Dr. Ruth Ballard
BIO 184 Syllabus
Page 1
02/16/16
Fall, 2006
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
Department of Biological Sciences
BIO 184: GENERAL GENETICS
Fall, 2006
LECTURE (T/Th): 3:00-3:50 PM
LABS: (T/R): 9-10:15 AM or 10:30-11:45 AM
CAMPUS INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Ruth Ballard, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
OFFICE HOURS:
M 1-3 PM, T 2-3 PM
OFFICE LOCATION:
120-B Sequoia Hall
RESEARCH LABORATORY:
108 Sequoia Hall
RESEARCH AREA:
DNA forensics and paternity testing
PHONE/E-MAIL:
(916) 278-6244; ballardr@csus.edu
COURSE WEB SITE:
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/b/ballardr
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Genetics: Analysis and Principles, 2nd Edition, Brooker, R. J.
(2005); Available in Hornet Bookstore; Text web site:
www.mhhe.com/brooker
BIO 184 Lecture Notes, R. Ballard (2006). Available on course
website.
BIO 184 Laboratory Manual, R. Ballard, B. Holland, and T. Peavy
(2006). Available at the Hornet Bookstore and on course website.
Additional readings in bioethics and applied genetics as provided
by other students (see “Laboratory” section of this syllabus for
more information)
PREREQUISITES:
-Microbiology (BIO 139 or equivalent; CSUS Chemistry majors are
exempt)
-Organic Chemistry (CSUS CHEM 20 or equivalent)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
General Genetics (BIO 184) introduces students to the fundamental principles of the science of genetics
and its central role in understanding life processes. It also exposes students to the legal and ethical
dilemmas posed by modern genetics research, and encourages students to explore and develop their own
informed positions on these issues. Students will leave the course with a good understanding of how
information molecules direct the development and ongoing processes of living organisms, how genetic
Dr. Ruth Ballard
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mutations alter the physical, cognitive, and/or behavioral characteristics of organisms and drive their
evolution, and will be better able to make informed decisions about personal and public policy issues
involving genetic principles. In addition, students will leave the course well-prepared to answer genetics
questions on the GRE, MCAT, and other standardized post-graduate tests, to enter a genetics graduate
program, or to obtain an entry-level position in a biotechnology company or public agency that uses
genetics to solve research problems or to produce products and/or services.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The science of genetics is traditionally broken down into four sub-disciplines:
Transmission Genetics (also called Mendelian Genetics after its founder, Gregor
Mendel), Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics, and Population/Quantitative Genetics.
Transmission genetics studies the inheritance patterns of genes through the
generations, cytogenetics studies the structure and behavior of chromosomes (the
cellular structures that carry genes), molecular genetics studies the structure and
behavior of genes as discrete sequences of DNA that control and direct the life
processes that support their own perpetuation, and population/quantitative genetics studies the effects
of natural forces such as geographic isolation, natural selection, and mutation on the ebb and flow of
genes in whole populations.
As you can see, all of these sub-disciplines are actually studying the same thing (genes) but at different
levels. Studying genes at the level of populations is like taking a picture of California from space; large
patterns such as mountain ranges are revealed but the details remain obscure. Studying genes at the level
of their transmission through individual pedigrees is like taking a picture of the Sacramento Valley from
an airplane; rivers and cities can now be seen but there are still no fine details. Studying genes at the
level of chromosomes is like taking a picture of downtown Sacramento from a helicopter, where lots of
details come into focus. And finally, studying genes at the molecular level is like taking a snapshot of the
capitol building in downtown Sacramento. The details are clear, but the context is absent. Thus, the four
sub-disciplines of genetics, when studied together, provide a full and complete “picture” of the nature and
behavior of genes that cannot be achieved by any one of the sub-disciplines alone. This is the reason that
all four sub-disciplines will be presented and discussed in this course.
We will start with molecular genetics and move ever outward to the bigger picture. In this process, we will
take a journey through a fascinating landscape that we have the opportunity to view only because those
genes that promoted a flexible and highly complex brain were passed on most successfully by our human
and proto-human ancestors. Thus, we occupy a unique and fascinating time in human history and evolution,
a time when the genes have finally become conscious of themselves! Try to keep this miracle in mind as
you navigate the hills and valleys of this course, for its implications are truly profound.
COURSE POLICIES
I.
ATTENDANCE AND LECTURE/DISCUSSION NOTES
I will not take roll in lecture but I strongly suggest that you attend. Lectures provide the theoretical
framework for your understanding of genetics and for solving the genetics problems that you will
encounter in the study problems, in homework, and on exams. Each week, you should read the Lecture
Notes (downloadable from my website), read the sections of the textbook pertaining to the Lecture
Dr. Ruth Ballard
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Fall, 2006
Notes, and work through the suggested study problems. (Suggested readings and study problems from
the text are listed in the attached “Lecture Schedule.”) On Tuesday of each week, I will begin going over
the Lecture Notes and then, on Thursday, we will finish the Lecture Notes and review the study problems
(as needed). Answers to all the study problems are available on the textbook website:
www.mhhe.com/brooker. You will not be required to submit your weekly study problems to me for grading
but you will have 3 formal graded homework assignments during the semester (see “Lecture Schedule for
the dates these are due).
I will take roll in lab and you are expected to attend all laboratory sessions unless you are ill or
have another appropriate excuse. The rationale for this is that lab is largely a participatory activity and
you will not learn if you are not present. In addition, your lab partners depend on you to share the
workload. It is not fair to your partners if you miss laboratory on a frequent basis.
II. EVALUATION
Students may earn a total of 620 points in the course, 420 points from lecture and 200
points from lab. The points are distributed as follows:
1. LECTURE: 420 points
3 Lecture Exams (100 points each)
3 Homework Assignments (40 points each)
300
120
420
The Lecture Exams are non-cumulative and typically consist of a combination of multiple choice
questions, definitions, problems, and short answers/diagrams. Questions will be derived from the Lecture
Notes, study problems, and homework assignments. Exam dates are listed in the “Lecture Schedule.” The
3 Homework Assignments will be distributed to you in class two weeks before their due dates.
MAKE-UP exams will be given only if the circumstances of missing the exam are deemed by me to have
been beyond your control (e.g. verified illness, car trouble, sick child, etc.). If you miss an exam, you must
contact me as soon as possible to schedule a make-up exam. If this contact is not made within one week of
the exam date, you will be assigned a grade of “0” on the exam.
2. LABORATORY: 150 points
Applied genetics oral presentation
Lab Practical Quizzes (5 @ 30 pts each)
50
150
200
Attendance and Participation are crucial in a laboratory course. Therefore, to encourage ongoing
attendance, students are allowed to miss ONLY three laboratory meetings during the semester. Students
do not need an excuse to miss these sessions but should let their lab partners and the instructor know
beforehand, if possible. Students who miss more than 3 laboratory days will receive a grade of “WU”
in the course – NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE GIVEN.
Four lab periods are reserved for Applied Genetics Oral Presentations. On these days, students will
prepare talks on a subject of their own choosing that addresses an issue in applied genetics. Sample topics
include genetic testing, human cloning, stem cell research, DNA forensics, bioengineered crops, etc. You
will only have about 15 minutes for your talk, so keep the topic simple and try to pare it down to the major
Dr. Ruth Ballard
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Fall, 2006
points or ideas of interest. Non-presenting students should plan to take notes during these presentations
because questions about the presentations may appear on the Lab Practical Quizzes.
Students will grade each other on their oral presentations (this is known as peer grading), and I have
provided you a copy of the grading rubric. Look closely at this rubric when preparing your talk so that you
will be sure to meet the criteria on which you will be graded. I will also be giving a demonstration talk on
September 26th; this should also give you a good idea of what to include and how to organize your talk.
The Lab Practical Quizzes will test each student’s ability to use and operate the lab equipment, perform
basic skills, and answer a variety of theoretical questions pertaining to the lab exercises we performed
and/or the bioethics/applied genetics issues we discussed. The quiz dates are listed on the lab syllabus
(attached). Lab quizzes are non-cumulative. (Count your lucky stars; we used to have a single, cumulative
lab practical exam the week before finals!)
At the end of the semester, points from all assignments (lecture and lab combined) will be totaled and
grades will be calculated as follows:
90.0 - 100%
80.0 - 89.9%
70.0 – 79.9%
60.0 - 69.9%
less than 60%
=
=
=
=
=
A
B
C
D
F
Plus and minus grades will be assigned in each category as appropriate. Usually, the total point score
earned by the top student in the class is used as the “100%” mark for grading purposes. However, in some
semesters, I have averaged the top 2-4 total point scores.
III. STUDENT CONDUCT
No communication is permitted between students during exams and quizzes. No materials other than the
students’ writing implements, a calculator, and exam/quiz materials may be used during an exam or quiz. If
I obtain evidence of cheating on an exam, the student will receive an “F” on the assignment and may
receive an “F” in the entire course. Moreover, the incident may be reported to the Department Chair and
the Dean of Students.
IV. ADD/DROP POLICY
The Add/Drop policy will be followed as outlined in the “Student’s Registration & Advising Handbook –
summer/fall 2006, spring 2007”, p. 3. In practice, the Department of Biological Sciences usually allows
students to drop a class without documentation of a serious or compelling reason through the “census
date” (October 2nd in Fall 2006). Please be forewarned, however, that after October 2nd, you will be
required to produce convincing and compelling documentation of your reason for dropping the course.
Please see me if you need to drop the course after this date for more information about what types of
difficulties are deemed acceptable (a low grade in the course does not, by itself, qualify) and how the
process works. Special forms are needed and are available in the Biological Sciences Department office.
DROPS DUIRNG THE LAST THREE WEEKS OF CLASS ARE NOT PERMITTED FOR ANY REASON.
Students with an emergency during this time period can request to be assigned a grade of “I” in the
course and must make up the missed assignments/exams within 12 months or the “I” grade will
automatically become an “F”. A special form is required to request an “I” grade and can be obtained from
the Biological Sciences Department office.
Dr. Ruth Ballard
BIO 184 Syllabus
Page 5
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Fall, 2006
COURSE LEARNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Learning Goals are broad statements that identify the general educational outcomes students should be
able to display upon completing a course. Learning Objectives are concrete measures by which these
goals will be realized, and Assessment Tools link the learning objectives to specific course assignments
(usually graded) that enable instructors to objectively assess what students have learned. It is very
helpful for instructors to develop learning goals, learning objectives, and assessment tools for their
courses and to tie them together in a way that makes sense to students. Research shows that assignments
are more meaningful to students when they can see how they are linked to the overall goals of the course.
I have developed the following learning goals, learning objectives, and assessment tools for BIO 184. Note
that some goals have more than one objective and each objective may be linked to more than one
assessment tool.
This table evolves over time as I achieve a progressively deeper understanding of how much learning
students can be expected to achieve during a semester, what strategies work best for mastering
different sub-areas within the course, and what types of activities and assignments engage students’
imaginations and harness their creative and emotional energies most effectively. I am always interested in
getting student feedback about specific goals, objectives, and assignments. Please let me know what
worked best for you, or what failed to help you learn, so that I can continue improving.
LEARNING GOAL
1. To feel better able to
make personal and
public-policy decisions
involving genetics
2. To gain a heightened and more
detailed awareness of the ways that
genetics contributes to our
understanding of life’s origin and
processes
3. To have the skills to successfully
answer genetics questions on
standardized post-graduate exams
such as the MCAT and GRE
4. To obtain a sufficient grounding in
genetics concepts and applications to
enter a genetics graduate program
or to obtain an entry-level position in
a biotechnology company or public
agency that uses genetics to solve
research problems or to produce
products and/or services.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
 Students will demonstrate the
ability to effectively evaluate
modern genetics issues that have
potential personal and/or public
impact
 Students will demonstrate a
mastery of modern genetics
theory at the level presented in
lectures
 Pre- and post- surveys (not
graded)
 Student oral presentations




Exams, homework
assignments
Students will demonstrate the
ability to answer questions similar
to those found on post-graduate
standardized tests
Students will show that they have
sufficient quantitative skills to
work effectively in a genetic
laboratory

Exams , homework
assignments

Lab practical quizzes
Students will demonstrate a
mastery of modern genetics
theory at the level presented in
lectures

Exams , homework
assignments
Dr. Ruth Ballard
BIO 184 Syllabus
Page 6
02/16/16
Fall, 2006
LECTURE SCHEDULE
DATES
TOPIC(S)
READINGS FROM
TEXT
STUDY PROBLEMS
9/5-7
Life, DNA, and Genetics
Chapter 1 (all)
9/12-14
Molecular Structure of DNA and RNA
Chapter 9 (all)
9/19-21
Gene Transcription
Homework 1 distributed, 9/21
Chapter 12 (12.112.3)
9/26-28
Translation of mRNA
Chapter 13 (all)
10/3
10/5
Mutagenesis and Protein Function
Review for Exam 1; Homework 1 due
Chapter 16
(16.1-16.2)
10/10
10/12
Exam 1
DNA Replication
Chapter 11 (all)
C1, C2, C7, C8, C9, C21,
C23, C27, C28, E1, E9,
E10.
10/17
10/19
DNA Replication continued …
Reproduction and Chromosome Transmission
Chapter 3 (all)
C1, C2, C3, C5, C7, C8,
C9, C11, C12, C16, C19,
C20, C22, C25, C26,
C27, C28, C29, C30,
C32C33, C34, C39, E4,
E5.
10/24
Reproduction and Chromosome Transmission
continued…
Variation in Chromosome Structure and
Number; Homework 2 distributed
Chapter 8 (8.1-8.2)
C1, C2, C3, C4, C6, C8,
C9, C10, C13, C15, C17,
C18, C19, C20, C21,
C22, C24.
Chapter 7 (7.2)
C10, C11, C12, C13, C14,
C15, C16, C17 C18, C20,
C22, C24, E7, E9.
10/26
10/31
11/2
Variation in Chromosome Structure and
Number continued…
Epigenetic Inheritance
11/7
11/9
Epigenetic Inheritance continued…
Review for Exam 2; Homework 2 due
C2, C3, C4, C9, C11,
C12, C13, C14, E3.
C2, C4, C6, C7, C8, C12,
C13, C14, C15, C17, C20,
C29, C30, C31, C33, E1,
E6.
C3, C4, C8, C9, C10,
C12, C15, C19, C20,
C29, C31, C33, E4.
C1, C2, C7, C9, C12,
C13, C14, C18, C20,
C23, C24, C26, C28,
C29, C30, C31, C34,
C35, C39, E4.
C1, C2, C9, C11, C12,
C15, C17, C19, C20, C21,
C27, E1, E2, E4.
Dr. Ruth Ballard
BIO 184 Syllabus
Page 7
11/14
11/16
Exam 2
Mendelian Inheritance
11/21
11/23
Mendelian Inheritance continued…
THANKSGIVING BREAK – NO CLASSES
11/28
Molecular Basis for Dominance and
Recessivity
Extensions of Mendelian Inheritance;
Homework 3 distributed
11/30
12/5
12/7
12/12
Extensions of Mendelian Inheritance
continued…
Linkage and Genetic Mapping in Eukaryotes
12/14
Linkage and Genetic Mapping in Eukaryotes
continued…
Review for Exam 3; Homework 3 due
12/19
Exam 3: 3-5 PM, HMB 202
02/16/16
Fall, 2006
Chapter 2 (all)
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6,
C8, C10, C11, C12, C14,
C17, C18, C19, C21, C22,
C23, C24, C25, C27,
C30, C34, E1, E5, E9.
Chapter 4 (all)
C1, C4, C5, C6, C10, C11,
C16, C17, C19, C26, E1.
Chapter 5 (5.1-5.2)
C1, C7, C9, C10, C11, E4,
E5, E6, E7, E8, E11,
E12, E15, E21.