This course is an introduction to the concepts and applications of genetics, and can be divided into three broad parts. We begin with transmission genetics—how are traits inherited, and how does one go about deducing the rules by which traits are inherited. Included here will be a look at how the mechanism by which chromosomes are passed from parent to offspring dictates the patterns of inheritance. As a corollary, we will also look at some of the consequences of chromosomal abnormalities. We will then spend some time on the genetic basis of disease (such as cancer), as well as the mapping and cloning of disease genes. The remainder of the course, for the most part, will look at how the rules we deduced earlier can be applied to the analysis of living systems—from biochemical pathways within cells, to the growth and development of organisms, and eventually, to the genetic structure of populations of organisms. Towards the end, we will also take a look at genetic diseases and the outlook for detection and treatment of such diseases.
Along the way, you will learn:
The emphasis throughout will be on concepts, not on "facts". You will have to do a lot of problem-solving as part of the course. That’s not something I've thought up just to torture you; it’s what real-life geneticists do. And lastly – beyond all the concepts of genetics, what I hope you'll take away from this course is the importance of asking, "How do we know this?" whenever you are given an explanation for some phenomenon.
Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, 2:30–3:20 pm in Hitchcock 132
Required: The course pack for Genetics 371B (available for purchase at Professional Copy & Print on the Ave.) consists of the outline of all of the overheads to be used in lecture. I will be annotating the overheads as I go along in lecture; you can annotate your copies as much as you please. For the first week or two, I will put the annotated overheads (base overheads plus what I wrote on them in lecture) on the web; I may or may not include the annotations after the first couple of weeks, but at least the un-annotated overheads will be available on the web if you wish to print out full-sized copies.
There is no required textbook. However, if you would like to have a textbook as a reference, I recommend "An Introduction to Genetic Analysis" by Anthony Griffiths et al. The biggest advantage to having this textbook is that it is a rich source of practice problems. Copies of this and other textbooks will be on reserve at the Undergraduate Library.
The course revolves around lectures and problem-solving based on what you learned in lecture. The lectures will emphasize concepts and how those concepts were derived and tested. Although I will go over some sample problems in class, the quiz sections are really where you will get a lot of problem-solving help and examples. For that reason, I strongly urge you to attend the quiz sections.
Practice problems will be posted on a weekly basis on the class web site. The TAs will go over one or two of these every week. Do some preparation – try and work through the problems beforehand so you know what you need to ask the TAs!
| Section | Location and time | TA |
| BA | Tue 1:30-2:20, Hitchcock 316 | Michael Babcock |
| BB | Tue 1:30-2:20, Hitchcock 324 | Jeanna Wheeler |
| BC | Wed 1:30-2:20, Hitchcock 324 | Michael Babcock |
| BD | Wed 1:30-2:20, Hitchcock 132 | Jeanna Wheeler |
Attendance at quiz sections is expected. Although completely new material will usually not be presented, your TA’s will go over the concepts presented in lecture, answer questions you may have about the lecture material, and go over some of the practice problems. They may also go over problem sets once you’ve handed them in, if you have questions regarding the problems. This is one of the most valuable resources for the class – make full use of it!
The only official prerequisite is introductory chemistry, but having a basic biology course (such as Bio 201) under your belt definitely helps. Depending on your particular background, you may have to do some remedial reading. However, if there is material that I expect you to know, I will say so in class; if you are unfamiliar with the material, you should come to one of us for help.
As mentioned above, much of the work will involve problem-solving. You will be given a number of practice problems to solve (for your benefit, not for credit) plus some take-home problem sets that will count toward the final grade. To solve these problems, you will usually have to break them down into smaller problems. In the past, students have told me that this aspect is the hardest one for them – knowing how to break up a complex problem into simpler problems that they do know how to solve. As with anything else, that is a skill that improves with practice. Group study is encouraged – having to explain something to someone really focuses your attention on what you do or don’t understand! However, while you are encouraged to talk to each other about solving problems, you must work on your own when writing out the answers – see Code of conduct below.
The final grade will be determined by three exams plus the homework assignments.
Problem sets. You will be given four problem sets, each consisting of 3-6 problems on material that was covered in lecture; they will be due about a week later at the beginning of class. Your lowest score will be dropped; the other scores will together count for 25% of your final grade.
Exams. There will be three one-hour exams, two midterms and a final. Each will count for 25% of your grade. They are not designed to be cumulative, but will end up being somewhat cumulative because the later material assumes that you know the earlier material. The exams will consist of questions and problems similar to those on the problem sets. The format will be open book/open notes, but that really doesn't mean much – it’s unlikely that answers to exam problems will be in the textbook.
Schedule conflicts. Our policy is to allow students to take exams a day or two early for one of a few reasons:
o Medical/family emergencies. Visiting relatives on their birthday does not count as a family emergency!
o Academic events – the student must be interviewing for a job or medical/graduate school, or presenting academic research that was conducted at the University at a conference
o University-sponsored sporting events – the student must be part of a University sponsored team. University clubs do not count as university-sponsored sports teams; if in doubt, check with the Athletics department.
Exams may be taken early, but will NOT be given later than the scheduled date. If you do wish to take an exam early, and you have a valid reason, you must give me at least two weeks’ notice.
Re-grades. If you feel that an error was made in grading an exam, state your case in writing and submit it along with your unaltered exam to the Genetics departmental office within one week after the graded exams were returned to you. In addition, if you wish to discuss your case, you can always make an appointment with me. I reserve the right to regrade the entire exam, not just the isolated question in question.
Code of conduct. While we encourage group study, we want you to work independently when it comes time to write up your homework assignments and exams. If two (or more!) people turn in homeworks that are identical, neither one will be given credit – so don't copy someone else's homework, and don't let anyone copy yours! Exams are open-book, so you can bring in any books or notes you please, but you may not communicate with other students during the exam. No cell phone calls during the exam, please! Exams or homework that you turn in for re-grades should not have been altered in any way.
On reserve at Odegaard Library:
Web access – you may wish to use your own personal computer if you are equipped to do so. Otherwise, there are several C-and-C computing labs on campus that offer a web interface, e.g., Odegaard and Suzzallo libraries, the Academic Computing Center, and the Biology Study Area.
The Biology Study Area (BSA), located in 220 Hitchcock (phone: 685-8038), is open Mon-Fri 9 am - 5 pm. Besides providing a quiet study area, the BSA also provides access to the web via Macintosh computers.
e-Discussion
An email list will be set up. Email that you send to this list (address to be announced) will go to all members of the class. If you dislike having all these messages in your mailbox, let me know and I’ll remove you from the list.
The email list is set up for your convenience– a way for you to discuss thoughts/problems. If nobody in the class responds to your questions, I’ll eventually post a reply, but my response may not be immediate.
A newsgroup (uwash.class.genet371b) may also be set up for this class—check for a link on the class web site . You can use this newsgroup to discuss class topics with other member of the class, post questions, etc. This is a public forum; questions and answers can be seen by everyone in the class. The newsgroup can be accessed through your preferred newsreader (if you have your own personal computer with web access) or can be accessed through Pine, the standard email client on Univeristy computers.