Genetics (BIOL-22700)
General Syllabus

Spring 2009

 

Lecture instructor (Williams 221, Tu/Th, 9:25-10:40)

     
Teaching Assistant

 

 

Lab Instructor T/Th (CNS 109, 1-3:50 pm)

 

Lab instructor W (CNS109, 1-3:50 pm)

 

Dr. Marina Caillaud

Joe Goodliffe (Senior Biochemistry Major)

 

 

Dr. Marina Caillaud

 

Dr Andy Smith

 

Office:

Marina: 165 CNS

Andy: 155 CNS
Joe: he spends most of his days in CNS….

Office hours:

Marina: Tuesday 4-5:15 or by appointment (e-mail)

Andy: TBA
Joe: Review session TBA in  CNS 163

e-mail:

mcaillaud@ithaca.edu

asmith@ithaca.edu
jgoodli1@ithaca.edu

 

Click here for the LECTURE SYLLABUS

Click here for the LAB  SYLLABUS
 
COURSE DESCRIPTION

Genetics is the study of inherited variation and traits. Although genetics is often associated with disease, our genes provide a great variety of characteristics that create much of our individuality, from our hair and eye color, to the shapes of our body parts, to our talents and personality traits. Principles of genetics also touch history, politics and economics. For instance, genetic manipulations can provide new agricultural variants. Are these genetically modified plants safe to eat? Are they safe for the environment?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. To prepare students for more advanced course work in cell and molecular biology by
        a. providing a strong background in the principles of Mendelian genetics as well as an introduction to the study of complex multifactorial characters
        b. making students aware of the power of DNA technology. Basic concepts of Recombinant Technology and Genomics will be explained and examples of how DNA manipulation is used in medicine, agriculture and industry will be given
        c. developing in students an understanding of the principles of population genetics and evolution via natural selection

 

2. To provide students with the ability to solve problems and think analytically. Genetics, more    than any other branch of biology, lends itself to problem solving and analytical thinking.

3. To learn via laboratory experimentation how research works, and how scientific articles are organized.
           
4. To help students become familiar with the language of genetics, and the terminology of molecular biology.


REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

* Genetics, a conceptual approach by Pierce, B. (2009, 3d edition)(edited by Freeman).The textbook has a website (http://bcs.whfreeman.com/pierce3e/). The website for the textbook contains animated tutorials for most chapters to review and synthesize the main topics of each chapter.

*MegaManual, Solutions and problem-solving (2009, 3d edition)(edited by Freeman). This book contains the solutions to all the exercises of your textbook. It also comes with a CD-ROM (Interactive Genetics) that contains many exercises that I will assign to you. Last, it contains internet-based activities that help you explore international genetic databases.

 

COURSE WEBPAGE

Visit this website before every lecture or lab. This is where I will post updates of the syllabus, links to potentially interesting websites, digital movies to help you grasp genetic concepts, solutions to the problem sets (see below), grades (with your codename instead of your real name), etc... You will need a password to access most of the material posted (given in class).

 

LECTURE PART 

Readings are posted on the website and are due BEFORE you come to lecture. During the lecture, you are encouraged to use the Powerpoint notes I provide for each lecture at the beginning of the semester. Note that those notes are not complete. Also posted for each lecture: digital movies and animations (check them out!!).

I believe that the ability to solve new problems is a sign of the mastery of the material. For every topic covered, I assigned specific problems of the textbook for practice. The answers to these problems are in the MegaManual book. I encourage you to keep up with your work, as solving genetics problems is not learned in one night of study.
 

LABORATORY PART

It is important that you do not miss any laboratories. You are encouraged to attend a different laboratory session of the week if circumstances require it.  However, wanting to come back to town on Monday evening, or exams scheduled in other classes are not sufficient reason to change lab sections.  Be sure to make prior arrangements with me.

 

ASSESSMENT

Every Tuesday (except the first one), AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS (9:25 exactly), you will have a 15-20 min quiz. Count on 10-20 questions.

Every 10 days, you will have a problem set due. NO HELP will be provided by either instructors or the TA.

You and you lab partner will write TWO laboratory reports to present the experiments performed during labs 5-7 (lab report 1) and labs 11-13 (Lab report 2). Each will be 5-10 pp. long and will have to follow the standard format of a Research Article from the primary literature. Details about the expectations for these lab reports will be provided in early February.   

Your Final assignment will have two components. First, you and your lab partner will prepare a 15 min Powerpoint presentation on a general topic (the Genetics of Schizophrenia, The Genetics of Breast Cancer, The Mitochondrial genome, The Chimpanzee genome, Genetics of Obesity, etc.). You will present your work the last week of classes either during lecture or lab. Second, you and your lab partner will prepare a poster presentation on an article extracted from the primary Literature (Heredity, Journal of Human Genetics, etc…). You will present this poster at a Poster session during the exam week. Instructions for this assignment will be provided after Spring Break.

 

 

 

Weekly quiz  (9 at 4% each) 

Take Home Final Exam

36%

15%

assess learning objectives 1 and 2

Problem sets (6 at 2.5%)

15%

 

Assess learning Objective 1 and 2

Lab Report 1
Lab  Report 2

10%
10%


assess learning objectives 3, 4

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation

14%

 

assess learning objectives 3 and 4

 

 

A : 94-100; A-: 90-93;
B+ : 87-89;  B :  84-86;  B- : 80-83;
C+ : 77-79; C :74-76;C- :70-73;
D+ :67-69; D : 64-66; D- :60-63;
F : below 60%

THERE IS NO EXTRA CREDIT

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students at Ithaca College are expected to attend all classes, and they are responsible for work missed during any absence from class. Students should notify their instructors as soon as possible of any anticipated absences, especially for examinations. Written documentation that indicates the reason for being absent may be required.

In accordance with New York State law, students who miss class due to their religious beliefs shall be excused from class or examinations on that day. Such students must notify their course instructors before any anticipated absence so that proper arrangements may be made to make up any missed work or examination without penalty.

Any student who misses class due to a verifiable family or individual health emergency or to a required appearance in a court of law shall be excused. The student or a family member/legal guardian may report the absence to the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life, which will notify the student's dean's office, as well as residential life if the student lives on campus. The dean's office will disseminate the information to the appropriate faculty. Follow-up by the student with his or her professors is imperative. Students may need to consider a leave of absence, medical leave of absence, selected course withdrawals, etc., if they have missed a significant portion of classwork.

A student may be excused for participation in College-authorized cocurricular and extracurricular activities such as athletic events, musical and theatrical performances, and professional conferences.

 

ACCOMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Students must register with the Office of Academic Support Services and provide appropriate documentation to the College before any academic adjustment will be provided.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Page maintained and updated by Marina Caillaud
Last updated March 29, 2009