Biology 274: Genetics

Syllabus
Description:
An examination of the basic principles of genetics in eukaryotes and prokaryotes at the level
of molecules, cells, and multicelluar organisms, including humans. Topics include Mendelian
and non-Mendelian inheritance, structure and function of chromosomes and genomes,
biological variation resulting from recombination, mutation, and selection, and population
genetics.
Faculty:
Professor: Dr. Heather Doherty, Ph.D.
Office: Archer 566
Office hours: Tue & Thu 9am-10am in Archer 503

Tutors:
Stephanie J Laurer
Ashley Maceli

Course Meeting Time:

Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am-11:15am in Archer 503
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: BIO 111/L111. Pre- or Co-requisite CHEM 111/L111. Strong math skills.
Textbook:
Principles of Genetics, Sixth Edition by Snustad & Simmons
Credit Hours: 3
Suffolk University follows the Federal Governments Credit Hour definition:
As an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence
of student achievement that is an institutional established equivalence that reasonably
approximates no less than: One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum
of two hours of student work out of the classroom each week for approximately fifteen weeks
for one semester hour of credit.
Work Load:
For this course you should expect to be reading the assigned chapter(s) every week before
the class session for which they are assigned. Starting the second week of class, reading
questions will be assigned to go with each chapter that are due by 5pm the day before class
on Blackboard and problem sets will be assigned due roughly every other week to be handed
in during class. I would expect to set aside 6-8 hours per week outside of class to have
enough time to complete these assignments. If you tend to find math difficult, you should
expect to put aside a few extra hours to work on math skills as they are essential to
your success in this course.

Course Goals & Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this
course, students will
know/understand:
The Mendelian and nonMendelian modes of
inheritance that govern
passage of genetic traits
across generation
The basic structure and
function of DNA and
chromosomes as well as how
chromosomes move through
mitosis and meiosis
The Hardy-Weinberg
equilibrium equation and the
requirements for maintaining
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
in a population
The basics of the molecular
processes of DNA replication,
transcription and translation
as well as the important
characteristics of the genetic
code
How to make a genetically
modified organism

-The origins of the human

species
- How a genetic sequence is
determined and how it helps
us understand genetic
relationships between
species

Upon successful completion of

this course, students will be
able to:
Use this knowledge of
inheritance to track alleles
through generations and
categorize and predict genotypes
and phenotypes
Draw the stages of mitosis and
meiosis and explain how the
process of mutation occurs and
generates phenotypic diversity
Calculate p, q, p2, q2, and 2pq for
a population before and after the
occurrence of selection

- Draw and name all the relevant

machinery for DNA replication,
transcription, and translation
- Identify the parts of a gene,
transcribe it, and then translate it
into protein
Describe the steps in making a
genetically modified organism
and be able to predict the
outcome of making a mistake in
the process
-Name the species to which they
belong and its predecessors as
well as the type of evidence used
to determine these facts
- Describe the process of genetic
sequencing

Student will be
assessed on these
learning outcomes by:
In-class quizzes and
activities, reading
questions, homework
problems and in-class
exams
In-class quizzes and
activities, reading
questions, homework
problems and in-class
exams
In-class quizzes and
activities, reading
questions, homework
problems and in-class
exams
In-class quizzes and
activities, reading
questions, homework
problems and in-class
exams
In-class quizzes and
activities, reading
questions, homework
problems and in-class
exams
In-class quizzes and
activities, reading
questions, homework
problems and in-class
exams

Course policies:
Attendance & Exams:
Attendance at all course sessions is required and necessary for your success in the
course. The activities during class are a crucial part of the learning experience and
lectures from each week build on the previous week. Repeated tardiness or absence
will be addressed on an individual basis and will detrimentally affect your grade.

If you know that you will be absent for any class sessions, please let me know ahead
of time if possible. Absences from regular class sessions will be handled on a case by
case basis. Absences for exams will be excused only with a doctors note stating you
were unable to take the exam. Your other exam scores will be averaged and
substituted for the missed exam. Makeup exams will not be given.

Quizzes, homeworks and other assignments will be treated in the same manner as
exams with the average of your other scores substituted for the missed work. No
quizzes, homeworks, or exams will be dropped.

Exam material will be taken from the book and from lectures. Not all material
covered in the exams is in the book so taking notes in class is important!

Classroom courtesy:
As a courtesy to all the members of our classroom community, please turn off your cell
phones and keep your side conversations to a minimum.

Laptops will be permitted to be used during class, but those found abusing this
privilege will no longer be allowed to have a laptop in class.

Preparation for Class:

Arrive on time and ready to participate and learn.

Arrive having read any assigned chapters and have any homework that is due ready to
turn in.

You should have with you: a pen and pencil (or two different colored pens), a
notebook, a calculator, and scrap or notebook paper for practice problems and
activities.

Readings & Homework:

Non-textbook readings will be posted ahead of time on the Blackboard website. If you
would like to have a copy with you during class, please bring a printed copy to class.

Readings on the syllabus should be completed ahead of time in order to fully

understand the lecture material. Reading questions will be posted to accompany most
readings. These questions should be answered online on Blackboard and turned
in by 5pm the day before the class session. They will count toward your final
grade.

Problem sets will be posted weekly (for most weeks) and are due the following week.
The homework will be handed in, but only be graded on a check+, check, check- scale
for effort and completeness. If you would like to work with others on your homework,
that is permitted. ON YOUR HANDED IN ASSIGNMENT, YOU MUST NOTE WHO
YOU WORKED WITH AND YOUR ANSWERS MUST BE YOUR OWN! The purpose
of the homework is for you to practice solving problems and to preview the types of
questions that are likely to be on an exam.

Quizzes:
Vocabulary and short-problem based quizzes lasting about 10 minutes will be given at
the beginning of class on the days noted below. Genetics is a language of its own and
learning it will make this course and future biology courses easier.

Extra credit:
There will be ONE extra credit assignment towards the end of the semester for those
interested. It can be used to increase your grade up to 5% depending on how well it
is completed. Details to come later in the semester.
Contacting Faculty:
The best way to contact me is by email. Unless it is a holiday, emails will generally be
answered within 24 hours. Please plan accordingly.
Blackboard:
Lectures, assignments, reading questions, review materials, announcements and
grades will all be posted on the Blackboard website for Biology 274. It is advisable
that you become comfortable with Blackboard and check the website daily.
Classroom community:
My philosophy as a teacher is that learning is an action verb and a dynamic process. It
requires students to actively contribute both inside the classroom and after class. Class
participation is part of your grade, but more importantly, it is an integrated part of the learning
process. Answering questions posed during lecture, voting in class poles, and energetically
being a member of groups in activities will reinforce your learning and help make the class
enjoyable for all participants.
Academic Honesty:
All dishonest conduct including: cheating on examinations, plagiarism and/or improper
acknowledgment of sources in essays or research papers, and the use of a single essay or
paper in more than one course without the permission of the instructor is unacceptable and
will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs as outlined in the Suffolk University Academic
Honesty Policy. Cheating, as defined above, on any assignment will result in a zero on
that assignment in addition to whatever other penalties are imposed by the University.
Grading:
Grades are non-negotiable. If you truly believe I have made a math error (and it happens)
please bring it to my attention and I will check my math. If you find yourself struggling, act
quickly as this class moves quickly! Your best resource is your peers and formation of study
groups is encouraged. Your tutors, Stephanie Laurer and Ashley Maceli are also important
resources. I am not on campus every day, but available if needed. Please feel free to come
to my office hours or contact me by email for an appointment. All course policy issues should
be addressed directly to faculty.
Reading questions
Homework
Quizzes
Class Attendance/ Participation
Exams x 3
Final
Extra Credit

5%
10%
10%
15%
15% EACH
15%
100%
+5%

Weekly Schedule:
This schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather, student needs, or unfortunate
emergency. Any changes will be announced in class and on the course website.

Tue

1/17/12 Syllabus and notecard distribution and in-class activity

Thu

1/19/12 Chromosomes, karyotypes & mitosis

Tue

1/24/12 Meiosis, ploidy & gametes

Thu

1/26/12 Rearrangements & Intro to Mendel

Ch. 2
Ch. 2 & 6
Ch. 6 & begin 3

Tue * 1/31/12 Mendels Peas, Punnetts, & Probabilities

Thu

2/2/12

Tue* 2/7/12

Ch. 3

Non-Mendelian Genetics & Probabilities II

Ch. 4

Human pedigrees

Ch. 3-5

Thu

2/9/12

Tue

2/14/12 Exam 1

Thu

2/16/12 Linkage, Crossing Over, and Mapping I

Ch. 7

Tue* 2/21/12 Linkage, Crossing Over, and Mapping II

Ch. 7

Thu

Review

2/23/12 Structure, Function, & Mutation of the DNA molecule

Tue* 2/28/12 Mutation, a molecular & phenotypic perspective

Thu

3/1/12

Population genetics: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

Ch. 9
Ch. 13
Ch. 23

Tue* 3/6/12

Review

Thu

3/8/12

Exam 2

Tue

3/15/12

NO CLASS SPRING BREAK

Thu

3/17/12

NO CLASS SPRING BREAK

Tue

3/20/12

The Cell Cycle & DNA repair I

Ch. 13, p.348-58

Thu

3/22/12

Replication of the DNA molecule

Ch. 10 p.220-38

Eukaryotic Replication/ Recombination

Ch. 10 p. 238-50

Tue* 3/27/12

Arrive to class having read:

Thu

3/29/12 Transcription I & Extra credit handed out

Tue* 4/3/12

Ch. 11 p.256-66

Transcription problems

Ch. 11 p.267-80

Thu

4/5/12

Tue

4/10/12 Exam 3

Thu

4/12/12 Intro to Proteins: Translation Initiation, Elongation & Termination

Review

Tue* 4/17/12 The Genetic Code and Genetic Sequencing

Ch. 12

Ch. 12 & Ch 15 p. 409-15

4/19/12 Modern genetics: Modifying the mouse genome

Primary Literature

Tue* 4/24/12 Evolution: The Origins of Homo sapiens sapiens

Ch. 24 p. 676-7

Thu

Thu

4/26/12 Review & Extra Credit due

Thu

5/3/12

* Quiz dates

Cumulative FINAL EXAM

1:00pm-2:50pm in Archer 503