BIOLOGY 301 - FALL 2007
GENERAL GENETICS

LECTURE: T/Th, 9:10-10:25, MMC6

DISCUSSION SECTIONS (VCLS 224 - computer lab):
Section 1: Wed., 9:10-10:25, Section 2: Wed, 12:00-1:15; Section 3: Wed, 4:15-5:30
URL:  http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/bishop/home-long.html. Click on Biol 301

Oct. 8: Nobel Prize awarded to scientists for development of gene targeting techniques.

Height Data

BRCA1 - New York Times article - what would you do if you have a mutant BRCA1?
New York Times Genetic Counseling article (from 9/18/07)

BLACKBOARD - You can view your grades on blackboard. Login with your network id and network id password.

Exam 1 Answers

Exam 2 Answers

Final Exam, answers on Bishop's part.

INSTRUCTORS:                                                                      
Dr. John Bishop

Dr. Tara Macey

CONTACT & OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE GOALS
This course will provide you with an overview of the two major branches of genetics, transmission genetics and molecular genetics, and an introduction to genomics. Our goal is for students to finish this class with the ability to understand the scientific underpinnings of modern issues in genetics, such as genetic engineering, genomics, crop breeding, cancer, and human genetic variation. Students will be prepared for more advanced coursework in genetics, evolution, and molecular biology.   This course satisfies prerequisite requirements for Zoo/Bot 405 (Evolution), MBios 360 (Cell and Molecular Laboratory), and MBios 401 (Cell Biology).

COURSE PREQUISITES
You MUST have completed WSU BIOL 106 and BIOL 107 or equivalent (Clark equivalents: BIOL 204, 205, & 206), AND Chemistry 105 and 106 or equivalent (Clark College equivalent: Chem 131, 132, and 133).

TEXBOOK
REQUIRED:   iGenetics, A Mendelian Approach by Peter J. Russell  REQUIRED: Fly-Lab subscription; OPTIONAL: Flylab Student Manual.

You can buy a FlyLab subscription online with a credit card. Go to http://www.biologylabsonline.com and click on Buy Now, and you'll have the online access right away. The cost is $7.00. Once you're subscribed, you can print the Flylab Student Manual (When you're logged into flylab, its "Background Information", "Introduction", and "Assignments" on the left sidebar. The abbreviations list is handy too.).

LAPTOPS IN LECTURE. Laptops are allowed in lecture as long as they do not become a distraction to the learning environment. TWO CAUTIONS: 1) The internet and IMing are like visual heroin - most of us are addicted, and if they are present, we will use them even when we should be doing something important. I suggest that most of you will do better if you keep your laptops shut and turn off your phones. Let's face it, its difficult to pay attention for 1:15 even to an exciting lecture, and if you slip over to email or surfing, you might as well not come to lecture. You should be aware that there is actually research indicating that students have less retention of typed material. 2) If laptop users become a distraction to me or others in the class, I will change the policy.

FORMAT
Reading: You must read the assigned reading BEFORE you come to lecture.  I will call on individual students to answer questions from reading, and will also employ unannounced quizzes. Lectures will not attempt to comprehensively cover or faithfully follow the readings.  Rather, they will focus on  concepts and details that are most important or difficult to understand. 

Problem solving is an essential part of this course.  The most important thing you can do in this class is to work the recommended problems. These problems will show up again on quizzes and similar problems will be on exams. Do not cram! Instead, spend time every day working genetics problems.  Learning and retention of material is far greater this way than by cramming.

Discussion section is mandatory and important. During this time we will focus on problem solving. Quizzes will be administered in discussion section.You must attend the discussion section in which you are enrolled.

Homework must be handed in at the beginning of the discussion section. The following penalties apply for handing in late homework: 0-2 hrs late: 33% off. By 5pm same day: 50% off. After 5pm: No credit.

Academic honesty. When a student enrolls in Washington State University, the student assumes an obligation to pursue academic endeavors in a manner consistent with the standards of academic integrity adopted by the University. To maintain the academic integrity of the community, the University cannot tolerate acts of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, falsification, fabrication, multiple submission, plagiarism**, abuse of academic materials, complicity, or misconduct in research.

Assignments completed outside of class MUST be your own work. Although some assignments may require cooperative work, the answers you turn in should still be your own. Academic dishonesty including copying and plagiarism** are serious offenses which will be reported to Student Services and entered into your permanent record. The policy of the College of Science is that anyone caught cheating will be given a grade of F for the entire course. A letter documenting the incident will be written to the Dean of the College and the Vice President for StudentAffairs. Two such offenses may result in expulsion from the University. Consult the WSU Student Handbook for further details.

You should be aware that text copied from web pages is particularly easy for us to trace and we usually can recognize when a student's writing is not his/her own. When using these information sources employ these strategies: 1) paraphrase what you read; 2) quote short sections, and 3) provide full references for quotes or for ideas that aren't yours.

Disability Accommodation:  Accommodations may be available if you need them in order to fully participate in this class because of a disability. Accommodations may take some time to implement so it is critical that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible.  All accommodations must be approved through Disability Services, located in the Student Resource Center on the Lower Level of VSSC.  (360) 546-9138

GRADING
Your grade will be based on homework assignments, approximately seven quizzes, 3 in-class exams, and a final exam. About 50% of the final exam will be cumulative. The lowest scoring quiz will be dropped when calculating the Quiz grade for the class. Quizzes CANNOT be made up. Participation includes being prepared to answer questions during lecture. NOTE: The exact weighting of exams and weighting and number of quizzes, and other evaluation tools may be changed slightly. I will endeavor to keep in you informed of any changes.

Grades will be awarded on an absolute scale. In other words, we will not hesitate to give everyone an A if their percent score is high enough.   The following table shows how grades are scaled. You are responsible for keeping track of how you are doing in the class.

SCHEDULE
Check here frequently for syllabus changes and updates on readings and homework problems!

LINKS
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).  Go here for Medline (bibliographic database), Human Genome Project information, Bioinformatics, and DNA, Protein, and Structural databases.

UCSC Genome Bioinformatics Site

Glossary of genetic terms

FlyLab