BIO 374 Genetics

Fall 2005

Instructor:  Colleen Jacks

Office:  233 Nobel

Phone:  Ext. 7326

Office Hours: Usually T 9:00 – 10:00 AM and M, W 1:30 – 2:30 PM or by appointment.  There is a sign-up sheet on my door.

Lecture: MTWF 10:30 AM, NHS 222

Textbook: iGenetics: A Mendelian Approach by Peter J. Russell is required.  The study guide is optional.

The objective of this course is to cover the principles of heredity in prokaryotes, plants and animals.  Genetics as a field of study has gone through several “revolutions” of thought, and we will cover heredity from these different points of view: classical, cytological, molecular and biochemical, and population/quantitative genetics.  You have already been introduced to these sub-areas of genetics in the required biology four-course sequence.  My goal is to build on what you have already learned, reviewing when necessary but not dwelling on topics you have already mastered.  Ask appropriate questions and let me know when I have made false assumptions about your background (assuming either too much or too little).

Genetics is not a course filled only with facts that can be memorized and regurgitated on an exam.  Of course there are new “facts” to learn, but genetics is about learning general principles and applying these principles to make predictions about new situations.  Problem solving is a major focus of genetics courses and a large part of this problem solving involves word or story problems containing experimental data.  About half of the material we will cover this semester is algebra-based and requires calculations.  The following points will help you be more successful in this course:

1.     Learning genetics is an active process and requires you to spend time out of class.  Class periods are used to clarify principles and stress the part of the material that I feel is most important.  You will not actually “learn” this material unless you spend time working problems.

2.     The pace of the course will seem fast to many students.  Don’t cram; keep up with the material.  Just as in a math course, much of what I expect you to do on an exam cannot be learned in an all night session before the exam.

3.     Use symbols and pictures to draw out concepts you are trying to learn or problems you are attempting to solve.  Few people can look at a genetics problem and immediately see the solution.  Most solutions are found by trial and error.

4.     Distinguish between general principles and examples.  Do not memorize the solution for an example problem without understanding how it was derived.  The exam questions are designed to test your understanding of a principle and its application, not how well you remember the fly example performed in class.

5.     Ask questions when you don’t understand material or problem solutions.  I am happy to answer questions; my grimaces and other facial contortions are a reflection of my attempt to come up with an alternative explanation and not a commentary about the quality of the question.  Sometimes I may elect to answer your question individually after class.

Problems

The course outline suggests problems in the text for you to solve that require the principles covered in class.  The final solutions for many of the problems are available at the end of your text and all the solutions are found in the study guide. These problems are the minimum number you should do to prepare for the exams; work additional problems as you feel necessary. Class time throughout the semester will be used to work problems and discuss research papers as described below.

Research Papers

In addition to textbook reading assignments, a number of papers from the primary literature of genetics are assigned.  Learning to read research papers is an important skill - they are information dense, written for other expert researchers in the field.  I selected these papers to help you develop this type of reading skill, as well as introduce you to  “classic” papers in the field.  Copies of the papers will be on reserve in the library, either in separate files or in one of several anthologies.  The papers will be discussed in class when appropriate to the lecture material.  There will be 3 written assignments on three specific papers to be determined later.  The papers will be covered in some form on exams.

Exams

Exams in this course are designed to test both your knowledge of genetics principles and terminology and your ability to apply this knowledge in a given situation.  Each exam will be worth 50 points and contain a mix of definition-short answer questions and problems.  Copies of 2003’s exams and keys will be available on reserve (electronic) in the library as samples of my testing style.  Exams are scheduled for 7:00 - 9:30 PM in order to allow people to take the time needed to complete the exams without feeling rushed.  An earlier exam time will be arranged for individuals who have evening classes.  Make-up exams will be given at my discretion for demonstrated cases of illness if I am informed of the illness prior to the exam.  There will be no formal class on the days of exams, but I will be available to answer questions.  Note that although Exam 4 is given during the final exam period it is not comprehensive.

If you have a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical or learning disability that may have an effect on your ability to complete assigned course work, please contact Laurie Bickett in the Advising Center.  She will review your concerns and decide with you what accommodations are necessary.  I will be happy to make appropriate arrangements upon receipt of documentation from her.

Academic Integrity

One of the objectives of Gustavus Adolphus College as stated in the mission statement is to “foster the development of values as an integral part of intellectual growth.”  In a community of scholars nothing is more valuable than the intellectual work or property of a member of the community.  The college’s honor code (On my honor, I pledge that I have not given, received, nor tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid in completing this work.) must be written and signed on all exams and assignments.  On exams, any assistance from individuals except the course instructor (Jacks) is forbidden.  On graded assignments, discussion and collaboration is encouraged, BUT the final work/wording turned in for grading must be only that of the individual unless directed otherwise in class.  Assignments that are essentially identical with only a few changes of words are not acceptable.  It is unacceptable in this course to represent the work of another individual as your own.  All cases of academic dishonesty including cheating on exams and plagiarizing written assignments will result in penalties up to and including automatic failure of the course and will be reported to the Dean for inclusion in your permanent file and disciplinary action as stated in the student code.

Cell Phones and Pagers

As a courtesy to your instructor and classmates, please turn your cell phones, pagers or other noisy devices off during class.

Point Assignments

Exam 1 (Oct. 5)  = 50 pts.

Exam 2 (Nov. 2) = 50 pts.

Exam 3 (Nov. 22) = 50 pts.

Exam 4 (Dec. 17) = 50 pts.

Written assignments = 65 pts. (3 Research papers @ 15 points, 1 Bioinformatics assignment @ 20 pts.)

I sometimes include problems on exams or attendance at seminars for extra credit points (1-3 pts. each; 10 pts. max. semester).  When offered, these points are available to all members of the class.  Enough extra credit points are available during the semester to ensure that students have the opportunity to earn the higher grade if their point total is between two grades.

Grading

90-100%  A range

80-89%   B range

70-79%   C range

60-69%   D range

0-59%    F range

I will decide final cutoffs for + and - grades based on criteria such as effort in the course and the course point distribution.

BIO 374 Assigned Papers

Morgan, T. H. (1910) “Sex Limited Inheritance In Drosophila.”  Science 32:120-122.

Creighton, H. B. and McClintock, B.  (1931) “A correlation of cytological and genetical crossing over in Zea mays.”  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 17:492-497.

^*Benzer, S. (1959) “On the Topology of the Genetic Fine Structure.”  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 45:1607-1620.

Avery, O. T., MacLeod, C. M. and McCarty, M. (1944) “Studies on the chemical nature of the substance inducing transformation of pneumococcal types.”  Experimental Medicine 79:137-158.

^*Watson, J.D. and Crick, F. H.C.  (1953a) “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.”  Nature 171:737-738.

^*Watson, J.D. and Crick, F.H.C. (1953b) “Genetical Implications of the Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid.”  Nature 171:964-967.

^*#Kleckner, N. et al.  (1975) “Mutagenesis by Insertion of a Drug-resistance Element Carrying an Inverted Repetition.”  J. Mol. Biol. (1975) 97:561-575.

Gusella, J.F. et al.  (1983) “A polymorphic DNA marker genetically linked to Huntington’s disease.”  Nature 306:234-238.

NOTE:

^*These articles can also be found in the book Discovering Molecular Genetics by Jeffrey H. Miller in the library.

^#These articles can also be found in the book The Power of Bacterial Genetics by Jonathon Beckwith and Thomas J. Silhavy in the library.