BIOLOGY 41: GENERAL GENETICS
SPRING 2017 SYLLABUS
The BIO 41 teaching team wishes you a great semester! We are here to help you succeed
in this class! We look forward to meeting you and thinking about Genetics together!
Course times and location:
Lectures:
Tuesday, Thursday 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm (F+), Barnum 008
Recitations:
Recitations are optional, but strongly recommended. Students can only
attend the recitation section for which they are enrolled.
Recitation A:
Friday
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM
Barnum 104
TA: Jenna Whalen
[email protected]
Recitation B:
Friday
12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
Barnum 104
TA: Casey Cosetta
[email protected]
Recitation C:
Friday
1:30 PM – 2:20 PM
Barnum 104
TA: Taylor Sands-Marcinkowski
[email protected]
Each TA will announce their office hours in the first recitation.
Course instructor:
Dr. Ekaterina “Kate” Mirkin
Email: [email protected]
Office: Barnum 111
Office Hours: Tuesday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM & Thursday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Office hours policy: Office hours are intended for group discussions of questions related
to course material, so feel free to come in and join the conversation, don’t wait until the
previous student leaves. If you would like to discuss a private matter, please send me an
email to set up an individual appointment.
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Course Description:
Basic concepts of classical and molecular genetics, including Mendelian genetics, genetic
mapping, mitosis and meiosis, DNA replication and recombination, the genetic code,
gene transcription and translation, regulation of gene expression, connection of genotype
and phenotype, genetic engineering and genomics.
Course Prerequisite:
BIO 13 (Cells and Organisms) or equivalent. You are expected to have basic knowledge
of mitosis, meiosis, Mendelian genetics and molecular biology (DNA, RNA, protein)
from a college-level introductory biology course.
Course Objectives:
In this course, students will expand the basic knowledge of genetics they attained in
introductory biology courses. This will involve learning new terminology and new core
concepts. Students will also explore how the biology of cells involves the
interconnectedness of genetics and biochemistry, and how a genotype manifests itself
into a phenotype. Upon successful completion of the course students should be able to:
•
Understand and explain the logic and core concepts of classical and molecular
genetics, including: prediction of genotypic and phenotypic ratios for complex
crosses; mechanisms of DNA replication, recombination, transcription and
translation, and how mutations can alter the outcomes of these processes; mitosis
and meiosis; gene mapping; gene expression; genetic engineering and genomics.
•
Apply this knowledge to solving complex problems by utilizing critical thinking
skills and analyzing and predicting experimental results.
Grading:
In class questions:
5%
Problem sets (10*): 15%
Midterm 1:
25%
Midterm 2:
25%
Final exam:
30%
* Each problem set has equal weight; lowest score dropped.
Please note that there are no extra credit opportunities in this course.
Assignment of Letter Grades:
• Letter grades will be assigned at the end of the semester, based on the total scores.
• Total scores will be calculated to the second decimal point using the formula
above.
• If the class average for the total score is 80 or above, grade scale below will be
used to assign letter grades (for example: 82.61 = B- and 83.35 = B).
• If the overall class average is less than 80, grade scale will be adjusted.
A+
A
A
97%
93%
90%
B+
B
B-
87%
83%
80%
C+
C
C-
77%
73%
70%
2
D+
D
D-
67%
63%
60%
F
<60%
Textbook:
• Genetics: From Genes to Genomes, 5th edition (2014), Hartwell et al.
• The textbook is not required, but is strongly recommended.
• Three copies of the textbook and three copies of the Study Guide / Solutions
Manual that accompanies the textbook are on 4-hour reserve in the University
library.
• Please see “BIO 41 textbook information” on Trunk under “Resources” à
"Course Information” for more information about the textbook.
Lecture slides:
• “Pre-lecture slides” will be posted the night before each lecture on Trunk.
Students can download and/or print them and bring to class to take notes.
• “Post-lecture slides” will be posted within 24 hours after class. They will contain
answers to in-lecture questions, as well as some additional notes.
Recitations:
• Recitations are optional, but strongly recommended.
• Students can only attend the recitation section for which they are enrolled.
• Students will engage in active problem solving in small groups, with the guidance
of the TA.
• Recitation handouts will be provided in class.
• Recitation handouts without the answers will be posted at 7 AM on Monday.
• Recitation handouts with the answers will be posted at 2 PM on Friday.
• If you did not go to recitation – make sure to work the handout by yourself (or
with a friend) and check your answers! Remember, there will be similar problems
on exams.
• Please see “How to study for BIO 41” on Trunk under “Resources” à "Course
Information” for tips regarding recitations.
Exams:
• There will be two in class midterm exams and a cumulative final exam.
• All exams are closed book.
• The exam questions will be similar in difficulty and content to the questions in
problem sets and recitations.
• No electronic device more complex than a simple calculator can be used during
an exam. Please bring your own calculator, students will not be allowed to share
one. No wireless device can be used during an exam.
• If you are requesting an accommodation for a documented disability, you must
provide a letter from the Accessibility Services Office no later than two weeks
after the start of the semester.
• There will be no make-up exams given. If an exam is missed due to documented
illness or family emergency, your remaining two exams will count towards 80%
of your grade. Illness must be verified in writing by Health Services; family
emergency must be verified in writing by the Dean. Exams missed for other
reasons will be assigned a score of 0.
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Learning Catalytics:
• BIO41 students will be required to use Learning Catalytics, a “bring your own
device” student engagement, assessment, and classroom intelligence system to
complete in class questions (in class) and problem sets (outside of class).
• In-class questions are graded for participation; problem sets are graded for correct
answer.
• Students must sign up for Learning Catalytics before the first day of class.
• Please see “Learning Catalytics Instructions” on Trunk under “Resources” à
"Course Information” for more information.
In-class questions (via Learning Catalytics):
• Students must bring an appropriate web-enabled device to each lecture. If you do
not have access to an appropriate device for in-class use, please contact me
([email protected]) before the beginning of the semester so I can assist you.
• Participation (not correctness of the response) will contribute towards the grade.
• Answering 90% of the questions throughout the semester gets full 5% credit.
• There will be partial credit for answering less than 90% of the questions.
• Given that you only need to answer 90% of the questions, credit will not be given
for absence due to illness or any other reason.
Problem sets (via Learning Catalytics):
• Problem sets will be posted on Learning Catalytics: problem set will open at 7
AM on Monday and close at 11:59 PM on Sunday.
• You can re-work your answers as many times as you wish until the deadline.
• Collaboration with current BIO 41 classmates is allowed and encouraged.
• You are not allowed to ask the instructor or the TAs direct questions about
problems in the problem sets.
• Answers and explanations will be available after the deadline on Learning
Catalytics.
• No extensions will be given for any reason. Failure to submit answers to a
problem set before the deadline will result in a score of zero.
• Lowest problem set score will be dropped. The remaining 9 scores will count
towards 15% of the final grade (each score will have equal weight).
• Please see “How to study for BIO 41” on Trunk under “Resources” à "Course
Information” for tips regarding problem sets and study strategies for this class.
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Trunk site:
• Please check Trunk (http://trunk.tufts.edu), as well as your Tufts email daily for
announcements.
• All class documents will be posted under “Resources”:
o Course information
§ Syllabus
§ How to study for BIO 41
§ Learning Catalytics instructions
§ Textbook information
§ E-book instructions
o Pre-lecture slides
o Post-lecture slides
o Movies from lectures
o Recitation handouts
o Recitations handouts – answers
o Exams
o NOT required but interesting
o Explanations and clarifications
Email Policy:
• Please use your Tufts email account and put BIO 41 in the subject line.
• The instructor and the TAs will do our best to respond to all emails within 24
hours of receiving them. This time frame is not guaranteed (especially over
weekends or holidays).
• Do NOT use “messages” option on Trunk, or in Learning Catalytics.
ARC peer tutoring:
ARC offers one-on-one and drop-in hour tutoring for BIO 41. Tutoring services are free
for all Tufts students. Students are limited to 1 hour of individual tutoring per week, but
there is no limit on the number of drop-in sessions students attend. More information can
be found at go.tufts.edu/arc. Tutoring sessions are booked through SIS (click on the
Academics tab, then Tutor Finder).
Academic Honesty:
All students at Tufts University are expected to live up to the highest standards of
academic honesty.
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CLASS SCHEDULE (subject to modification)
Day
TH Jan 19
TU Jan 24
TH Jan 26
TU Jan 31
TH Feb 2
TU Feb 7
TH Feb 9
TU Feb 14
TH Feb 16
TU Feb 21
TH Feb 23
TU Feb 28
TH Mar 2
TU Mar 7
TH Mar 9
TU Mar 14
TH Mar 16
TU Mar 21
TH Mar 23
TU Mar 28
TH Mar 30
TU Apr 4
TH Apr 6
TU Apr 11
TH Apr 13
TU Apr 18
TH Apr 20
TU Apr 25
TH Apr 27
•
•
Lecture number and topic
Textbook readings (Hartwell, 5th ed.)
L1: Mendelian genetics and probability
2.1, 2.2
L2: Chi-square test and pedigree analysis
2.3, 5.4 (chi-square test)
L3: Extensions to Mendelian genetics – 1
3.1, 3.2 up to epistasis
FRI Jan 27 – Recitation 1; SUN Jan 29 – PS1
cover L1&2
L4: Extensions to Mendelian genetics – 2
finish 3.2
L5: Chromosomes – 1
4.1, 4.2, 4.3
FRI Feb 3 – Recitation 2; SUN Feb 5 – PS2
cover L3&4
L6: Chromosomes – 2
4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 11.5
L7: Recombination and linkage analysis – 1
5.1, 5.2
FRI Feb 10 – Recitation 3; SUN Feb 12 – PS3
cover L5&6
L8: Recombination and linkage analysis – 2
5.3, 5.6
L9: DNA
6.1, 6.2, 6.3
FRI Feb 17 – Recitation 4; SUN Feb 19 – PS4
cover L7&8
EXAM 1: Covers lectures 1 – 8
No class (Monday schedule)
No recitation; no PS
L10: Replication in prokaryotes
6.4
L11: Eukaryotic chromosomes
11.1, 11.2, 11.4, 11.6
FRI Mar 3 – Recitation 5; SUN Mar 5 – PS5
cover L9&10
L12: Recombination at the molecular level
6.5, 5.5 (only yeast, no Neurospora)
L13: Mutations, mutagens and DNA repair
7.1, 7.2 up to Ames test
FRI Mar 10 – Recitation 6; SUN Mar 12 – PS6
cover L11&12
L14: Using mutations to study gene structure
7.3
L15: Using mutations to study gene function
finish 7.2 (Ames test); 7.4, 7.5
No recitation; no PS
No class (Spring recess)
No class (Spring recess)
L16: Transcription and RNA processing
8.2
L17: Genetic code
8.1; 8.3 up to p.276 (ribosome)
FRI Mar 31 – Recitation 7; SUN Apr 2 – PS7
cover L13,14&15
finish
8.3;
8.4; 8.5 up to p.284; p.288-289
L18: Translation
9.1
L19: Restriction enzymes
cover L16,17&18
FRI Apr 7 – Recitation 8; SUN Apr 9 – PS8
L20: Recombinant DNA
9.2
EXAM 2: Covers lectures 9 – 18
No recitation; no PS
L21: DNA sequencing and genomics
9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.7
L22: Analysis of genomic variation
10.1, 10.2, 10.3 up to p.355
FRI Apr 21 – Recitation 9; SUN Apr 23 – PS9
cover L19&20
L23: Epigenetic inheritance & genomic imprinting
11.3, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3
L24: From genotype to phenotype
8.5 p.284-288
FRI Apr 28 – Recitation 10; SUN Apr 30 – PS10
cover L21&22
Practice problems (cover L23&24) posted on Trunk
FINAL EXAM: Friday May 5th, 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Problem Sets (PS) are due at 11:59 PM on Sunday via Learning Catalytics, no extensions
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