334 Home
Handouts/Exercises/Reports
Student
Presentations|
Instructor:
Dr. David A Johnson; Office: PH 231 (also try 237
or 239); E-mail:
djohnso2@samford.edu;
Phone:
ex. 2845; Office
Hours: MWF 9:30-10:30, TR
11:00-12:00, TR 1:00-2:30, or contact me by email.
Course Home Page: See Moodle for link to BIOL 334 web site. Handouts and assignments
will be available on the Experimental
Genetics web site. Please check this site
regularly for important course information.
About the Course: In Experimental Genetics we will investigate genetics concepts primarily by performing laboratory experiments that illustrate the basic principles of transmission and molecular genetics. Lectures will introduce and summarize these principles and serve as background for laboratory exercises. Course
Objectives:
1) To review basic
concepts of transmission and molecular genetic by making
presentations on assigned topics.
2) To explore the nature of chromosomes and the process of cell division experimentally using different organisms. 3) To explore the basic
concepts of Mendelian genetics and linkage experimentally
using the fruit fly, Drosophila
melanogaster, and the fungus, Sordaria fimicola.
4) To explore the
structure and function of the genetic material
experimentally using molecular genetics and bioinformatics
techniques.
Evaluation:
Your grade will be based on 500 points earned from
student presentations, final exam, and student
presentations. Presentations will be worth 100 points, lab
reports worth 300 points, and the final exam worth 100
points. Also, in order to pass Experimental Genetics, you must have no
more than 4 unexcused absences. However, since attendance
in a laboratory course is very important, 3 points will be
deducted from you final total for each unexcused absence
over 2.
Grading Scale: ≥93% =
A; ≥90% = A-; ≥87% = B+; ≥83% = B; ≥80% = B-; ≥77% = C+;
≥73% = C; ≥70% = C-; ≥67% = D+; ≥63% = D; ≥60% = D-Presentations:
Students will be required to make 20 minute presentations
over assigned genetics topics.
Final Exam:
Your final exam will be comprehensive and will be worth
100 points. It is on Monday, May 11 at 6:00 PM. It will be
essay in format and will require you to summarize and
interpret one or more of your lab exercises. (More details
later.)
Lab Reports:
Will be worth 300 points. There will be minor reports and
major reports. Due dates will be announced well in
advance. The relative value of each report will also be
announced. You will be required to keep a detailed record
of your experiments in your lab notebook. Lab notebooks
are to be left in the laboratory and will be checked
periodically. Failure to make entries in your lab notebook
will result in points being deducted from your final
score.
Extra Credit:
There will be some extra credit opportunities (such as
lectures) by which you may earn a few points.Course Outline:
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| Concerning the above schedule,
be aware that university policy states that "inclement
weather or other events beyond the control of the
University that might cause risk or danger to students,
faculty, and staff may occasionally result in changes to
normal University operations, including cancellation of
classes or events; the calendar schedule may be adjusted." Disability Accommodation: If you are registered with Disability Resources (DR) and have your accommodation letter, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to confidentially discuss accommodations that may be necessary. If you have a disability but have not contacted Disability Resources, please call 726-2980/4078 or visit DR located within Career Development, Room 205 of the University Center. Tutoring: The Communication Resource Center (CRC) offers free tutoring for Samford students in oral, written, and mediated communication, as well as support for developing and improving critical reading skills. The CRC is in Brooks 222. Hours are 10:00am-6:00pm Monday-Thursday, beginning the second week of classes and continuing through the last week of classes. More information is available at http://www.samford.edu/crc/. Sessions last from 10-30 minutes, and appointments are available but not required. Also, the Biology Department may offer tutoring in biology. I will let you know the details when and if it does. Academic Integrity: Samford's policy on academic integrity will be upheld in this course. This policy (below) is quoted from the first page of the "Academic Life" page of Samford's Student Handbook (http://www.samford.edu/studenthandbook/). A degree from Samford University is evidence of achievement in scholarship and citizenship. Activities and attitudes should be consistent with high academic standards and Christian commitment, and should be in keeping with the philosophy and mission of the university. When a student is found guilty of dishonesty in academic work, for a first offense, the student will be placed on probation, and the professor will receive a recommendation that the student receive an "FX" in the course. Any student already on probation who is found guilty of dishonesty again automatically will be suspended. Faculty Statement on Academic Dishonesty Students, upon enrollment, enter into voluntary association with Samford University. They must be willing to observe high standards of intellectual integrity; they must respect knowledge and practice academic honesty. Those who cheat on an examination or class assignment are not only academically dishonest, but also completely deficient in the scholarly maturity necessary for college study. -Value Violations An academic integrity value violation is defined as the act of lying, cheating or stealing academic information to gain academic advantage for oneself or another. As a Samford University student, one is expected neither to commit nor assist another in committing an academic integrity value violation. Additionally, it is the student's responsibility to report observed academic integrity violations.Violations of the Academic Integrity Values Statement include, but are not limited to: --Taking Information ---Copying graded assignments ---Working together on a take-home test or assignments when specifically prohibited by the professor ---Looking at another student's paper during an exam ---Looking at your notes when prohibited ---Acquiring a term paper written by someone else ---Taking an exam out of the classroom when prohibited ---Removing resource material from the University Library without authorization --Tendering Information ---Giving your work to another to be copied ---Giving someone answers to exam questions during the exam ---After taking an exam, informing a person of questions that appeared on the exam ---Giving or selling a term paper or class work to another student --Plagiarism ---Copying homework answers from your text and handing them in for a grade ---Quoting text or other works on an exam, term paper or homework without citing the source ---Submitting a paper purchased from a term paper service or acquired from any Internet source ---Submitting another's paper/project as your own ---Taking a paper from an organization's files and handing it in as your own --Conspiracy ---Planning with one or more students to commit a violation of the Academic Integrity Values Statement ---Giving your term paper/project to another student who you know will plagiarize --Misrepresentation ---Having another person do your computer program, course project or lab experiment ---Lying to a professor to increase your grade |