contribute both inside the classroom and after class. Class participation is part of your grade, but more importantly, it is an integrated part of the learning process. Answering questions posed during lecture, voting in class poles, and energetically being a member of groups in activities will reinforce your learning and help make the class enjoyable for all participants. Academic Honesty: All dishonest conduct including: cheating on examinations, plagiarism and/or improper acknowledgment of sources in essays or research papers, and the use of a single essay or paper in more than one course without the permission of the instructor is unacceptable and will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs as outlined in the Suffolk University Academic Honesty Policy. Cheating, as defined above, on any assignment will result in a zero on that assignment in addition to whatever other penalties are imposed by the University. Grading: Grades are non-negotiable. If you truly believe I have made a math error (and it happens) please bring it to my attention and I will check my math. If you find yourself struggling, act quickly as this class moves quickly! Your best resource is your peers and formation of study groups is encouraged. Your tutors, Stephanie Laurer and Ashley Maceli are also important resources. I am not on campus every day, but available if needed. Please feel free to come to my office hours or contact me by email for an appointment. All course policy issues should be addressed directly to faculty. Reading questions 5% Homework 10% Quizzes 10% Class Attendance/ Participation 15% Exams x 3 15% EACH Final 15% 100% Extra Credit +5%
Weekly Schedule: This schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather, student needs, or unfortunate emergency. Any changes will be announced in class and on the course website. Tue 1/17/12 Syllabus and notecard distribution and in-class activity Thu 1/19/12 Chromosomes, karyotypes & mitosis Ch. 2 Tue 1/24/12 Meiosis, ploidy & gametes Ch. 2 & 6 Thu 1/26/12 Rearrangements & Intro to Mendel Ch. 6 & begin 3 Tue * 1/31/12 Mendel s Peas, Punnetts, & Probabilities Ch. 3 Thu 2/2/12 Non-Mendelian Genetics & Probabilities II Ch. 4 Tue* 2/7/12 Human pedigrees Ch. 3-5 Thu 2/9/12 Review Tue 2/14/12 Exam 1 Thu 2/16/12 Linkage, Crossing Over, and Mapping I Ch. 7 Tue* 2/21/12 Linkage, Crossing Over, and Mapping II Ch. 7 Thu 2/23/12 Structure, Function, & Mutation of the DNA molecule Ch. 9 Tue* 2/28/12 Mutation, a molecular & phenotypic perspective Ch. 13 Thu 3/1/12 Population genetics: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium Ch. 23 Tue* 3/6/12 Review Thu 3/8/12 Exam 2 Tue 3/15/12 NO CLASS SPRING BREAK Thu 3/17/12 NO CLASS SPRING BREAK Arrive to class having read: Tue 3/20/12 The Cell Cycle & DNA repair I Ch. 13, p.348-58 Thu 3/22/12 Replication of the DNA molecule Ch. 10 p.220-38 Tue* 3/27/12 Eukaryotic Replication/ Recombination Ch. 10 p. 238-50
Thu 3/29/12 Transcription I & Extra credit handed out Ch. 11 p.256-66 Tue* 4/3/12 Transcription problems Ch. 11 p.267-80 Thu 4/5/12 Review Tue 4/10/12 Exam 3 Thu 4/12/12 Intro to Proteins: Translation Initiation, Elongation & Termination Ch. 12 Tue* 4/17/12 The Genetic Code and Genetic Sequencing Ch. 12 & Ch 15 p. 409-15 Thu 4/19/12 Modern genetics: Modifying the mouse genome Primary Literature Tue* 4/24/12 Evolution: The Origins of Homo sapiens sapiens Ch. 24 p. 676-7 Thu 4/26/12 Review & Extra Credit due Thu 5/3/12 Cumulative FINAL EXAM 1:00pm-2:50pm in Archer 503 * Quiz dates