BIOLOGY 222: Principles of Genetics, Fall 2016
Section 01: MWF (8:30-9:20 am); Fraser 202A
Section 02: MWF (9:30-10:20 am); Fraser 202A
Prerequisites: Biology 117*, Biology 119*, Math 112 or Math 221, Chemistry 211 or
Chemistry 223 (Chemistry can be taken as a co-requisite)
*If biology students have a D or below in Biology 117 and Biology 119, they will
be deregistered
Instructor
Dr. Betsy Hutchison
Office: ISC 359
Phone: 585-245-5038
email:
Office hours: Tues (9:30-10:30), Wed (10:30-11:30), Thurs (9:30-10:30), or by
appointment
Course Description
Principles of Genetics will provide students with a broad genetics background, and will
cover topics ranging from understanding the flow of genetic information within single-
celled organisms to how genes and gene products function within multicellular
organisms.
Overall Course Learning objectives
*Students will be able to define basic genetics terms, and use these terms to explain
fundamental concepts in genetics related to: nucleic acid structure, the central dogma,
gene regulation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, transmission genetics, and molecular
genetics.
*Students will be able to describe specific examples of how advances in our
understanding of genetics and molecular biology have impacted society
*Students will gain experience analyzing and interpreting data from genetics
experiments, both from historical experiments and current genetics methods. In addition,
students will be able to explain how model organisms are used to understand genetics
principles, providing specific examples.
Required Textbook
Genetics: Analysis and Principles (5th Ed) (McGraw Hill, ISBN 0-07-352534-0) by
Robert J. Brooker. This text is available in the bookstore. Please note: if you’d like to use
an older edition or international edition of the text, students have done so successfully in
the past. However, you will be responsible for material in the required text, which may
differ from other versions.
Calculator
You’ll need a simple calculator for exams in this course. You will not be allowed to use
cell phone calculators or graphing calculators during exams.
, Grading
Assignment How many? Points
Exams 3 100
Final Exam (comprehensive) 1 125
Homework (4 group, 3 individual) 7 70
Group Practice Problems (in class) 5
total 500 pts
• Grade disputes must be initiated within one week from when the assignment was
handed back
• Class attendance will not be graded, but will be monitored by turning in your group
practice problems.
Exams:
• Make up exams are NOT administered except under exceptional circumstances (such
as significant medical or family issues), No other excuses (vacations, weddings, travel,
etc) will be accepted.
• Please note the final exam date for your section. If you have a scheduling conflict you
must notify me or switch sections within the first 2 weeks of class. Otherwise, you will
have to take the final exam as scheduled in the syllabus. I do not administer make-up
final exams, nor do I make exceptions or let students take the final with another section
unless they’ve arranged this with me at the beginning of the semester.
• Final exam: the final exam is cumulative, and worth 125 pts.
Homework:
• Due dates for homework assignments will be provided during the course. Some
homework assignments will be completed in groups (one copy will be turned in per
group), and others will be shorter, individual assignments. Homework is due at the
beginning of class, and late homework assignments will NOT be accepted.
Group Practice Problems:
• Lectures will be interrupted by group practice problems, typically ~1-3 per week. To get
points for group practice problems, work with at least one classmate to complete the
practice problem and write your answer on a piece of paper. Each group member will
also write their name on the answer sheet that’s turned in. At the end of the semester, if
you’ve completed all of the group practice problems, and worked with a partner or as a
group on all of them, you’ll get full credit for participation. If you complete all of the
practice problems but do so individually, you will get partial credit (2.5/5 pts). For each
practice problem you do not complete, you will lose 0.5 pts from your participation grade
(until it reaches 0 pts).
Grading Scale:
The following scale will be used to calculate final grades. Student point totals or grading
scheme may be adjusted to reflect course difficulty or section differences at the
instructor’s discretion.
B+ 87.0-89.9% C+ 77.0-79.9%
A 93.0-100% B 83.0-86.9% C 73.0-76.9% D 60.0-69.9% E <60%
A- 90.0-92.9% B- 80.0-82.9% C- 70.0-72.9%
Section 01: MWF (8:30-9:20 am); Fraser 202A
Section 02: MWF (9:30-10:20 am); Fraser 202A
Prerequisites: Biology 117*, Biology 119*, Math 112 or Math 221, Chemistry 211 or
Chemistry 223 (Chemistry can be taken as a co-requisite)
*If biology students have a D or below in Biology 117 and Biology 119, they will
be deregistered
Instructor
Dr. Betsy Hutchison
Office: ISC 359
Phone: 585-245-5038
email:
Office hours: Tues (9:30-10:30), Wed (10:30-11:30), Thurs (9:30-10:30), or by
appointment
Course Description
Principles of Genetics will provide students with a broad genetics background, and will
cover topics ranging from understanding the flow of genetic information within single-
celled organisms to how genes and gene products function within multicellular
organisms.
Overall Course Learning objectives
*Students will be able to define basic genetics terms, and use these terms to explain
fundamental concepts in genetics related to: nucleic acid structure, the central dogma,
gene regulation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, transmission genetics, and molecular
genetics.
*Students will be able to describe specific examples of how advances in our
understanding of genetics and molecular biology have impacted society
*Students will gain experience analyzing and interpreting data from genetics
experiments, both from historical experiments and current genetics methods. In addition,
students will be able to explain how model organisms are used to understand genetics
principles, providing specific examples.
Required Textbook
Genetics: Analysis and Principles (5th Ed) (McGraw Hill, ISBN 0-07-352534-0) by
Robert J. Brooker. This text is available in the bookstore. Please note: if you’d like to use
an older edition or international edition of the text, students have done so successfully in
the past. However, you will be responsible for material in the required text, which may
differ from other versions.
Calculator
You’ll need a simple calculator for exams in this course. You will not be allowed to use
cell phone calculators or graphing calculators during exams.
, Grading
Assignment How many? Points
Exams 3 100
Final Exam (comprehensive) 1 125
Homework (4 group, 3 individual) 7 70
Group Practice Problems (in class) 5
total 500 pts
• Grade disputes must be initiated within one week from when the assignment was
handed back
• Class attendance will not be graded, but will be monitored by turning in your group
practice problems.
Exams:
• Make up exams are NOT administered except under exceptional circumstances (such
as significant medical or family issues), No other excuses (vacations, weddings, travel,
etc) will be accepted.
• Please note the final exam date for your section. If you have a scheduling conflict you
must notify me or switch sections within the first 2 weeks of class. Otherwise, you will
have to take the final exam as scheduled in the syllabus. I do not administer make-up
final exams, nor do I make exceptions or let students take the final with another section
unless they’ve arranged this with me at the beginning of the semester.
• Final exam: the final exam is cumulative, and worth 125 pts.
Homework:
• Due dates for homework assignments will be provided during the course. Some
homework assignments will be completed in groups (one copy will be turned in per
group), and others will be shorter, individual assignments. Homework is due at the
beginning of class, and late homework assignments will NOT be accepted.
Group Practice Problems:
• Lectures will be interrupted by group practice problems, typically ~1-3 per week. To get
points for group practice problems, work with at least one classmate to complete the
practice problem and write your answer on a piece of paper. Each group member will
also write their name on the answer sheet that’s turned in. At the end of the semester, if
you’ve completed all of the group practice problems, and worked with a partner or as a
group on all of them, you’ll get full credit for participation. If you complete all of the
practice problems but do so individually, you will get partial credit (2.5/5 pts). For each
practice problem you do not complete, you will lose 0.5 pts from your participation grade
(until it reaches 0 pts).
Grading Scale:
The following scale will be used to calculate final grades. Student point totals or grading
scheme may be adjusted to reflect course difficulty or section differences at the
instructor’s discretion.
B+ 87.0-89.9% C+ 77.0-79.9%
A 93.0-100% B 83.0-86.9% C 73.0-76.9% D 60.0-69.9% E <60%
A- 90.0-92.9% B- 80.0-82.9% C- 70.0-72.9%
