Course Description
This course exposes students to a breadth of biological concepts including the scientific method, evolution, cell and molecular biology, genetics, heredity and biotechnology. The relationship of human genetics and inheritance to society is emphasized. IAI: L1 906.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to use the scientific method.
- Explain the structure and function of a cell.
- List and describe the sequence of molecular level processes that comprise the central dogma of biology.
- Diagram and explain the steps of mitosis and meiosis.
- Differentiate between genes, genomes, DNA and chromosomes.
- Compare and contrast the different types of inheritance.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply Mendelian genetics to interpret hereditary patterns.
- Describe current methods used in biotechnology and their purpose.
- Describe natural selection and its role in human evolution.
- Evaluate the quality of scientific information.
- Examine the impact of genetics and biotechnology in today’s society.
Topical Outline
1. Scientific Method
2. Cells and Cell Division
a. Structure and function of a cell and its parts
b. Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis
3. Types of Inheritance
3. Types of Inheritance
a. Mendelian Inheritance
b. Variations of Mendelian genetics
c. Polygenic traits
d. Multifactorial traits
e. Heritability
4. Pedigree Analysis
4. Pedigree Analysis
a. Understanding a pedigree
b. Determining inheritance from pedigrees
5. Cytogenetics
5. Cytogenetics
a. Karyotypes and other techniques
b. Variation in chromosome number and structural changes
c. Prenatal testing
6. Sex Determination
6. Sex Determination
a. Stages of human development
b. What determines sex
c. X inactivation
d. Sex influenced traits
e. Chromosomal sex vs. phenotypic sex
7. DNA, RNA and DNA replication
7. DNA, RNA and DNA replication
a. DNA, its chemistry and structure and organization into chromosomes
b. RNA, its types, chemistry and structure
c. DNA replication
8. Genes and Gene Expression
8. Genes and Gene Expression
a. What is a gene and what does it do?
b. Central Dogma of biology
c. Proteins and their levels of structure
d. Gene expression
9. How Genes Influence Phenotypes
9. How Genes Influence Phenotypes
a. Relationship of proteins to phenotype
b. Enzymes, metabolic pathways and transporter proteins
c. Pharmocogenetics and Ecogenetics
10. Genetic Changes and Epigenetics
10. Genetic Changes and Epigenetics
a. Mutations, causes and kinds and their relationship to phenotype
b. Epigenetics
11. Cancer
11. Cancer
a. Causes and treatments of cancer
b. Role of genomics
12. Biotechnology
12. Biotechnology
a. Basic Methods like cloning, PCR, sequencing, DNA microarrays, gene modification and DNA profiling
b. Genomics and related projects
c. Gene therapy
d. Societal issues
13. Population Genetics and Human Evolution
a. Natural selection and population genetics
b. Genetic disorders
c. Human Evolution, modern human variation and the concept of race