Course Objectives
This is a one-semester course intended to give you a solid grounding in genetics, one of the keys (some would indeed argue the key) to understanding all the rest of biology. As Thedosius Dobzhansky famously said, "Nothing makes sense except in the light of evolution." Well, evolution doesn't make sense except in the light of genetics!
By the end of the semester, you should have an understanding of (and appreciation for):
- mitosis and meiosis
- the principles governing inheritance
- genetic linkage and recombination
- chromosomal and molecular mutations
- the basic structures and roles of DNA, RNA, and proteins
- the basic molecular processes governing genetic function
- quantitative genetics
- population and evolutionary genetics
- the techniques used in modern genetic investigations
- what kinds of questions can be answered using genetics
You should be able to:
- predict and interpret the outcomes of genetic crosses
- read and understand primary articles in the genetics literature
- articulate current discoveries in genetics research
- understand the principles underpinning basic genetics laboratory techniques
- carry out those well-understood techniques!
- accurately and concisely describe your own research findings
- use a pooter
For reasons that are not entirely clear to me, Moravian College considers this to be a personal page. Therefore it is incumbent on me to point out that "The views expressed on this page are the responsibility of the author, Christopher Jones (jonesc-at-moravian-dot-edu) and do not necessarily reflect Moravian College or Moravian Theological Seminary policies or official positions."