Time:  Tuesday and Thursday, 2-3:50 PM

Location: MAC 204

Instructor: Paul Kirchman
  MHC 175
  Office Phone 799-8676
  E-mail pkirchma@fau.edu

Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 4:00 – 5:30; Friday 9:00 – 12:00

Text: Modern Genetic Analysis.  Griffiths, Gelbart, Miller, and Lewontin.

This course is an introduction to genetics, which is the study of biologically inherited traits.  We will cover both classical Mendelian genetics and modern molecular genetics.

Please try to read the chapters assigned in Modern Genetic Analysis before the class meets.

Your grade in this course will be determined as follows:

5 exams                   500 points
Paper                       100 points
Group Problems     200 points

The exams will consist of vocabulary for definitions and short answer questions (essay and word problems).  The final exam will be cumulative.

The paper will be a literature review on a genetic disorder.  The paper should include information about the symptoms and diagnosis of the disease, but should focus mainly on the genetic aspects and current research (i.e. dominant/recessive, gene function, prevalence, autosomal/sex linked, polymorphism, penetrance, identification, chromosomal location and mapping, etc).  You should find sources for this paper using a medline search (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed).  I would suggest making it at least 4 pages long so that it can be used for your writing portfolio.  See me early if you have any questions about this assignment, I will be happy to help.

Problems will be assigned for each chapter.  The problems are to be completed by groups of 4-5 students (i.e. one set of answers for each group).  Assigned problems are due at the next class meeting.  Everyone should be prepared to present answers to each of the assigned problems to the class.

At the end of each chapter is a section called “concept map” (see p. 22 for an example).  Each group may turn in a completed concept map for extra credit towards the group problems grade.
 

Date                                                 In Class                                         Do Problems

Thursday 8/23  Syllabi, Introduction, groups

Tuesday 8/28                              Chapters1 & 2                       ch2- 2, 3, 5-10,13,15,18,19, 23, 25

Thursday 8/30                             Chapter 3                               1-4, 7-12, 14, 16, 20, 23, 24

Tuesday 9/4                                 Chapter 4                               1-3, 5-12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25

Thursday 9/6                                Chapter 5;  paper topic due

Tuesday 9/11                               finish and review 1 - 5

Thursday 9/13                              Test on Chapters 1 - 5

Tuesday 9/18                               Chapter 6

Thursday 9/20                              Chapter 7

Tuesday 9/25                               Chapter 8

Thursday 9/27                              Chapter 9

Tuesday 10/2                                finish and review 6 - 9

Thursday 10/4                               Test on Chapters 6 - 9

Tuesday 10/9                                Chapter 10

Thursday 10/11                             Chapter 11

Tuesday 10/16                              Chapter 12

Thursday 10/18                             Chapter 13

Tuesday 10/23                               finish and review 8 - 13

Thursday 10/25                             Test on Chapters 8 - 13

Tuesday 10/30                              Chapter 14

Thursday 11/1                               Chapter 15

Tuesday 11/6                                Chapter 16

Thursday 11/8                               Chapter 17

Tuesday 11/13                              Chapter 17    Paper draft due (optional)

Thursday 11/15                              Finish and Review Chapters 14 - 17

Tuesday 11/20                               Test on Chapters 14 - 17

Thursday 11/22                              Thanksgiving Day

Tuesday 11/27                               Chapter 18

Thursday 11/29                              Chapter 18

Tuesday 12/4                                  review for final   Paper due

Thursday 12/6                                 Reading Day

Tuesday 12/11                                Final exam 1:15 – 3:45 PM