South Portland, Maine 04106
Science Department
Title: Genetics
Catalog Number: BIOL-212
Credit Hours: 4
Total Contact Hours: 96
Instructor: Elizabeth Ehrenfeld
EEhrenfeld@smccme.edu
Note: All Emails must have your name and course number in subject line
Course Syllabus
Genetics – BIOL 212
Course description:
The two major branches of genetics, molecular and classical genetics, are studied in detail. The
course starts with a review of classical, or Mendelian, genetics and then progress to modern
molecular genetics where we will focus on the structure and function of genes at the molecular
level, including discussions on recombinant DNA and DNA analysis techniques. Other topics
include transposable elements, bacterial and viral genetics. The laboratory experiments are
designed to provide students with hands-on activities to further elucidate the concepts discussed
in lecture. The lab course will focus on three long-term experiments that will stretch over
multiple lab periods. Good laboratory technique, including calculations and careful
documentation will be stressed.
Genetics 212 is a 4 credit hour course that meets for two 75 minute lectures and a three hour lab
each week.
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 125/126.
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:
 Describe fundamental principles of genetics in eukaryotes and prokaryotes
 Understand the molecular nature of the genome, DNA, RNA, and genetic coding
 Be able to apply molecular techniques and statistics to study human and population genetics
 Understand the basic principles of recombinant DNA and genetics engineering
 Employ proper laboratory technique, calculations and documentation skills.
 Be able to conduct laboratory work from written procedures rather than student manuals
 Gain familiarity with DNA manipulations such as DNA isolation, analysis and cloning
 Have experience working with several model genetic systems including bacteria, plants, and
worms.
Required texts:
Required text: Introduction to Genetic Analysis, 10th edition, A.J.F. Griffiths, S. R. Wessler, S.
B. Carroll, J. Doebley, 2012.
BIOL 212 Blackboard site: This is a Blackboard-enhanced class and you will need to access the
course webpage for assignments, reading materials, and reading review questions.
Grading:
The grading for this class is broken up into 7 separate areas:
Quizzes (best 7 of 9) 30% of grade
Exams (2) 25% of grade
Thinking Matters research presentation 25% of grade
Lab notebook and reports, 10% of grade
Lecture and lab review questions 10% of grade
Course Grade:
A
B
C
D
93 - 100
83 - 86.9
73 - 76.9
63 - 66.9
ABCF
90 - 92.9
80 - 82.9
70 - 72.9
0 - 62.9
B+
C+
D+
87 - 89.9
77 - 79.9
67 - 69.9
Your grades will be available in Blackboard under the My Grades link at any point during the
semester with a column where an estimate of your semester average is calculated. Depending
on the assignment, material that is handed in late may be given partial credit.
Quizzes: Quizzes will be given during the first 15 minutes of class. Please arrive promptly as
no extra time will be allowed for latecomers. Any aspect of the material covered in lecture or
lab can be expected on a quiz. Quizzes will be held every Monday. No make-ups will be given.
The lowest two quiz grades will be dropped (which includes a 0 for any missed quizzes).
Exams: The two exams will cover the material covered in class up until the day of the exam.
Any aspect of the material covered in lecture or lab can be expected on an exam.
Thinking Matters Research Presentation: A presentation at the Spring 2015 Thinking
Matters conference at USM will be done by each student. The overall grade for the presentation
will be broken down as follows: 5% abstract, 5% outline, 10% presentation (20% of total
course grade). The conference is on Friday April 24th.
http://research.usm.maine.edu/thinkingmatters/index.asp
In addition to attending Thinking Matters, each student is responsible for attending three science
seminars and filling in the 1-page reporting form present on the course Blackboard site. This
may be done at any point in the semester, although you are highly encouraged to do this during
the first half of the semester.
Lab notebooks and reports: Bound (cloth) notebooks must be used to record data. You can
not use a spiral-bound notebook as it is important that pages should not be torn out. The
organization, thoroughness, and clarity of the notebook will be graded three times throughout
the semester. Please follow guidelines on handout. Laboratory reports and in-class lab quizzes
will be given as needed to promote student preparation for laboratory work.
Lecture/Laboratory review questions: For each chapter in the textbook, as well as for each
laboratory exercise, there are 3 reading questions that will be done on-line on the Blackboard
page. These are open-book and you can take as long as you like to do them. They will are
generally due on Sunday evenings, however you can do them as soon as they are posted on
Blackboard.
Course Assignments:
It will help you considerably to have read through the textbook and laboratory protocols prior to
each class period. Additional reading may be assigned during the course.
Unless otherwise stated, all work is expected to be your own. The first appearance of
plagiarism will prompt a verbal warning. Evidence of major plagiarism or other forms of
cheating will result in a grade of F and a letter to the appropriate campus administrators.
It is assumed that all materials will be turned in at the specified time. Seminar reports may be
turned in via email. Please attach them as a .pdf file.
There are no make-up quizzes as the lowest two quiz grades are dropped. If you can not attend a
class period when an exam is given you must make arrangements prior to that period. If an
emergency occurs and you can not make it to class it is your responsibility to arrange a make-up
before you return to class.
If class is cancelled for any reason during the semester, the assigned work will be due the
following class period.
If during the last week of school class is cancelled for any reason, your grade up to that point in
time will be your final grade.
All material will be assessed in an objective, consistent manner. Any questions pertaining to
your grade must be submitted in writing along with the material within one week of receiving
the grade.
SMCC Plagiarism Statement:
Adherence to ethical academic standards is obligatory. Cheating is a serious offense, whether it
consists of taking credit for work done by another person or doing work for which another
person will receive credit. Taking and using the ideas or writings of another person without
clearly and fully crediting the source is plagiarism and violates the academic code as well as the
Student Code of Conduct. If it is suspected that a student in any course in which s/he is enrolled
has knowingly committed such a violation, the faculty member should refer the matter to the
College’s Disciplinary Officer and appropriate action will be taken under the Student Code of
Conduct. Sanctions may include suspension from the course and a failing grade in the course.
Students have the right to appeal these actions to the Disciplinary Committee under the terms
outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.
See student handbook for other academic policies.
Student Support:
This course will require you to study 4 to 6 hours each week outside of class. To do well in the
course will require that you do your reading, attend class, and learn the material each week. If
you are having problems please come to see me and ask questions. I am available both before
and after class or by appointment.
The Academic Achievement Center at Southern Maine Community College provides
professional tutoring by faculty and teaching assistants with a personal approach to academic
success through individual tutoring and other resources. Their office is in the student center on
the second floor next to the library.
WISH workshops. Workshops In Studying Here at SMCC, is a series of three one-hour
workshops on college study and success skills. The aim of the workshops is to give students
some practical steps they can take to succeed in college. Workshops will be offered during the
first six weeks of the fall semester. The schedule is posted on Blackboard.
ADA Syllabus Statement:
Southern Maine Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and
employer. For more information, please call 207-741-5798. If you have a disabling condition
and wish to request accommodations in order to have reasonable access to the programs and
services offered by SMCC, you must register with the Disability Services Coordinator, Sandra
Lynham, who can be reached at 741-5923. Further information about services for students with
disabilities and the accommodation process is available upon request at this number. Course
policies about online testing are modified to suit each individual’s accommodations.
Add-Drop Policy:
Students who drop a course during the one-week “add/drop” period in the fall and spring
semesters and the first three days of summer sessions receive a 100% refund of the tuition and
associated fees for that course. Please note any course that meets for less than the traditional
semester length, i.e., 15 weeks, has a pro-rated add/drop period. There is no refund for nonattendance.
Withdrawal Policy:
A student may withdraw from a course only during the semester in which s/he is registered for
that course. The withdrawal period is the second through twelfth week of the fall and spring
semesters and the second through ninth week of twelve-week summer courses. This period is
pro-rated for shorter-length courses. To withdraw from a course, a student must complete and
submit the appropriate course withdrawal form, available at the Enrollment Service Center (no
phone calls, please). The designation “W” will appear on the transcript after a student has
officially withdrawn. A course withdrawal is an uncompleted course and may adversely affect
financial aid eligibility. Failure to attend or ceasing to attend class does not constitute
withdrawal from the course. There is no refund associated with a withdrawal.
Grades of I (Incomplete)
A temporary grade of “I” may be given when, due to extraordinary circumstances, you will be
unable to complete all required course work by the end of the semester. You must meet in
person to sign an “I” contract with both the professor and the department chair. You must
complete all remaining course work by the mid-point of the following term. Any grade of “I”
that is not resolved by the middle of the next term automatically becomes an “F”.
Web Access:
Copies of the lecture overheads, reading review questions, seminar announcements, and other
relevant material will be located on the Biotechnology Blackboard site. To sign on to
Blackboard you must know your Username and Password. These are the same for all SMCC
computer access:
UserName = Your username is your First Name + Middle Initial + Last Name, no spaces, all
lower case. If you didn’t provide the school with your middle initial then try leaving out the
middle initial.
Password = Is your First Initial of your First Name + First four letters of your Last Name +
Last 4 digits of your Social Security Number(SSN), no spaces, all lower case. If you didn’t
provide the school your SSN, you need to use the last 4 digits of your STUDENT ID.
Example: John A Smith whose social security number is 987-65-4321
Username = johnasmith
Password = jsmit4321
Instructions for accessing a course taught via Blackboard
 Go to SMCC webpage www.smccme.edu
 Click on “on-line courses”
 Click on access to Blackboard icon
 Type in the Username and Password (same as for SMCC student e-mail)
 Click on BIOL 110 and follow the instructions on the homepage.
SMCC Pay-for-Print Policy:
Per Page Costs
Each semester students receive a $20 printing credit. The balance resets at the end of the
semester and any remaining credits are removed. The cost varies depending upon page size and
whether printing is done in black and white or color.
a. There is a $0.10 per page fee for standard 8.5" by 11" black and white documents.
b. The reverse sides of duplex (double-sided) documents are free.
c. There is a $.50 per page fee for standard 8.5" by 11" color documents.
d. There is a $.20 per page fee for 8.5" by 14" (legal) or 11" by 17" (tabloid) black and white
documents.
e. There is a $1.00 per page fee for 8.5" by 14" (legal) or 11" by 17" (tabloid) color documents.
Duplex charges (printing on both sides of a page) work in the following fashion: One page is
$0.10, two pages are $0.10, three pages are $0.20, and four pages are $0.20, etc. The flipsides
are free, but another sheet of paper is $0.10. Please be aware that a document with any color at
all (when printed to a color printer) will by default be printed in color. You are responsible for
setting the print job to print black and white if you do not need color. For directions, please go
to the IT Help tab in My SMCC.
How does it work?
The College’s pay-for-print system monitors printing on all printers (including those in general
access labs, library printers, the Academic Achievement Center, Noisy Lounge and technology
labs). Students can check the number of pages they have printed by using the Printing Balance
tool available on SMCC computers (located in the lower right corner of the screen, near the
clock). Departments with work study students who need to print documents for the department
should contact the Help Desk at 741-5696 to have a special account set up.
Refunds
Print jobs are eligible for a refund in the event of mechanical or electronic error on the part of
the printer, print server, or software used to submit the job. Jobs are not eligible for a refund in
cases where the job was not set up correctly, was submitted multiple times, or the student is not
satisfied with the result. To request a refund, please bring the offending print to the IT
Department in the basement of the Ross Technology Center. Refunds will be granted in the
form of a credit to the student’s account.
Why is SMCC charging for printing?
The pay-for-print system is an effort to control escalating printing costs. Charging for printing
helps offset the increasing cost of supplies and encourages students to conserve resources. To
find ways to reduce your printing charges, please go to the IT Help tab on My SMCC. If you
have questions about the pay-for-printing policy or your printing charges, please contact the
Help Desk at 741-5696 or send an email to helpdesk@smccme.edu. Be sure to log OUT of the
system when you’ve finished your printing, to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
Genetics Lecture Schedule 2015
Schedule is subject to change. Check the Blackboard calendar for updates.
Week #
1
Week of:
Jan 12
Topic
Introduction to genetics (Chapter 1)
notes/ assignments.
2
Jan 19
Mendelian genetics (Chapter 2, 3)
(Wednesday only)
3
Jan 26
Prokaryotic genetics (Chapter 5)
Quiz 1, Poster topic
4
Feb 2
DNA replication (Chapter 7)
Quiz 2
5
Feb 9
Gene expression (Chapter 8, 9)
Quiz 3, Poster abstract
6
Feb 16
Genetic manipulation (Chapter 10)
(Wednesday only)
7
Feb 23
Prokaryotic gene regulation (Chapter 11) Quiz 4, Poster outline
8
March 2
Eukaryotic gene regulation (Chapter 12) Exam 1
March 9
Vacation week – no class
9
March 16
Developmental genetics (Chapter 13)
10
March 23
Genes and genomes (Chapters 14)
Quiz 5, Draft poster
11
March 30
Dynamic genome (Chapter 15)
Quiz 6
12
April 6
Mutation and cancer genetics (Chapter 16) Quiz 7
13
April 13
Chromosomal alterations (Chapter 17)
Quiz 8, Poster printing
14
April 20
April 24
Population genetics (Chapter 18)
Friday April 24th, Thinking Matters
(Wednesday only)
15
April 27
Evolution of genes and traits (Chapter 20) Quiz 9
16
May 4
Exam 2
Quizzes, exams, and other assignments will be due on Mondays, unless otherwise noted. No
class on Monday holidays (Jan 19, Feb 16, April 20) or week of spring break (March 9-13).
Genetics Lab Schedule 2015
Schedule is subject to a lot of change. Check the Blackboard calendar for updates.
You will be doing three experiments this semester which go over multiple labs:
1. Cloning of a kanamycin resistance gene into plasmid DNA
2. Regulation of Arabidoposis DNA using epigenetic modification
3. Regulation of C. elegans DNA by RNAi
Lab #
1
Wednesday Topic
.
Jan 14
Lab orientation, safety and measurements, intro to measurement
2
Jan 21
Documentation, making solutions, isolation of DNA
3
Jan 28
Restriction enzyme analysis, plant Arabidopsis thaliana seeds
4
Feb 4
Plasmid DNA ligation, restriction enzyme mapping
5
Feb 11
Plasmid DNA transformation
6
Feb 18
Plasmid DNA isolation and digestion
7
Feb 25
Arabidopsis DNA isolation
8
March 4
Arabidopsis DNA digestion, Arabidopsis DNA PCR
March 11
No lab, vacation week
9
March 18
Arabidopsis gel analysis, Bioinformatics
10
March 25
Introduction to C. elegans, draft posters
11
April 1
RNAi C. elegans crosses, draft posters
12
April 8
RNAi C. elegans DNA isolation, draft posters
13
April 15
RNAi C. elegans PCR, bioinformatics
14
April 22
RNAi C. elegans DNA gel analysis
Thinking Matters Friday April 24th
15
April 29