Genetics Home Page

Important Notices (Newest at the top, oldest at the bottom):

Test 4 scores are on Moodle and the distribution of scores is here. The answers to the multiple choice questions are on your Scantron.

A word of explanation about how your grade on Test 4 was calculated:

There were two questions on this test that I threw out: either number 5 or 6 (whichever one was about a "reciprocal translocation heterozygote"--thrown out because diagram A was incorrectly drawn) and number 29 (thrown out because my outline "Summary" for "Extranuclear Genetics" did not say that ALL of the mitochondrial tRNA were coded for by mtDNA). Therefore, your Scantron was graded as if there were only 28 questions, so the score you see printed in red at the bottom of the Scantron is the number right out of 28 (not 30). Therefore, in calculating your score for the multiple choice, I added 2 points to the printed score then multiplied by 2 (each question was worth 2 points) to get how many correct out of 60 possible points you received.

Test 4 on Monday, will cover Mutation I (starting with "Changes in Chromosome Structure"), Mutation II, Recombination, Gene Regulation, The Genetics of Sex, and Extranuclear Inheritance. (No textbook reading assignment.)

Possible Discussion Questions:

Describe how the origin of the δ-globin and β-globin gene may have originated by non-homologous unequal crossing over and how subsequent homologous unequal crossing over is thought to have given rise to the gene for Lepore hemoglobin (δ/β fusion hemoglobin) found in the disease β-thalassemia.
Describe why either a paracentric inversion heterozygote or a reciprocal translocation heterozygote shows semisterility.

Test 3 scores have been updated on Moodle:
- For those of you who had test form 1 (question 2 (A) is 27), I added 2 points to your score, since that Scantron key was wrong. Also, since question 2 was ambiguous, I threw it out and added 2 points to everyone's score. Then, after class, I discovered another serious problem with question 30, so I threw it out also and added two more points.
- Answers are here and the distribution of scores is here.
Your assignment on CRISPR/Cas9 begins with reviewing the video. Then, you must make a presentation of this ground-breaking technology that 1) is understandable by a layman (think of a Samford English major as your target), AND includes the scientific details of how CRISPR/Cas9 really works. You may present this project as 1) a formal, written paper (style is not important, but DO include references) written by you alone, OR 2) an oral presentation (you alone or with a partner) at least 15 minutes in length, to be given outside of class time to a general audience (time is TBA). Presentation will be the last week of classes or the previous week and written presentation will be due before the final exam.

Test 4 this Friday, November 3, will cover:

DNA (beginning at "DNA Structure"), DNA Replication, Transcription, Translation, and Mutation I (up to but not including "Changes in Chromosome Structure")

Possible discussion questions for Test 4:
- Describe the synthesis of an Okazaki fragment including the enzymes involved.
- Describe transcription in E. coli.
- Describe translation in E. coli and in eukaryotes.
When we were going over the material, I mentioned that I would ask you to be able to describe the Meselson and Stahl experiment showing that DNA replication is semiconservative in E. coli. You already have these three possible discussion questions, so, there will be a section of the test on Meselson and Stahl's experiment. But it will not be discussion, but rather paragraph-form multiple choice, like this:
The President of Samford University is Andrew ________(1)_________ who came to Samford from ________(2)_________ College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he also was president. His house is located on __________(3)___________ and overlooks the Samford campus.
(1) A- Jones; B- Jackson; C- Westmoreland; D- Lloyd Weber; E- McCutchen
(2) A- Miles; B- Carleton; C- Boston; D- Concordia; E- Ouachita
(3) A- Shades Crest Road; B- Abbey Road; C- Wall Street; D- Hollywood Blvd.; E- Downing Street
As before, if you wish to review lectures, videos are available.

New Extra credit opportunities:

Thursday, November 2, 7:00 PM,
Wright Center Concert Hall
- 2017 Davis Lecture
- Dan Fagin: "Toms River," a gripping, true account of childhood cancers caused by industrial water pollution in the town of Toms River, New Jersey.
- Convo credit: Turn in a Convo card and you will also get extra credit.

Friday, November 10, 2:30 PM Planetarium

Dr. Ellen McLaughlin, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Samford University
Homecoming Lecture.
Sign the sign-up sheet.

Thursday, November 30, 11:00 AM, Propst Hall (room ?)

Tim Townes, UAB: CRISPR/Cas9, the exciting new gene editing technology.
Attend and write a short paragraph summary of what CRISPR/Cas9 is in your own words.

EXTRA CREDIT FOR THE SEMESTER:

There will be 6 possible extra credit units:
- Shades Creek Clean up, September 23 (1 unit)
- Watson and Crick Video Write Up (2 units)
- Davis Lecture by Dan Fagin, November 2 (1 unit)

Therefore, I am setting the maximum extra credit units you can earn at 5 units--that is, if you have 5, you have earned the maximum extra credit and 1.5% will be added to your average. (For less than 5 units, the percent added will be prorated.) Therefore, if you do not earn all 5 units, you can make up what you lack by doing a KARYOTYPE for each unit you lack. The Karyotypes are on a table at the north end of PH 239 along with instructions. These are due before you take the final exam.

In preparation for an upcoming assignment, watch this video describing the CRISPR-Cas9 system in the next few days.

I submitted your midterm grades, either S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory). I used 69% as the lowest average for S. You can see your mid-term average on Moodle.

There will be an extra credit opportunity Monday, October 16, 7:00 PM, PH 109. I will be showing the Watson and Crick video drama "Life Story" (also called something like "The Race for the Double Helix"). If you cannot attend, you may check out the video from me. This will be a little extra extra credit project (worth two extra credit units). To receive credit you must watch the video and write a one page "movie review" that includes some of the science of the video.

Your grades for Test 2 are on Moodle. Also, your scores for Test 1 on Moodle are the corrected scores after you submitted your "Reflection" assignment.

In case you would like a few more three point test cross practice problems, here they are. The answers are here.

To help you getting ready for next Wednesday's Test 2:<

The following videos online cover lectures I did in class if you want to review lecture material. (However, you are responsible for what I covered in class, just in case there are some minor differences in the videos versus class lectures.) For this next test that would include these:
- Mendel Revisited (starting at Exceptions to Mendel's Idea of Traits/Genes/Alleles Relationship)
- Probability and Statistics
- Chromosome Theory and Linkage
- DNA (we'll start this one Friday or Monday)
Then, there are extra videos in case you need help knowing how to solve particular types of problems. This including all of the videos under TUTORIALS on this page. You can use your own judgment as to whether you need to look at all of them but if you are having trouble working any kind of problem, take advantage of these videos.
Also remember that I assigned quizzes on Moodle so you can practice solving problems on your own (Quizzes 3, 4, 5, and 5.1).

There is a new activity under Feedback on Moodle which you will want to check out. I also placed some new quizzes there.

Your Test 1 scores are on Moodle. The distribution of scores is here. Answers to the subjective questions are here.

Your first test is this Wednesday, September 13. It will cover Cell Division, Mendel, and Mendel Revisited up through Multiple Alleles. I also put some practice quiz problems on Moodle to help you in your studying. (You can skip problems 3, 4, and 5 on Quiz 3.) It may be beneficial to work through these before the test.

The test will include:
- Some combination of objective questions (multiple choice and/or fill in the blank);
- Some combination of subjective questions (definitions and/or discussion);
  - Possible discussion question topics:
    - Define and explain the meaning of Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment;
    - Describe how sickle-cell anemia in a malaria environment illustrates overdominance;
- Problem solving (be able to diagram a dihybrid cross (P, F1, and F2 generations including a Punnett Square));
Test material will come from lectures plus the assigned text reading (see the text in red on the Mendel Revisited outline).

We now have a tutor for Genetics. She is Madison Cumby and will be in PH 214 from 2:15-4:30 PM Wednesdays and 9:00-10:45 AM Thursdays. Feel free to drop in.

I will be away at a conference Friday September 8 so we will not have class. However, you will be responsible for the contents of a section of this video. Watch from 28:00 to 54:00, where I explain two types of exceptions to Mendel's principles. Watch and take notes on this section before Monday. This is a continuation of the lecture outline I handed out on Wednesday (also available from the Lecture tab above). See you Monday.

Check this page often for class info updates. All course material (except grades, attendance records, and practice quizzes) will be found on this website, which you can navigate using the menu bar at the top of each page. (Grades, attendance records, and quizzes are on Moodle.)

For class on Wednesday, watch the Cell Division online lecture (part 1, part 2) and come to class ready to discuss the content. (Lecture outline.) Particularly, consider these questions:

What is diploidy and what is haploidy?
What is a reductional division and what is an equational division?

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