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: jennifer.brigati@maryvillecollege.edu
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):
Formal lab reports (3):
Term paper & presentation:
Class participation/problem solving:
Lab worksheets/short reports (3):
35%
35%
15%
10%
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+
93-96 A
83-86 B
90-92 A80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D-
Below 60 = F
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
Date
Topic
Th Sept 1
Review: prokaryotes vs
eukaryotes, mitosis, meiosis
Finish review, intro to genetics
and Mendel
Intro/Safety/Basic skills
Mendelian inheritance,
probability
Mendelian inheritance, multilocus crosses
Virtual Fly lab
Non-Mendelian inheritance
Non-Mendelian inheritance,
linkage, recombination
Virtual Pedigree lab
Sex, sex linkage, sex influence
Wrap up & Review
Yeast complementation (Project
1)
EXAM I
Chromosomal abnormalities
Yeast complementation (Project
1)
DNA structure, Chromosome
structure
Chromosomes and transposons
Peer review project 1/ Intro
Project 2
Replication (Prokaryotes)
Transcription (Prokaryotes)
Tu Sept 6
LAB
Th Sep 8
Tu Sep 13
LAB
Th Sep 15
Tu Sep 20
LAB
Th Sep 22
Tu Sep 27
LAB
Th Sep 29
Tu Oct 4
LAB &
lecture
Th Oct 6
Tu Oct 11
LAB
Th Oct 13
Tu Oct 18
LAB
Th Oct 20
Tu Oct 25
LAB
Th Oct 27
Tu Nov 1
LAB
Th Nov 3
ID bacteria (Project 2)
Translation (Prokaryotes)
Replication (Eukaryotes)
ID bacteria (project 2)
Transcription & RNA
Modification (Eukaryotes)
Translation (Eukaryotes)
ID bacteria (Project 2)
Wrap up & review
Tu Nov 8
EXAM II
Class
Type
L/PS
Text Chapter
L
Ch 2 & 3
L/PS
Ch 3
L/PS
Ch 3
L/PS
L/PS
Ch 5
Ch 7
L
PS
Assignment
Due
Ch 1 & 2
Ch 6 & 7
Ch 4 & 5
Short lab 1
Short lab 2
L/PS
Ch 9
L
Ch 10 & 11
L/PS
Ch 11
Draft of Lab
Report 1
L
L
Ch 12
Ch 13
L/PS
L
Ch 15
Ch 12
L / PS
Ch 13 & 14
L
Ch 15
L/PS
Lab Report 1
Term paper
draft
Term paper
review
LAB
Th Nov 10
Tu Nov 15
LAB
Th Nov 17
Tu Nov 22
LAB
Th Nov 24
Tu Nov 29
LAB &
Lecture
Th Dec 1
Tu Dec 6
LAB
Th Dec 8
Tu Dec 13
9 - 11 am
L = lecture
Plasmids / antibiotic resistance
(project 3), Bacterial genetics
Regulation of gene expression
(prokaryotes & Eukaryotes)
Mutation & Repair
Plasmids/ Antibiotic resistance
(project 3)
Mutation & Repair
Into to Cell cycle control &
Cancer
Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving Break
Intro to Developmental Genetics
Alu Fingerprinting & Intro to
population genetics
Wrap-up and review
Exam III
Alu fingerprinting
Presentations
Presentations
PS = Problem Solving
Ch 8
L
Ch 16 & 17
L
Ch 18
Lab Report 2
Journal article/
presentation
meeting
L / PS
L
Ch 18
Ch 23
L
L/PS
Ch 22
Ch 25
Term Paper
Lab Report 3
PS
Short lab 3
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
Tu Dec 6
LAB
Th Dec 8
Tu Dec 13
8 - 11 am
Alu fingerprinting & wrap-up
Review
Free time to prep for exam and
presentations
Exam III
Presentations
LAB
PS
Short lab 3
State-required competencies addressed in whole or in part in this course for teacher
licensure majors
SC1.1 Understand and convey to students the major concepts, principles, theories, laws,
and interrelationships of their fields of licensure and supporting fields.
SCS 1.3 Understand how to implement developmentally appropriate inquiries that require
students to develop concepts and relationships from their observation, data and inferences
in a scientific manner.
SC 4.1 Create a science classroom environment that is attentive to all relevant lab safety
issues and requires the proper treatment of all living things.
SC 4.2 Communicate and maintain appropriate norms of student behavior.
B 1.2 Fundamental aspects of biological investigation including accessing the biology
literature
B 1.3 How to design, conduct, and report the findings of biological research
B 1.4 Historical development, language, and patterns of reasoning in biology including
contributions of significant individuals and underrepresented groups, and the synergistic
interactions between biology and other scientific disciplines
B 4.1 Chromosomes, DNA, genes
B 4.2 Basic principles of heredity
B 4.3 Gene expression and regulation
B 4.4 DNA and enabling technologies
B 4.5 Human genome
B 4.6 Genetic change
B 4.7 Applications of biotechnology in society
B 5.1 Similarities and differences among the structures and functions of animals, plants,
fungi, protists, bacteria, and viruses