Biology 221: Genetics
Fall 2011
Lecture: 9:30 am – 10:45 am Tue/Thu, SSC 231
Lab: 2:00-5:00 pm Tue or Wed, SSC 137
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Brigati
Office location: SSC 108
Office hours: Tu 10:50 – 11:50, W 11-12, or by appointment
Email:
Phone: 981-8168
Course Materials:
Required Text: Pierce, B.A. 2008. Genetics: a conceptual approach. 3rd edition. W.H. Freeman Publishing.
Required technology: Response Card
*Please bring both of these to class each day*
Course Description:
A survey of genetics covering classical Mendelian genetics and modern molecular genetics. Topics will include Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance; DNA structure and replication; gene expression and regulation in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes; DNA mutation and repair; cancer; developmental genetics; and population genetics. Laboratory work will provide opportunities to use classical genetics, but will focus on biochemical and molecular techniques currently used in research and medical laboratories.
Course Objectives:
●Understand how traits are passed from parents to offspring
●Use knowledge of Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics to determine the mode of inheritance of traits and genetic disorders
●Understand the “central dogma” of molecular biology
●Identify the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes with regard to DNA replication, transcription, and translation
●Recognize the connections between DNA mutation, gene regulation, and cancer
●Analyze the ways in which cells become highly differentiated from one another despite containing identical DNA
●Gain experience using microorganisms in genetic experiments and learn sterile technique
●Understand the concepts behind, and master the techniques of: DNA extraction; gel electrophoresis; polymerase chain reaction (PCR); and transformation of competent cells
●Recognize and debate the ethical issues surrounding genetic technologies
●Gain experience reading scientific literature and communicating scientific concepts through writing and speaking
Course Policies:
Grading:
Exams (3): 35%
Formal lab reports (3): 35%
Term paper & presentation: 15%
Class participation/problem solving: 10%
Lab worksheets/short reports (3): 5%
Exams: closed book; in class; non-cumulative; a mix of multiple choice,
problems, short answer, and other question styles.
Formal lab reports: Written for each of the three projects; formatted according to guidelines provided on the TARTAN.
Term Paper & Presentation: You will write a short paper (5-10 pages) on an
approved topic (guidelines on the TARTAN). You will then present the major
findings of one of the journal articles that you used in the preparation of your term
paper to the class (guidelines on the TARTAN).
Class participation: You will frequently be asked to perform activities in small
groups to facilitate learning concepts and applications of genetics. Your class participation grade will reflect your attendance and the performance of your group in these exercises. It will also reflect your participation in “clicker”
questions.
Lab worksheets/short reports: Not every lab requires a full write-up. The first
two labs (virtual fly and virtual pedigree) and the final lab (DNA
fingerprinting) will just require worksheets or brief reports.
Grade Scale:
97-100 A+ 87-89 B+ 77-79 C+ 67-69 D+ Below 60 = F
93-96 A 83-86 B 73-76 C 63-66 D
90-92 A- 80-82 B- 70-72 C- 60-62 D-
Final grades are non-negotiable. If you suspect a grading or arithmetic error on an assignment please see me. If you just want me to give you a higher grade because (insert excuse here) don’t waste your time. If you are struggling with the material please see me for help ASAP! Nothing makes me happier than having students come to my office hours. Visit during my office hours, or make an appointment to meet with me before September 27th, and I’ll give you two bonus points on the first exam just for mentioning that you read this. Thank you for reading the syllabus.
Attendance/Make ups:
Attendance at all lectures and laboratories is mandatory. Please see me immediately if you are involved in a formal, documented school activity that will force you to miss multiple lectures, any laboratories, and/or any exams.
There will be no make-up exams! If you know that you will need to miss an exam because of a formal, documented school activity let me know now and I will arrange for you to take the exam early or while travelling. If you miss an exam for any other reason, you will take a cumulative final exam (in addition to the regular exam 3). You also have the option of doing this if you do poorly on one of the first two exams. The cumulative exam will be scheduled for a mutually agreeable time after the second exam has been returned. Usually this is right before Thanksgiving or on the last Friday of classes.
Laboratory exercises generally cannot be made up. If you need to miss a lab, call your lab partners, beg for their forgiveness, and ask them to share their data with you. NOTE IN YOUR REPORT THAT YOU OBTAINED THE DATA FROM ANOTHER PERSON AND DID NOT DO THE WORK YOURSELF. Your first lab absence will be forgiven. Subsequent absences will result in a 20 point reduction (out of 100 possible points) on a project report or a 50 point reduction (out of 100 possible points) on a short report. Exceptions will be made if all absences were for documented illness or documented school activity. When possible, arrangements should be made to attend the other lab section if you will miss lab due to travel for school activities. You will not be allowed to enter the laboratory if you are late or if you are not properly dressed (you will be considered absent).
Class Participation cannot be made up! I will drop your lowest grade on the problem solving exercises, allowing you to miss one without penalty.
Deadlines:
Lab reports are due at the beginning of class as detailed on the schedule. Lab reports handed in after the deadline but less than 24 hours late will be docked 10 points (out of 100). Reports will be docked 20 points if they are 24-48 hours late, 30 points if they are 48-72 hours late, etc.
A draft of your term paper must be completed by October 27th at which time you will exchange papers with a fellow student for peer review. Papers must be reviewed and returned to their authors by November 3rd If you do not have a draft of your paper prepared on October 27th you will not be eligible to participate in the review process and will lose all 20 points. If you turn your review in late you will be docked 10 points. The final paper is due on November 22nd. If you hand in your paper 1 day late (Nov 23rd by 4 pm) it will be docked 10 points. If you turn your report in after that time I will not receive it until after Thanksgiving Break and it will be docked 50 points.
You must have a journal article chosen and read/analyzed by November 15/16, as I will meet with you individually during lab time on those days to discuss your article. Your preparation for this meeting is worth 10% of your presentation grade. You will receive a zero if you do not complete your presentation on your assigned day. The only way I will consider allowing any sort of make-up is if your completed Powerpoint and notes are emailed to me prior to class start time and you can provide a doctor’s note (not an email from our school nurse) stating that you were too ill to attend class.
Reading:
You are expected to complete the assigned reading prior to class. If you don’t keep up with the reading, it will be detrimental to your class participation grade. You will not be assigned homework from the text, but we will use it during problem solving, and exam questions will often be similar to the questions found at the ends of the chapters. Working problems from the ends of the chapters is the best way to review for exams! I reserve the right to give quizzes (and make them part of your grade) if it becomes clear that no one is doing the reading!
Cheating/Plagiarism:
I have no tolerance for cheating or plagiarism. Avoid working together when writing your lab reports to avoid the appearance of plagiarism. You will work in groups in the laboratory, but you should still have unique abstracts, introductions, materials and methods, results, and discussion sections in your lab reports. Your data may be the same, but you should not have identical tables/graphs/calculations/text to your lab partner(s). A peer review process will occur for some assignments in this class. In these instances I will collect your rough drafts to ensure that any similarities that occur in you and your lab partner’s reports are a result of the peer review process and not an initial joint effort or plagiarism. If you are unsure if what you are about to do constitutes cheating or plagiarism, ask me. The first offense of cheating or plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment, and a letter to the registrar. A second offense will result in a failing grade (F) in the course. If you have cheated or plagiarized in this course in the past, a single incident of cheating or plagiarism that occurs this semester will result in a failing grade (F) in the course.
Classroom behavior:
Please turn off all cell phones, ipads, ipods and other electronic gadgets before class. These items are not allowed in the classroom during exams. If you are late to class please sneak in quietly. You will not be allowed to enter the laboratory late (you will be considered absent – see policy above). If you engage in disruptive behavior (talking, giggling, acting out) you will be told to leave the classroom. We may discuss some rather controversial issues in class. Please be respectful of your classmates even if you do not share their opinion on an issue. The aim of these discussions is to expose you to different viewpoints.
Disabilities:
Please see me if you require classroom or testing accommodations so that we can make appropriate arrangements through the learning center.
TENTATIVE LECTURE & LABORATORY SCHEDULE
Th Sept 1 / Review: prokaryotes vs eukaryotes, mitosis, meiosis / L/PS / Ch 1 & 2
Tu Sept 6 / Finish review, intro to genetics and Mendel / L / Ch 2 & 3
LAB
/Intro/Safety/Basic skills
Th Sep 8 / Mendelian inheritance, probability / L/PS / Ch 3Tu Sep 13 / Mendelian inheritance, multi-locus crosses / L/PS / Ch 3
LAB /
Virtual Fly lab
Th Sep 15 / Non-Mendelian inheritance / L/PS / Ch 5Tu Sep 20 / Non-Mendelian inheritance, linkage, recombination / L/PS / Ch 7
LAB
/Virtual Pedigree lab
/ Ch 6 & 7 / Short lab 1Th Sep 22 / Sex, sex linkage, sex influence / L / Ch 4 & 5
Tu Sep 27 / Wrap up & Review / PS
LAB
/Yeast complementation (Project 1)
/ Short lab 2Th Sep 29 /
EXAM I
Tu Oct 4 / Chromosomal abnormalities / L/PS / Ch 9LAB & lecture
/ Yeast complementation (Project 1)Th Oct 6 / DNA structure, Chromosome structure / L / Ch 10 & 11
Tu Oct 11 / Chromosomes and transposons / L/PS / Ch 11
LAB
/Peer review project 1/ Intro Project 2
/ Draft of Lab Report 1Th Oct 13 / Replication (Prokaryotes) / L / Ch 12
Tu Oct 18 / Transcription (Prokaryotes) / L / Ch 13 / Lab Report 1
LAB / ID bacteria (Project 2)
Th Oct 20 / Translation (Prokaryotes) / L/PS / Ch 15
Tu Oct 25 / Replication (Eukaryotes) / L / Ch 12
LAB / ID bacteria (project 2)
Th Oct 27 / Transcription & RNA Modification (Eukaryotes) / L / PS / Ch 13 & 14 / Term paper draft
Tu Nov 1 / Translation (Eukaryotes) / L / Ch 15
LAB / ID bacteria (Project 2)
Th Nov 3 / Wrap up & review / L/PS / Term paper review
Tu Nov 8 / EXAM II
LAB / Plasmids / antibiotic resistance (project 3), Bacterial genetics / Ch 8
Th Nov 10 / Regulation of gene expression (prokaryotes & Eukaryotes) / L / Ch 16 & 17
Tu Nov 15 / Mutation & Repair / L / Ch 18 / Lab Report 2
LAB / Plasmids/ Antibiotic resistance (project 3) / Journal article/ presentation meeting
Th Nov 17 / Mutation & Repair / L / PS / Ch 18
Tu Nov 22 / Into to Cell cycle control & Cancer / L / Ch 23 / Term Paper
LAB / Thanksgiving Break
Th Nov 24 / Thanksgiving Break
Tu Nov 29 / Intro to Developmental Genetics / L / Ch 22 / Lab Report 3
LAB & Lecture / Alu Fingerprinting & Intro to population genetics / L/PS / Ch 25
Th Dec 1 / Wrap-up and review / PS
Tu Dec 6 / Exam III
LAB / Alu fingerprinting
Th Dec 8 / Presentations
Tu Dec 13
9 - 11 am / Presentations / Short lab 3
L = lecture PS = Problem Solving ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
***I will be attending the American Society for Cell Biology meeting in early December. I will not know which days I need to be at the meeting until mid-October. Below is an alternative syllabus for the final few weeks that we will use if I am not going to be back in time for class and lab on December 6/7. I will provide review materials for the 6th and you will meet in the classroom as usual. Note that on December 1 we will meet in the lab instead of the classroom.
Th Dec 1 / Alu fingerprinting & wrap-up / LABTu Dec 6 / Review / PS
LAB / Free time to prep for exam and presentations
Th Dec 8 / Exam III
Tu Dec 13
8 - 11 am / Presentations / Short lab 3
State-required competencies addressed in whole or in part in this course for teacher licensure majors