BIOL 2120 Genetics

Lecture syllabus

Instructor:      

Dr. Robert Carter

phone:230-3748

email:robert.carter@volstate.edu (subject: 2120…)

Required Textbooks:

Brooker, R., Genetics: Analysis and Principles, 2/e McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Seipelt, R. L., D. C. Clark, and P. M. Mathis. Genetic Investigations for the Laboratory. (3rd ed.)  New York:  McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Course description:  

General genetics is a survey of modern and classical genetics designed to provide you the opportunity to learn how hereditary information is used to construct a living organism, how genetic information is transferred from cell to cell, how genetic information changes, and how modern genetic advances affect your life as a scientist and informed citizen. This course is constructed to expose you to a range of genetic ideas, improve your problem-solving skills, provide you with experience using genetic tools, and begin preparing you for your life as a scientist.

Plagiarism policy:  

Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  If you use someone else's words or ideas, then you must give them credit.  Simply rearranging words or phrases is plagiarism!!!!

Attendance policy:  

Attendance at all class meetings is strongly encouraged.  Not all topics covered in class will be in the textbook.  You must make arrangements for a missed exam on or before exam day (only valid excuses accepted).

Grading criteria:

Exams	500 points
Assignments	200 points
Lab Notebook/ Reports	300 points
Total	1000 points

ADA Statement: It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify with the Office of Disability Services to receive accommodations and services in accordance with The Americans With Disabilities Act.  (ADA)  Only those students with appropriate documentation will receive services.  For further information, contact the Office of Disability Services at extension 3472 or visit the office which is located on the ground floor of the Wood Campus Center.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Volunteer State Community College is an equal opportunity Affirmative Action Educational Institution. No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the College because of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. The College also complies with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended and with the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974. The commitment to equal opportunity applies to all aspects of recruitment, employment and education of individuals at all levels throughout the College.

Tentative lecture topic schedule:

Date	The big question!	Topic	Chapters
1/16	What is the genetic material?	DNA as the genetic material	1, 9
			Lab 9
1/23		DNA structure, replication, applications	10, 11, 18, 19
		DNA extraction lab	Lab 12
1/30		Transcription, translation, mutation	12, 13
		Mutation lab	Lab 14
2/6		Mutation and repair	16
		Fruit Flies	Lab 5, 6
2/13	What do genes do?	Prokaryotic gene expression	14
		Transformation lab	Lab 13
2/20		Eukaryotic gene expression,	15
		Transformation lab	Lab 13
3/6		SPRING BREAK
3/13		Mitosis Cancer, Development	3, 22, 23
		Mitosis and meiosis lab	Lab 1
3/20	How can inheritance be predicted?	Test 2 Mendelian inheritance	2, 3
		Inheritance lab	Lab 2
4/3		Sex linkage and extensions of mendelian inheritance	4, 7
		Complementation lab	Lab 15
4/10		Quantitative inheritance	24
		Analysis of Quantitative Traits	Lab 10
4/17	Where are specific genes?	Recombination and physical mapping, recombination mapping in humans	5, 20, 21
		Linkage, Genetic mapping in Sordaria labs	Lab 7,8
4/24	How do genes behave in populations?	Recombination mapping in bacteria, population genetics	6, 25
		Population genetics, bioinformatics, and DNA fingerprinting labs	Lab16, 17, 19
5/1		Final Exams