BIO 240 – Genetics
Spring 2014
Professor Jill Carroll, MS
jcarroll@faculty.camdencc.edu
Class: TR Lab 5:20 – 7:00pm (213 Taft)
Lecture 7:05 – 7:55pm (212 Taft)
Course Description
This course is designed to give students a solid foundation in the three major areas of genetics: classical,
molecular, and population. The lab component will engage the students with experiments in bacterial
transformation, DNA purification, restriction enzyme digests and gel electrophoresis. The course will also enhance
students’ abilities in information processing, critical thinking, writing, and examining complex ethical issues.
Required Materials
Genetics A Conceptual Approach (4th edition) Benjamin Pierce. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company; 2012
ISBN 978-1-4292-3250-0
http://carrollgenetics.wikispaces.com – for lecture PowerPoints, laboratory information, etc
Grading
Everyone in this course could receive an A, provided that everyone is outstanding in all course aspects. On the
other hand, this is unlikely. It is only fair to those who achieve the most in the course that a course grade of A is a
meaningful reward. An A should be a grade a grade reserved for students who clearly distance themselves from an
average level of achievement in the course.
Point Distribution:
Exam #1
100 points
Exam #2
100 points
Exam #3
100 points
Exam #4
100 points
Lab Exercises (approximately)*
200 points
Disease paper
100 points
(60 written and 40 presentation)
Class Participation:
50 points
Attendance **
50 points
TOTAL:
800 points
* The point distribution for the lab exercises may be altered to slightly differ from this, but it will
not be a major difference and not enough to impact final course grades.
** Additional policies apply to attendance. Read about them on the following pages in this
syllabus.
Grades will be assigned according to the following scale
A
B
C
D
F
I
W
NA
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
below 60
Incomplete (see student handbook/college catalog for more details)
(must turn in an official withdrawal form by the cut off date)
Not Attending (has missed 8 or more classes – regardless of class average)
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Exams
All exams will have a format of short answer questions, true/false questions, fill-in-the-blank questions and
multiple-choice questions.
While the exams are not strictly cumulative, key concepts from earlier in the course are the basis for understanding
new material. You won’t be able to “black out” earlier material.
All makeup exams will be given on the same day as the final, and have a fill-in-the-blank and short answer
format. Only one makeup exam can be taken – this means that if you miss more than one test, you will
receive a zero for the second exam.
About grading exams: It is not feasible for the instructor to write detailed comments regarding every aspect of
your answers on exams. Therefore, a set of suggested answers will be provided on the Wiki site. The suggested
answers serve as an explanation of how the exam was graded. If you find that the suggested answers are not a
sufficient explanation, it is your responsibility to consult the instructor.
The usual time for exams to be returned is about one week. They are rarely returned in less than a week.
If you have a concern about grading of your exam, you have one week from the day the exam was returned to the
class to discuss your concerns with the instructor. After one week, no changes to your score will be made.
Exam Etiquette
 Come prepared with several pencils and an eraser.
 Be on time! Once someone has completed their exam and left the room, no latecomers will be permitted to
take the test – you will have to take the make up exam.
 All books and other materials must be out of sight; all hats must be off.
 Turn off everything that makes noise. You may NOT leave the room to use the phone or answer a page.
 Use the bathroom before the exam starts. If there is a reason why you need to make frequent bathroom
trips, let me know beforehand and you will be given the test one page at a time, which must be handed in
before leaving the room.
 Keep your eyes on your own paper, and guard your own. You may not talk to other students after the exam
has been handed out. If I suspect cheating, the exam will be taken and you will be reported to the
Administration.
 Academic Honesty – Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. This includes cheating,
copying another student’s work, use of unauthorized aids during exams, and plagiarism. Any assignment
which is compromised by academic dishonesty will receive an automatic zero. The student will receive an
“F” for the course and may be subject to further action from the Administration.
Laboratory Work
 Laboratory Safety – you must access the Laboratory Safety Policy for Genetics. This can be found on the
Biology Department’s Homepage. You must read the safety policy, and print and sign the agreement
provided. This agreement must be handed in before you will be allowed to participate in any
laboratory – no signed safety agreement, no lab. This means that you will receive a zero for any missed
work. You will not be allowed to participate in lab if you are not wearing the proper attire as
discussed in class!!
http://www.camdencc.edu/html/departments/biology/safetypolicy.htm
 Laboratory information will be posted on the Wiki page. It is essential that you read the information prior
to coming to class that day. Print it out and bring it to class as you may need to fill sections out as part
of lab work. Consistently not bringing the handouts, or not knowing what’s going on that day, shows
me that you are not reading the procedure ahead of time, and will affect your participation grade.
a. This is a PERFECT example of class preparedness – do NOT come to me right before class in an
attempt to explain that your printer is out of ink, and you couldn’t print the lab. DO NOT WAIT
UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!!
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Group Work
Some lab work or lecture meetings will involve group work. Unfortunately, each semester a small number of
students unfairly take advantage of this, and contribute little while the remainder of the group does most of the
work. At the end of the semester your groupmates will grade you on your participation – don’t think they won’t
answer honestly, especially if you’ve relied on them to do your work for you!
If a group member is not actively participating in group work, you should report the issue to the instructor
immediately. The following are examples of not actively participating in group work:
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not completing contributions to group work on time
missing arranged group meetings outside of class time
not being available for group meetings outside of class time
not responding in a reasonable time to e-mails or phone calls amongst the group
claiming to have not received e-mails or phone calls related to group work
Genetic Disease Research Paper
Each of you will be given a different genetic disease as the topic for your paper. Your assignment is to write a
paper (5 – 10 pages in length – double-spaced) and present an oral report on the topic (10 – 15 minutes in length).
You should include:
 Historical information regarding the disease
 Clinical features of the disease
 Mode of inheritance (dominant, recessive, X-linked, mitochondrial)
 Abnormality (single gene disorder, chromosomal/structural abnormality, etc.)
a. If a single gene disorder, include chromosomal location/locus of the gene, mutations, gene product,
and normal/abnormal gene function
b. If a structural abnormality, give specific rearrangement (if translocation), chromosomal band
breakpoints, genes located within the involved region, gene function, etc.
 Carrier frequency/frequency of the disease and if it is associated with specific ethnic groups
 Screening/testing available for both carrier status and prenatal testing
 Treatments for disease – both present and potential future ones
Include a complete bibliography of your articles (author names, article title, journal title, journal number/edition,
pages which article appears, date of publication). When quoting directly from the article or indirectly with ideas
from the article, make sure to reference appropriately. Either place in parentheses the author’s name, or number
your articles in your bibliography and place the corresponding number in parentheses. Articles should be in the
order that they are first used in your paper. You should have at least four references – popular sources (support
group websites, etc. for general public) are acceptable for basic information (clinical features, etc), but be sure to
use more academic sources (ex: Online Mendelian Inheritance of Man, journal articles) for the majority of your
paper. Sites like Wikipedia are not acceptable.
While this is not an English class, it is expected that you will use proper spelling and punctuation, and demonstrate
appropriate sentence and paragraph structure. Your grade may be lowered for extreme cases of substandard
writing.
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Attendance Policy
 Attendance will be taken at every class meeting. Essential components of attendance are arriving on time,
staying for the entire class, and NOT SLEEPING – sleeping through class does not count as being here.
Attending lab but missing lecture, or vice versa are equal to ½ an absence.
 All assignments must be turned in on time, regardless of attendance. Assignments may be handed into the
Biology Department if you know in advance you will miss class. Assignments sent by email must be dated
and timed before class in order to be considered on time. Do not expect me to print your work for you.
You must bring in an EXACT hard copy to the next class.
 You are responsible for all assignments, even if you are not in attendance when the assignment is given.
 If you miss the due date for the research paper, you may turn it in no later than the next class meeting.
There will be an automatic grade reduction for late assignments. Any assignment not handed in at that point
will receive a zero.
 Attendance for laboratory sessions is required in order to get credit for laboratory questions/in-class work.
No laboratories can be made up. Some laboratory exercises require multiple class meetings – if you miss
one that involves group work, but were present for another, you can still be involved with group write-ups,
but may receive a reduction in points.
 Anyone who misses a total of 8 classes for the semester will receive a “NA” for their final grade, regardless
of their class average. “NA”, which stands for “not attending”, can adversely affect your status for financial
aid, student visas, etc. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Please note that I do not distinguish unexcused and excused absences or lateness/leaving early in this scoring
system. This is fair, because it is assumed that you will have a legitimate reason to be absent or late a small
number of times during the semester.
Points for attendance will be awarded as follows. Arriving late or leaving early is counted as half (0.5) an absence.
The scoring system reflects the assumption that you will rarely be absence from class or late for class due to
circumstances such as illness or family matters. Fewer points are earned as absences and tardiness become a
pattern.
0-2 absences:
50 points
2.5-4 absences:
25 points
4.5 or more absences: 0 points
Class Participation
To do well in this course, you will need to show that you are engaged in it by your participation during class
meetings. Class participation includes questions you pose during class meetings, and your contributions to
discussions during scheduled class meetings. Class participation is not a contest about how much you say
compared to your classmates (aim for quality, not quantity). Class participation is not attendance: you could
have perfect attendance, but receive nothing for participation.
Points for participation will be awarded as follows:
excellent participation; consistently and often contributed to class discussions and group work; contributed in all or
nearly all class meetings:
50 points
above average participation; regularly contributed to class discussions and group work; contributed in nearly all
class meetings:
35 points
average participation; inconsistently contributed to class discussions and group work; contributed in a majority but
not nearly all of class meetings:
25 points
below average participation: infrequently and inconsistently contributed to discussions and group work;
contributed in a minority of class meetings:
0 points
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Extra Credit
There is no extra credit available in this course. Instead, you should focus all of your effort on completing
assigned tasks well and on time. It’s important that you don’t fall behind in this course, because there will be no
extra credit to allow you to “catch up”.
Technology Policy
 Use of any electronic device is subject to my approval. No text messaging, camera phones, or electronic
language translators are allowed in class.
a. The first time caught using a device (phones, laptops, etc) for non-class activity will result in a
warning. The second time (and this means for the semester, not per day), will result in you being
prohibited from using it for the remainder of the semester.
 In order to do calculations on the exams, a calculator may be used – not a phone.
 Phones and pagers should be set to silent. These should be answered only in case of emergency – leave the
room quietly and take care of the matter in the hall as to not disturb other students. It is not acceptable to
continually leave class for these situations.
 When sending an email, put some reference to class in the subject line, especially if you are using an
account other than your Camden County College one – otherwise I may not open an email from an address
that I do not recognize. Use proper English – spelling, punctuation and grammar – in all emails.
Classroom Behavior
 Come to class on time. If you must come in late or leave early, do so quietly as to not disturb class
activities.
 During class I expect you to be quiet and attentive. Side conversations are extremely rude and will not be
tolerated. No text messaging!!!!
 Any student who disrupts the class will be removed from the classroom.
 I encourage questions and class discussions, but please be aware that I may not be able to break
immediately from lecture. I will acknowledge you as soon as I am able.
 After class your chairs should be placed back under the desk, all supplies put back, trash thrown out, and
lab counters wiped clean.
 You can expect me to respect you as a student, and treat you fairly. I expect students to be courteous and
respectful to me and other students at all times.
Suggestions For Success in this Course
•
Participate, and realize that attendance is in no way participation. Ask questions or share your
thoughts in class. Forcing yourself to formulate a question is as important to learning as the answer
(science is not just answers, it's also how to ask questions). Learning is interactive, not just what you can
“soak in”. You all have experienced life differently, and each of you can contribute something unique to
lecture and lab meetings. If you find yourself reluctant to speak, try preparing a few points or questions in
advance, so you’re prepared.
•
Meet all deadlines, and give yourself time to complete work. All assignments are due IN THE
BEGINNING OF CLASS. That means that a prepared student has already printed out the assignment and
collated/stapled it prior to the start of class. Any assignment not submitted ON TIME will receive a
reduction in points – this includes assignments handed in later the same day/class meeting. The latest an
assignment can be turned in is the next class meeting. Any assignment not handed in by then will receive a
zero. Please do not use the excuse that your printer is out of ink – that means you waited until the last
minute to print out. A prepared student would have time to print it out somewhere on campus if this
occurs.
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Attend class faithfully and on time.
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•
Turn in professional quality written work, as if you are applying for a job or promotion. For example,
proofread carefully, staple neatly, and follow instructions. These sorts of details may seem insignificant,
but in the real world of employment --- and this course, they are difference makers.
•
Make accurate and detailed notes during lectures.
•
Learn terminology. (There’s often no clear substitute for it).
•
Try to synthesize the material (be comparative) and ask yourself questions that require more than just
memorization. I suggest that you regularly spend some time reviewing earlier material, and the rest of your
time relating it to and working with new material.
•
Most learning occurs outside the classroom. So, expect to spend more time on the course outside class
meetings than in them. Class meets about 6 hours a week, so you should expect to spend at least 12 hours a
week on the course outside class time. This means PER WEEK – if you don’t look at the material, and try
to spend the last few days before an exam cramming, you will not succeed. There is too much material to
successfully master the material in this fashion.
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Balance your study time between time alone and time with others. Going solo may seem easier, but it lacks
some of the benefits of group work.
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Get help from an authority, such as your professor. I have experience and am trained to help you, and can
see things that might be invisible to you or your classmates.
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If you are having trouble in the course, resist the temptation of blaming your environment, course policies
or the instructor. It just isn’t productive use of your time, and won’t in the end help you do any better.
The most successful students avoid this mind trap when a course becomes difficult, and focus their energy
on changing their study habits.
Tutoring
 If you do not understand something in class, please ask about it – chances are someone else doesn’t
understand it either. Since I am not on campus full-time, I may not be able to stay that day after class, but
may be able to rearrange my schedule with some advance notice – either ask before/after class or email me.

Program for Academically Challenged Student Policy Statement – Camden County College is
committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. If you have a
specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disability that requires special accommodations, please
contact the PACS Office (Disability Support Services Office) at (856) 227, 7200 ext 4430 as soon as
possible to ensure that such accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion.
Tentative Daily Schedule (subject to change as needed)
Jan 23rd
Class Policies
Chapter 2 – Chromosomes and Cellular Reproduction
Jan 28th
(LAB) Observation of Mitosis
Chapter 2 – Chromosomes and Cellular Reproduction cont
Jan 30th
End of chapter questions (chapter 2) - #5, #15, #26, #28, #32, #33
Chapter 3 – Basic Principles of Heredity
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Feb 4th
(LAB) Patterns of Inheritance in Corn
Chapter 4 – Sex Determination and Sex Linked Characteristics
Feb 6th
End of chapter questions (chapter 3) - #15, #18, #19, #29, #33, #36
Chapter 5 – Extensions and Modifications of Basic Principles
Feb 11th
End of chapter questions (chapter 4) - #33, #41, #43; (chapter 5) - #16, #35, #38
Chapter 6 – Pedigree Analysis and Applications
Feb 13th
Exam review
Feb 18th
Exam #1 (chapters 2-6)
Feb 20th
(LAB) Measurement and Pipetting
Chapter 7 – Linkage, Recombination, and Eukaryotic Mapping
Feb 25th
(LAB) Sordaria crossing over and linkage
Chapter 8 – Bacterial and Viral Genetics Systems
Feb 27th
(LAB) pGLO Bacterial Transformation Kit – transformation and plating
Chapter 9 – Chromosome Variation
Mar 4th
(LAB) pGLO Bacterial Transformation Kit –observe results
Human Karyotyping
Mar 6th
Chapter 10 – DNA: The Chemical Nature of the Gene
Exam review
Mar 11th
Exam #2 (chapters 7-10)
Mar 13th
(LAB) Genes in a Bottle Kit
Chapter 12 – DNA: Replication and Recombination
Mar 17th – 23rd Spring Break
Mar 25th
End of chapter questions (chapter 12) - #1, #4, #5, #20, #29, #30
Chapter 19 – Molecular Genetic Analysis and Biotechnology
Mar 27th
(LAB) DNA sequencing;
Lambda DNA – digestion
Chapter 13 – Transcription
Apr 1st
(LAB) Lambda DNA – run gels and analyze results
End of chapter questions (chapter 13) - #10, #15, #17, #24, #26, #28
Chapter 14: RNA Molecules and RNA Processing
Apr 3rd
End of chapter questions (chapter 14) - #9, #10, #20, #22, #24, #27
Exam review
Apr 8th
Exam #3 (chapters 12, 19, 13, 14)
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Apr 10th
(LAB) DNA Fingerprinting Kit – set up digestion
Chapter 15 – The Genetic Code and Translation
Apr 15th
(LAB) DNA Fingerprinting Kit – run gels and analyze results
PV92 PCR Kit – extract DNA; setup/run PCR
Apr 17th
(LAB) PV92 PCR Kit – run gels and analyze results
Chapter 18 – Gene Mutations and DNA repair
Apr 22nd
(LAB) GMO Investigator – DNA extract and setup/run PCR
End of chapter questions (chapter 18) - #4, #8, #19, #20, #27, #28
Apr 24th
(LAB) GMO Investigator – run gels and analyze results
Chapter 16 – Control of Gene Expression in Prokaryotes
Apr 29th
(LAB) article discussion
Chapter 23 – Cancer Genetics
May 1st
Student Presentations
May 6th
Student Presentations
May 8th
Exam review
May 13th
Exam #4 (chapters 15, 18, 16, 23, student presentations)
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