Course Syllabus
MB101: The Science and Ethics of Genetics
Block 5, 2016 9:00 -11:30 Afternoon class on Wednesdays at 1:00 PM (movie or discussion)
Text: Human Genetics 11th edition (Riki Lewis) Special Revised Text
Readings: Several selected articles available on CANVAS or as handouts
Instructor: Ralph Bertrand, Room: Barnes 432, Office phone: x6402
Objectives: to learn some of the basic principles of classical and molecular genetics to be able to develop an informed opinion on genetic issues. Discuss the impact of genetics from philosophical, social, medical, legal, and biological perspectives.
Class Environment: You will receive science credit for this class and as a result we will cover basic genetics before discussing the ethical issues. The genetics coverage is so you can create an informed opinion, on the various topics. I expect that each student will present their own viewpoint and that the class will respect all viewpoints. If the class begins to be swayed in one direction I will interject an alternative viewpoint regardless of how unpleasant it might seem. If you feel you cannot deal with extreme viewpoints this may not be the class for you. Genetics is very controversial from a variety of perspectives and I am not aware of your particular situation (if your family has a genetic disease, your religious background or beliefs, your socioeconomic background, etc.), so the class and I will present views that may not be to your liking, but there are people that have differing views and we are here to discuss them. The viewpoints I present may not be my own and we are here for you to develop your own viewpoint not for me to sway you to my viewpoint.
All students need to participate in the discussions and if only a few begin to participate I will start to call on individuals for their opinion.
Classroom Etiquette: No computers or i-pads in class unless you have a note from the Dean or from Disability Services saying that you require a computer or i-pad to take notes. Cell phones must be off at all times. Texting in class will force me to remove your phone in front of the class or dismiss you from the class whichever you prefer. Be on time to class. Class will start everyday at 9:00AM according to the clock in the classroom.
Assignments:
1) Selected Readings: should be read in the order in which they are listed. You will be responsible for knowing the basic concepts of each article. The articles are available on CANVAS (in the files section) or as handouts in class. You will be expected to have read the assigned article and be prepared to discuss it. If you have not read the article (as assessed by your responses to questions) you will be asked to return in the afternoon for a one-on-one discussion in my office. There are 8 additional readings to the ones listed but you will not be responsible for them.
2) Movies: There will be several films shown during the course. These will be shown during the morning or afternoon. Afternoon films will typically begin at 1:00 PM on Wednesdays and last about 1-1.5 hours. For longer films, we may begin the film in the morning. There will be a brief discussion after each film and you will be responsible for the contents of the film on the exam.
3) Problems: Review Questions and Applied Questions can be found at the end of each chapter. You should go through these questions once we have covered the material. The homework is for your own benefit and will not be graded. Answers to all questions in the book can be found on CANVAS.
4) Lecture: The lecture and discussion will follow the outline presented in the syllabus.
5) Paper: You will be responsible for writing a paper on bioethics. The paper should be based on research and/or philosophical writings that are no more than 1 year old. The possible topics for your paper are: a) consequences and implications of genetic testing, and genetic profiling, b) Effects of genetic manipulation/modification on human evolution, c) recent bioethical issues [forensic analysis, intelligent design, stem cell research, genetically modified organisms, biological warfare, etc.. You will need to sign up for one of these topics by FRIDAY of the first week. No more than 3 students per topic. You can work together but each student must have their own paper and write on a separate article. Check to see there are articles of interest on the first day so you can sign up early. You will not be allowed to change your mind after Friday.
6) Exams: Exams will consist of essay questions, problem solving, definitions and thought questions from the selected readings, movies, and lecture. You can access prior exams online by going to CANVAS. Exams will be on the second Monday, Third Tuesday, and last Wednesday of the block.
7) Final Grades: The college defines grades in the following way: A excellent work, demonstrates a superior understanding, insight, creativity or skill in the field; B good work, reflects a high level of understanding, insight, creativity, or skill in the field; C adequate work indicating a readiness to continue study in the field; D marginal work raising serious questions about readiness to continue in the field; NC inadequate work, unworthy of credit. Your grade is based on your understanding of the material not your perceived effort.
The final grade will be determined by the following percentage: Exams 85%, 5% Class discussion on readings, and 10% for bioethics paper.
A= 100-95%, A-=94-90%, B+=89-87%, B=86-83%, B-=82-80, C+=79-77%, C=76-73%, C-=72-69%, D+ = 68-65%, D= 65-60%, No Credit below 60%
Pass – Credit – No Credit track, you must get 70% or higher to pass and 65% to get credit.
Readings
Title Date to Read Source
The Scope and Importance of Bioethics 1/18 handout
Why We Have Free Will 1/19 Canvas
The World Without Free Will 1/19 Canvas
Risk of Exposure 1/21 Canvas
Trust Me, I’m a Medical Researcher 1/22 Canvas
A New Kind of Inheritance 1/25 Canvas
Lifting the Curse of Alzheimer’s 1/27 Canvas
Disease Detector 1/29 Canvas
Forests on the March 2/1 Canvas
Virus Therapy for Cancer 2/3 Canvas
Genomics for the People 2/5 Canvas
Movies
And the band played on, The ghost in your genes, Harvest of fear, The Vaccine War, Mimic
P
Problems
Chapter # Review questions Applied Questions
1 6 2
2 1, 6 1, 2, 8, 9
3 1, 4, 6 1, 4, 5
21 1, 7, 8 3, 8, 11, 17
4 1, 8, 11 5, 6, 8
5 1, 4, 11 3, 9
6 3, 8, 11 3, 5
7 1, 3, 12 2, 4, 9
8 2 3, 6, 9
9 1, 7, 12 1, 3, 8
10 1, 2, 5, 11 1, 2, 4, 6
11 1, 14 4
12 1, 2, 8 2, 4
13 5, 8, 9, 18 1, 6
19 3, 5, 6, 9 3, 5, 6, 7
20 2, 3, 5, 7 1, 4, 6, 7
14 2, 5, 8, 11 4
Lecture Outline (flexible!!)
Day Topic Reading
1st Mon. Course Introduction – Critical Thinking and Point of View Handouts (critical thinking,
Western philosophy and ethics Harris, western philosophy)
Introduction to human genetics (Central dogma) Lewis Chap. 1
1st Tues. The scope and importance of bioethics (Harris)
Basic structure and function of cells Lewis Chap. 2
Embryo Ethics, Zygote and Clonote Sandel, McHugh (PROWL)
1st Wed. Reproduction and development Lewis Chap. 3 (44-60)
Reproductive Technologies Lewis Chap. 21
Movie ABC news clip
1st Thur. Mendelian genetics and exceptions Lewis Chap. 4
The genetics of sex in humans Lewis Chap. 5 (89-105)
Lewis Chap. 6
A glimpse of things to come Silver
1st Fri. Inheritance of complex traits Lewis Chap. 7 (131-143)
Genetics and behavior Lewis Chap. 8 (149-154)
2nd Mon. Exam 1
2nd Tues. DNA structure and replication Lewis Chap. 9 (169-175)
Gene function and expression Lewis Chap. 10, 11 (205-208)
2nd Wed. Gene mutations Lewis Chap. 12 (219-225)
Chromosomes and chromosome abnormalities Lewis Chap. 13
Movie: The ghost in your genes
2nd Thur. Genetic engineering (modified organisms)
Genetics in agriculture Lewis Chap. 19
The case against perfection Sandel
Movie: Harvest of Fear
2nd Fri. Genetics in the biomedical community
(Gene therapy and genetic counseling, Genetic Malady) Lewis Chap. 20
Bioinformatics exercise using amino acids PROWL
Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis (2 articles) Kass and Purdy
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/evolution/Human_Adaptation/01.html (sickle cell)
3rd Mon. Eliminating the weak
Morality in scientific research
Bioinformatics Exercise due
3rd Tues. Exam 2
The wisdom of repugnance Kass
New worries about prejudice Harmon
3rd Wed. Eugenics in modern society Handout (Lindee & Nelkin)
Vaccine Wars
3rd Thur. DNA in the legal system
Do genes cause violent behavior?
(Population genetics, genetic basis for criminality) Lewis Chap. 14 (260-271)
The crime gene (6 articles for Friday discussion) Reilly, Kaebnick, Walker and
MAO articles
3rd Fri. Movie: And the Band Played On
4th Mon. Genetics and Religion, Genetics and ethnicity, biological warfare
Mistrust or misunderstanding of science
4th Tues. Discussion of several genetics cases
4th Wed. Exam 3 - due by 11:45 AM
Learning Goals for MB101
Cells
- Recognize the components of a cell
- Describe the function of each component of a cell
- Postulate why organelles are needed
- List the three types of major macromolecules of life and how they contribute to the design of a cell
- Discriminate between somatic and germ cells
Molecular Genetics
- Explain the “central dogma” of DNA to RNA to protein
- Explain the relationship between DNA, genes, and chromosomes
- Explain how DNA replication occurs
- Explain how the genetic code is non-overlapping yet redundant
- Interpret how mutations might affect protein levels or protein structure
Mitosis
- Describe the basic principle of mitosis
- Follow genetic material through mitosis
- Distinguish chromosomes, replicated chromosomes, and sister chromatids during mitosis
- Describe the cell cycle
Meiosis
- Describe how gametes are formed
- Compare and contrast the two phases of meiosis
- Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis
- Justify the importance of crossing over
- Predict the possible outcomes of meiotic errors
- Postulate why meiosis occurs
Stem Cells
- Define stem cell
- Describe how stem cells are important in the human body
- Explain the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells
- Explain how stem cells can be used in medical science
Basic Genetics
- Define and use correctly the terms: homozygous, heterozygous, dominant and recessive
- Describe the basic principles of segregation and independent assortment
- Calculate the probability of inheritance of particular traits
- Construct a pedigree from given information/interpret a given pedigree
- Contrast autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked modes of inheritance
- Determine the mode of inheritance based on pedigree information
- Provide several reasons why a given genotype does not always result in the same phenotype
- Define and contrast expressivity and penetrance
Mutations
- Interpret the consequences of different types of mutations: nonsense, missense, insertion, deletion, promoter mutations etc.
- Give examples of how DNA can acquire a mutation
- Explain the different significances of somatic and germline mutations
- Discuss chromosome structure and how chromosomal abnormalities impact human health and heritability
DNA technology
- Describe how PCR works and how it is useful
- Interpret the results of a DNA electrophoresis gel
- Explain the significance of variable regions in DNA
- Explain how STRs, VNTRs, mtDNA, and SNPs, are useful tools of DNA technology
Transgenics and Cloning
- Design a transgenic animal/plant (conceptually)
- Describe the differences between a clone and “mother organism”
- Justify reasons for using therapeutic cloning vs. reproductive cloning
- Discuss the role of telomeres/telomerase with respect to somatic vs germ cells, ageing, and cloning
Gene Therapy
- Explain how gene therapy works
- Describe the characteristics of a disease that is a good candidate for gene therapy
- Compare different kinds of gene therapy methods
- Assess the risk/benefit of gene therapy for individuals and for the population as a whole
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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