Biology 210: Principles of Genetics

Summer 2018 Course Syllabus

Course and Instructor Information

Meeting times: Lecture: M, T, W, Th 9:00-11:0 Sci A208
Final Exam: Thursday, July 5, 9:00am-11:00am

Professor: Dr. Matt Rogge Office hours: By appointment

Office: TNR 435
Phone: 346-2506
Email: mrogge@uwsp.edu

Course Description Genetics is the study of how physical traits are inherited and the chemical structures that
influence those traits. Genetics is increasingly important in all biological fields. It is important that students in
any biologically-related field have a fundamental understanding of how physical and physiological traits are
determined and passed to the next generation, as it is likely that they will encounter this at some point in their
career. In this class, you will study DNA as the genetic material of all organisms, how it is replicated and
transferred, how it controls phenotypic traits of organisms, and how changes in the DNA sequence result in
variation within populations of species, ultimately leading to evolutionary change.

Course objective Describe the basic principles of inheritance at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and
population levels.

Course learning outcomes

1. Explain the basic principles of how genetic material is arranged and transmitted
2. Describe how a change in genetic material influences function
3. Apply knowledge of genetic material to its manipulation
4. Relate population genetics to evolution
5. Articulate the importance of genetics to societal, medical, and personal issues

What you should acquire from this class

Students will understand that…
• The physical and physiological traits exhibited by an organism are a product of the genetic
information found within the organism
• Genetic information is passed from parent to offspring, and the inherited traits can be predicted
• The genetic information can change, leading to modified physical or physiological traits, which is
the basis for variation, adaptation, and evolution

Course Learning outcomes

Knowledge:
Students will…
• Describe the central dogma of molecular biology
• Describe the chemical and structural characteristics of DNA, RNA, proteins, and chromosomes
• Explain how genetic information changes, leading to variation within a population and adaptation
and evolution of a species
• Explain similarities and differences in mitosis and meiosis
• Describe how traits are passed from parents to offspring
Skills:
Students will…
• Identify important sequences related to gene expression
• Determine the amino acid sequence of a protein from its DNA sequence
 • Predict the outcomes of genetic crosses when parental genotypes or phenotypes are known
• Use chi-square to determine if expected outcomes match predicted outcomes
• Use the Hardy-Weinberg equation to determine genotype frequencies in a population
Dispositions:
Students will…
• Recognize the relatively simple nature of the genetic code, and how changes over time can lead to
complex organisms
• Critically analyze the advantages and disadvantages of genetic manipulation
• Appreciate that physical variation observed in the members of a population is attributed to subtle
differences in the individuals’ genetic makeup

Required Texts
Brooker, R. J. Genetics: Analysis and Principles, 6th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, New York. Available
from text rental.

Attendance
Attendance in lecture is required to ensure exposure to all material covered in class, but no formal attendance
will be taken. Attendance at scheduled exam times is REQUIRED. Make-up exams will only be administered
in the event of illness or emergency, which will also require documentation. If you are aware ahead of time of a
conflict with an exam period, a meeting with the professor is required at least a week in advance of the exam to
discuss the situation, and rescheduling may occur at the PROFESSOR’S discretion.

Grading
Exams: 300 pts
There will be four exams during the summer (50 points each) and one final during the last day of class (100
points). The material throughout the summer builds upon itself, so each exam will have cumulative ideas
related to material covered on previous exams. In other words, view the summer continuously, not as five units
broken up by exams. Prepare accordingly. The exams will be short answer, diagramming, multiple choice, fill
in the blank, and matching. The only acceptable excuses for missing an exam are a death in the family, violent
illness, or accident, and written evidence of some kind will be required in order to make up a missed exam. NO
EXCEPTIONS. If a makeup exam is allowed, the makeup exam format may differ from the original exam. If
you have a conflict with the exam, see me at least a week before the scheduled exam to schedule an alternate
time. If you do not inform me at least a week in advance, you risk not being able to schedule an alternate time.
The Final Exam will be worth 100 points, with 50 points coming from the last material covered and 50 points
of cumulative semester material.

Total Class Points: 300

If you feel an error has been made in grading, you have 48 hours from the time you receive the graded
assignment to contact the professor with your reasoning. The student will meet with the professor to discuss the
grading, and the exam will be re-graded and returned.

Grades will be calculated by dividing the total points received by the total points possible and multiplied by
100. The following scale will be used to assign a final grade.
93 to 100% A 67 to 69% D+
90 to 92% A- 60 to 66% D
87 to 89% B+ <60% F
83 to 86% B
80 to 82% B-
77 to 79% C+
73 to 76% C
70 to 72% C-
ROUNDING: Percentages with a decimal value of xx.50 or higher will be rounded up to the next whole
percentage (e.g., 89.500%  90%). Percentages with a decimal value less than xx.50 will be rounded down to
the next whole percentage (e.g., 89.49999999%  89%). NO EXCEPTIONS.
Future Letters of Recommendation and References
In the future, you may need a former professor to write a letter of recommendation or be a reference for your
employment application, application for graduate school, awards and scholarships, or other future endeavors. If
you decide that you want to ask me to be a reference for you, you need to consider what you have provided for
me to write or talk about. Were you an average, above-average, or excellent student? Were you engaged in class
and excited about the material? Am I familiar with you outside of class and your goals for your life and career?
Have you separated yourself from other students I have had in terms of interest, motivation, or academic
success? What am I going to be able to say about you to convince someone else that you are better than other
applicants? Furthermore, have you exhibited any negative characteristics that I might mention in my letter? The
information I give reflects my honesty, and I will not give false or misleading information, because that may
affect my ability to vouch for future students. Serving as a reference in no way guarantees that the reference will
be a positive one. You need to consider these things for any person you hope to be a reference, not just me.

If you do ask me to be a reference or write a letter, I require the request to be in writing and an in-person
meeting scheduled to discuss the position(s) for which you are applying. Before I give a recommendation, I
require a current CV and/or transcript, copies of or links to forms I need to fill out, and all necessary contact
information (names, addresses, phone numbers) required for me to submit the recommendation. Finally, I
require these materials be delivered a minimum of two weeks before a recommendation is due. If any of these
criteria are not met, I will not have time, nor will I be well enough informed to write a letter.

Expectations
You are responsible for attending lecture in order to ensure exposure to all the material covered. You are
responsible for asking questions for clarification of topics that you do not fully understand. I am more than
willing and happy to meet with you outside of class to further explain any topics. You can stop by during office
hours or call/email/see me after class to set up an appointment outside of office hours. If there is any way I can
assist you in this class, do not hesitate to ask, and I will do my best to help.

UWSP values a safe, honest, respectful, and inviting learning environment. In order to ensure that each student
has the opportunity to succeed, we have developed a set of expectations for all students and instructors. This set
of expectations is known as the Rights and Responsibilities document, and it is intended to help establish a
positive living and learning environment at UWSP.

Academic integrity is central to the mission of higher education in general and UWSP in particular. Academic
dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) is taken very seriously. Don’t do it! The minimum penalty for a violation
of academic integrity is a failure (zero) for the assignment. For more information, see the UWSP “Student
Academic Standards and Disciplinary Procedures” section of the Rights and Responsibilities document, Chapter
14.

How to be successful in this class

• Show up for all scheduled lectures.
• Look at the material you anticipate will be covered in class before you arrive to class.
• Develop good note-taking skills. Do not try to write down everything that is said. Sort through the
information and make note of the important ideas and concepts being discussed.
• Reading and processing the information is the first step in learning the information. Learn to take notes
with abbreviations so that you can spend enough time listening in addition to writing. Leave space in your
notes so that you can go back and fill in more details later on.
 • Be engaged in class. Process the information and put it in your own words. Answer questions when asked,
even if you answer it in your head. If your answer is incorrect or lacking, make notes as to why.
• Do not study for exams. Studying that way promotes memorization, not understanding. Instead, study for
learning and understanding.
• Do not try to memorize definitions. I will never ask you to define something. You will, however, need to
know what words mean in order to understand the questions I am asking on exams.
• Study frequently. Repetition is the key to learning any topic. Studying for 40 hours over the span of four
weeks will be much more beneficial than studying for 40 hours the weekend before the exam.
• After you have studied and know some or most of the material, meet with other students in the class and
actively discuss the information. Explain mechanisms, theories, concepts, etc to other students. The other
students can help you fill in areas where you are deficient. You will find that explaining these things to
someone else is one of the best ways to ensure you know and understand the information. Then have
another student explain a different idea or concept, and help them identify areas in which they are
deficient.
• Begin studying your notes beginning with “big picture” ideas. Find the bigger concepts and make sure you
have a basic understanding of those ideas. Once those bigger concepts are understood, add additional
details relating to those ideas. By doing this, you construct “compartments” in your mind to store the
details rather than simply trying to absorb all the details and hoping that they arrange themselves into a
coherent idea. Ultimately, the difference between an A, a B, and a C is the level of detail that you know,
but you should begin by focusing on the bigger picture.
• The level of detail that you will be required to know is the level of detail that I cover in lectures. The book
has much more detailed information, which may help you better understand the material I cover, but I will
not ask about the details I do not cover.
• When you do not understand something, LOOK IN THE TEXTBOOK! The book can give more detailed
explanations and images that may help you better understand the material. Alternatively, use the internet.
You have a wealth of information at your fingertips, use it!
• When your notes do not make sense and the book does not help, schedule an appointment with me. I am
here to help you learn. I do not expect you to be a geneticist before taking the class. I understand that
much of this material is new to you, and one or two lectures may not be enough for you to fully grasp the
concepts. Do not be too stubborn to ask for help or you will risk falling behind.
• When answering questions on exams, be sure you answer them clearly. You should not expect me to
interpret vague answers in your favor. Your ability to explain something clearly is related to your
knowledge of the subject. If answers are not clear or direct, my interpretation is that you do not understand
that topic very well.
• When I ask you to explain something, the answer should not be a one or two-word answer. A good
explanation will incorporate answers to the following questions:
o “What is happening?”
o “Why is it happening?”
o “How it is happening?”
o Remember WHAT, WHY, and HOW.
• Watch the following YouTube videos. The first is an hour-long lecture from psychology professor
discussing how to study. The second is a 6 minute summary of the longer video.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlU-zDU6aQ0
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Xqu0jXlfs

Access for all Students

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law requiring educational institutions to provide
reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. For more information about UWSP’s policies, visit:
http://www.uwsp.edu/stuaffairs/Documents/RightsRespons/ADA/rightsADAPolicyInfo.pdf
If you have a disability and require classroom and/or exam accommodations, please register with the Disability
and Assistive Technology Center and then contact me AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE. I am
happy to help in any way that I can, but you need to be registered. For more information, please visit the
Disability and Assistive Technology Center, located on the 6th floor of the Learning Resource Center (the
Library). You can also find more information here: http://www4.uwsp.edu/special/disability/

Use of electronics during class

Please turn off/mute/set to vibrate any electronic devices that could interrupt class (lab or lecture) before class
begins. If it is a personal emergency, feel free to excuse yourself from the class and communicate outside of the
classroom

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (Subject to change)

Week Date Topic Chapter(s)
May 28 MEMORIAL DAY – NO CLASS
May 29 Syllabus, Intro to Genetics, and DNA Structure 1/9
1
May 30 DNA Structure and Chromosome Organization 9/10
May 31 DNA Replication 11
June 4 Transcription 12
June 5 Translation 13
2
June 6 Regulation of Prokaryotic Genes 14
June 7 Regulation of Eukaryotic Genes and EXAM 1 15
June 11 DNA Mutation and Repair 19
June 12 DNA Recombination 20
3
June 13 Mitosis and Meiosis 3
June 14 Mitosis and Meiosis and EXAM 2 3
June 18 Chromosome Structure and Number and Mendelian Inheritance 8/2
June 19 Chi Square and Pedigree Analysis and Inheritance Patterns and Sex-Linked Traits 2/4
4
June 20 Inheritance Patterns and Sex-Linked Traits and Non-Mendelian Inheritance 4/5
June 21 Genetic Linkage and EXAM 3
June 25 Genetic Linkage 5/6
June 26 Genetic Linkage/Population Genetics 6/27
5
June 27 Population Genetics 27
June 28 Molecular Technologies and EXAM 4 21
July 2 Molecular Technologies and Biotechnology 21/22
July 3 Biotechnology and Genetics of Cancer 22/25
6
July 4 NO CLASS – 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY
July 5 FINAL EXAM