Subject to some change during the course of the semester. Under certain circumstances, the instructor may have to alter course requirements, assignment deadlines, and grading procedures; and the university may have to alter the semester calendar.
Meetings: | MWF 9-9:50am, location WAL-4480 |
Recitation | Wednesday 8-8:50am, location WAL-4480 |
Credits | 3 |
Optional text | Essential Genetics, 7th ed, by Hartl and Jones |
iClicker will be required. | |
Instructor: | Michael Osier |
Office: | 08-1338 |
Schedule | |
Contact: | mvoscl@rit.edu |
Mon lecture |
Wed recitation |
Wed lecture |
Fri lecture |
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Week 1 - Jan 13 | Introduction; Why study genetics? | Phenotypic Variation | Mendel and Darwin (Chapter 2.1-2.6; Chapter 15.1-15.2, look over OMIM) | Quiz 1 | Genome structures; Organization of the Chromosome; Mitosis and Meiosis (Chapters 3.1-3.5, 6.1-6.5, 12.1-12.6) | |||||
Week 2 - Jan 20 | No class | CoT in the Act by Dr. Rothman | Mutation and Repair; Eukaryotic gene structure (Chapters 3.1-3.5, 6.1-6.5, 12.1-12.6) | Polymorphism; Model organisms | ||||||
Week 3 - Jan 27 | Quiz 2 | Sex-linked inheritance; Sex determination and the Lyons hypothesis (Chapters 3.6, 5.1-5.2) | Activity: sex-linked Drosophila phenotypes, Exam review | Trancription, splicing, and translation (Chapter 8) | ||||||
Week 4 - Feb 3 | Exam 1: short answer | Online activity this week - NIH Genetic Testing Registry | Exam 1: problem solving | Prokaryotic gene expression (Chapter 9.1-9.3) | ||||||
Week 5 - Feb 10 | Quiz 3 | Mapping prokaryotic genes (Chapter 7.1-7.5) | Exam 1 followup | Mapping prokaryotic genes (Chapter 7.1-7.5); Eukaryotic gene expression (Chapter 9.4-9.7) | ||||||
Week 6 - Feb 17 | Quiz 4 | Independent assortment (Chapter 2.3-2.4, 3.7 [just Chi-square Goodness-of-Fit], Chapter 4.1-4.2) | Parada et al., 2002 | Independent assortment (Chapter 2.3-2.4, 3.7 [just Chi-square Goodness-of-Fit], Chapter 4.1-4.2) | ||||||
Week 7 - Feb 24 | Quiz 5 | Tetrad analysis (4.5 [not including section on Gene Conversion]) | Exam review | Linkage (Chapter 4.1-4.2, 4.5 [not including section on Gene Conversion]) | ||||||
Week 8 - Mar 3 | Exam 2: short answer | Online activity this week - Prokaryotic mapping practice worksheet | Exam 2: problem solving | Exam 2 followup | ||||||
Week 9 - Mar 10 | Spring Break | |||||||||
Week 10 - Mar 18 | Segregration analysis (Chapter 2.5, 5.1-5.3, 4.1-4.3) | Mid-semester review | Eukaryotic gene mapping; Karyotype analysis (Chapters 5.1-5.3, 4.1-4.3) | Quantitative genetics (Chapters 15.1-15.2, 15.4-15.5) | ||||||
Week 11 - Mar 24 | Quiz 6 | Introduction to Population Genetics: Random mating, non-random mating, and HWE (Chapters 14.2-14.3, 14.9) | Activity: Forensics and HWE | |||||||
Week 12 - Mar 31 | Quiz 7 | Activity: Random genetic drift (Chapters 14.2-14.3, 14.9); Random Genetic Drift (Chapters 14.2-14.3, 14.9) | Patsalis et al. paper; Xu et al. paper | Exam review | HWE and selection (Chapters 14.2-14.3, 14.9) | |||||
Week 13 - Apr 7 | Exam 3: short answer | Open review session | Exam 3: problem solving | Exam 3 followup | ||||||
Week 14 - Apr 14 | Quiz 8 | Complementation (pp 17-19 for Complementation) | Spreadsheets and Selection | Activity: Epistasis; Pleiotropy and Penetrance and Phenocopies, oh my! (Chapter 2.6-2.7) | ||||||
Week 15 - Apr 21 | Quiz 9 | Catchup, open course review | Lyons, Cox, and Dancis paper | Activity: Doing the pathway shuffle (Genetics board game) | Exam review | |||||
Week 16 - Apr 28 | open course review | Exam week |
Quizzes (2 points each x 9) | 18% |
Participation | 12% |
Exam 1 | 14% |
Exam 2 | 18% |
Exam 3 | 18% |
Final Exam | 20% |
Total | 100% |
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If your final exam grade is higher than your average for the first three exams, your final exam grade will replace your lowest grade in Exams 1 through 3. So if you earn 90% on your final, and your exam average was 83%, and your lowest grade was a 70%, the 90% will replace the 70%, plus you get a 90% on the final.
A | [95-100] |
A- | [90-95) |
B+ | [86.7-90) |
B | [83.4-86.7) |
B- | [80-83.4) |
C+ | [76.7-80) |
C | [73.4-76.7) |
C- | [70-73.4) |
D | [60-70) |
F | <60 |
Participation will be determined based upon a combination of factors, including but not limited to, attending sessions on time, participating in all iClicker questions for the day, and properly following any relevant RIT policies.
I will be using iClicker to make our class time more engaging. This will help me understand what you know, give everyone a chance to participate, and increase how much you learn in class. This will also provide you with feedback on how well you are comprehending course concepts, and help you master challenging concepts.
You are required to participate with the iClicker student app on a smartphone, tablet or laptop in a timely fashion. It is also your responsibility to regularly check your iClicker records for any discrepancies.
You can use an existing iClicker account if you have one...please do not create a new account if you already have one. If you do not have an account yet, you can create a new iClicker account using the instructions here. There is a fee for using the iClicker service. Subscriptions can be purchased within the app.
Next, you can add our course per the instructions here. The course will be under "Biology" and named "BIOL-321 Genetics 2025" for the Spring 2025 semester.
The below homework questions are not required, but may be reflective of some questions on quizzes and exams. With the exception of dates without assigned problems, for every completed homework assignment submitted on paper in handwriting before the start of the following week (e.g. Homework for Week 1 due before class on Monday of Week 2), students will earn 1/2 bonus point toward their final grade. No late submissions will be accepted for bonus points. Feedback will be given as quickly as possible.
All numbers below are Concepts in Action problems from the end of the corresponding chapter. "2.1" corresponds to Chapter 2, first Concept in Action problem. All even numbered problems have answers in the back of the text. Problems from outside the textbook may also be indicated.
Week Assigned | Week Due | Assignment |
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1 | 2 | 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.16, 2.20; Search OMIM for a disease of interest to you...in no more than one-half page, describe what is known about the genetics of this human trait. |
2 | 3 | 3.2, 3.8, 6.4, 6.6, 6.8, 6.10 |
3 | 4 | 2.18, 3.10, 3.12, 5.4, 5.6, 5.8, 8.2, 8.6, 8.8, 8.14, 8.20, 12.2, 12.6, 12.8, 12.12, 12.16 |
4 | 5 | 9.2, 9.16, 9.18 |
5 | 6 | 9.6, 7.10, 7.11, 7.14, 7.18, 7.20 |
6 | 7 | 3.16, 3.18 |
7 | 8 | Exam review packet |
8 | 10 | 4.2, 4.6, 4.8, 4.10 |
9 | N/A | None |
10 | 11 | 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.21, 4.20 a & b, 5.12 |
11 | 12 | 14.2, 14.4, 14.6, 14.8, 14.10, 14.12 |
12 | 13 | Exam review packet |
13 | 14 | HWE Worksheet in myCourses - Submit to myCourses Assignment box by Week 14 Friday |
14 | 15 | 2.12, 2.14, 2.17, 4.13, 4.16, 4.20 (a and b), 15.2, 15.4, 15.10, 15.12, 15.20 |
15* | 16* | 2.3, 2.11, 2.15, 4.17, 9.13, 9.20, 12.9, 12.11, 14.9, 14.17, 2.13, 4.11 a-d, 4.14, 4.19, 9.15, 12.17, 14.11, 14.13, 14.15, 15.5 |
No electronics except for a calculator. The calculator must not be a graphing or programmable calculator. No caps or hats.
Quizzes will take place during the first ten minutes of class time. Exams will take the full assigned session and you may leave when finished.
There will be one makeup for any exam or quiz, on a date and time to be determined by the instructor. Please email the instructor as soon as possible if you are unable to make an exam or quiz.
Unless written permission is granted by the faculty member, or a specific accommodation has been approved by the Disability Services Office, students are prohibited from recording lectures or presentations.
Supporting information
Contents last updated 10/31/24