Schedule for Fall '11.   Last update 08/30/11  

Note: Most lectures will be recorded if students desire it.

The dates of the exams are tentative; please email Dr. M immediately (dbm2) if you anticipate any difficulties with the proposed dates.

The readings in Ridley (R), Dawkins (D) & the course booklet that are listed below as "required" are really required -- you are expected to read ALL of them, preferably before class.  For more details on the readings, see below at end of schedule.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES, EXAMS AND READINGS FALL '11
If you have any problems with this schedule please tell Dr. M immediately.

#

Date

Subject

Required Reading

Recommended Reading in F 

1st ed. 2nd (3rd ed. if dif.) [4th if dif]

1

Wed 9/7

Introduction -- What's mol bio? why is it important?

D, Preface & Ch.1 (on Courseworks)

R, Preface (or Foreword),  Introduction, &
Chrom. 1 (Life)

Ch.1

 Ch. 1

2

Mon 9/12

Chromosomes, karyotypes & evolutionary trees

R, Chrom. 2 (Species); Tree thinking in booklet

Start of 9.1, Box 9.1

 Start of 12.1, Box 12.1

3

Wed 9/14

Mitosis

Same as above

Ch. 8, esp. start of 8.1,  8.2; box 9.1

 Ch. 11, esp. start of 11.1,  11.2; box 11.1

4

Mon 9/19

Meiosis & chromosomal rearrangements

 

R. Chrom. 21, esp. 1st 2 pp.

Ch. 9 esp. 9.1  

 

 Ch. 12, esp. 12.1

5

Wed 9/21

 Aneuploidy &  Nondisjunction same as above Ch. 9, esp. 9.4 Ch. 12, esp. 12.4

6

Mon 9/26
 

Intro to basic ideas about genes &  inheritance

R, Chrom. 3 (History)

9.2 & 10.1***

12.2 &  13.1 [13.1 & 13.2]***
 

***In the next section of the course we'll be discussing most of the material in two chapters of Freeman (Ch. 10-11 in 1st ed; 13 & 15 in later ed.) . We'll cover the topics in a different order than the text, but you may find it easier to read it straight through than to jump around. 
7 Wed 9/28

What do genes do?

Recessive & Dominant diseases

R Chrom. 4 (Fate)

11.2 & 11.4.


17.2

15.1 & 15.3 (15.1 & 15.2)

13.6 & 19.4 (19.4), esp. pedigree
Mini-exam #1  -- covers classes 1-5  -- Remember -- you can bring a study  guide (max. of one normal-sized full page) to each exam!
8 Mon 10/3 Pedigrees, Markers, Linkage, & crossing over same as above 9.2 & Box 9.2; 10.4 & 17.2 12.2; 13.4 & 19.3 (19.4)

9

Wed 10/5

Following more than 1 gene at a time; Traits controlled by more than 1 gene Exam 1? or 10/3??

R Chrom. 5 (Environment) & Chrom. 6 (Intelligence)

10.2 & 10.3

10.5

13.2 & 13-5 [13-3 & 3.5]
 

 

10

 Mon 10/10 Will dom. alleles take over?   22.2 24.1 (25.1)

Important Alert: The drop date for most students is 10/11, and the administration is not likely to allow a late drop.  We don't want to lose anybody, but if you have any concerns about how this course is going, please speak to Dr. M now, before the drop date.

11

 Wed  10/12

Sex Chromosomes & sex linkage

 

10.4,  (& 17.2)

 13.4

12

 Mon 10/17

Sex Chromosomes & Recombination

R Chrom X & Y (Conflict); Logic of Y Chromosome (in booklet) 

10.4

 13.4

13

Wed 10/19

 

Intro to Chemical Language 

Reading from Asimov’s book (in booklet); article by D. Barry

Ch. 2, esp. 2.1

Ch. 2, esp. 2.1 -2.2 (2.2)
Mini-exam #2  -- covers classes 6-11.
14 Mon 10/24 Chem. Properties of Atoms; isotopes In booklet: Kamen obit & article about Landis case Ch. 2. esp. 2.2 Ch. 2. esp. 2.2

15

 Wed 10/26 Water, carbon, and types of bonds      Exam 2?   2.4 & 2.5 & Box 2.2 2.4 & 2.5 & fig. 2.10. (2.2 & 2.4 & fig. 2.7)

**

Mon 10/31

No class — Election Day Holiday

16

 Wed 11/2

Groups &  Amino Acids 

 

table 2-1; 3.2 pp. 44-46 

 table 2.1 & 3.2 (table 2.3 & 3.3)

17 Mon 11/7

Protein structure 

 

3.3 esp. pp. 50-52

 3.3 (3.4)
18 Wed 11/9

3D Structure & Function of Proteins

 

Fig. 12.16, p. 245; Ch. 3 pp 52-54.

 Same as above

19

Mon 11/14

Good design & intro to cumulative selection

D Ch. 2 (on Courseworks); Hoffman article in booklet

Ch. 21 esp. 21.2 & 21.3 

 Ch. 23 esp. 23.2- 23.4 (24.2-24.5)

20

Wed 11/16

Cumulative selection

D Ch 3 (at least through p. 50) & Ch. 4 (on Courseworks)

Articles by Gould & Gabel (in booklet)

Ch. 22

 Ch. 24 (25)
Mini-ex#3  -- covers classes 12-18.
Important Alert: 11/18 is the last day to switch to Pass/D/Fail or W (in GS), or to request a UW grade from the instructor. Hopefully, this will not be a problem for anyone! But if it is, please speak to Dr. M before 11/18.

21

Mon 11/21

How do you get Multiple and/or Bad Designs?Polymorphism at protein  level

R Chrom. 9 (Disease) & Chrom 13 (Pre-History); Diamond articles in booklet

Same as above

 Same as above

22

Wed 11/23

 What do you learn from the designs (proteins) that don't change? Chapter by Wilson (in booklet)  Ch. 21, pp. 414-418. 23.1 (24.2)

Have a Nice Thanksgiving!
23  Mon 11/28

How  are Proteins Made?  Cracking the genetic code.

R Primer pp. 8-9;

13.3-13.5

11.3

 16.3-16.5

15.2 (15.3)
24

Wed 11/30

Structure  & replication of DNA

R Primer pp. 5-7 
(Dawkins, Ch. 5 is recommended, but not required. ) McCarty obit. in booklet

Ch. 3, pp. 59-60 (fig. 3.17-3.18 & box 3.4) 
12.1

 4.2




14.2

25

Mon 12/5

Junk & Selfish DNA; Forensics

R Chrom 8 (Self Interest)

16.3

20.3

26

 Wed 12/7

Intro to Macroevolution -- How do you get New Designs ?

(Dawkins Chs. 9 & 10 are recommended, but not required.)

21.1, Box. 23.1 p. 456, Box 24.1 & 24.3

 23.1,  26.1,  26.3 & Box 26.1
(24.2, 27.1, end 27.3 & Box 27.1)
Mini-ex #4  -- covers classes 19-24.
27 Mon 12/12 Wrap up of Macroevolution & entire course

Article by Smith in booklet; also R 22.
(Dawkins Ch. 11 is recommended, but not required. )

Box 21.3; Essay end of Ch. 21

 

Box 23.2,   Essay end of Ch. 23 & 23.4 (24.1 & 24.5)


 

**

Wed 12/14

Optional Review Session

**

Mon 12/19 9AM

Final Exam on everything; will stress more recent material. You can bring a study guide (1 page)

What do you really have to read?

The readings in Ridley (R), Dawkins (D) & the course booklet that are listed above as "required" are really required -- you are expected to read ALL of them, preferably before class. 

The required readings from The Blind Watchmaker by Dawkins (D) are posted on the Courseworks site. (You have to be registered for the course to access it.) All of D is recommended, but only the parts listed above are required. If you like Dawkins' style, you should get and read the whole book (or his more recent book, Climbing Mt. Improbable.)

Readings in Freeman (F) are recommended, but not required. The assigned sections in editions 3 & 4 are almost the same. (The only significant difference is that Ch. 13 is divided slightly differently in the 4th ed.) If you can follow the lectures and answer the problems, you don't have to read Freeman (or an equivalent text). However, if your background in biology is weak, or you find that the lectures go by too fast, you should probably get Freeman or some other basic biology text. Alternatively, you can use the online text by Kimball.
(Note: several students in the past have commented that they would have learned more if Freeman were required! So if you need the background, please read Freeman, Kimball, or an equivalent text.) Every effort has been made to find and reference the right parts of Freeman. However, we strongly recommend that you consult the glossary and index regularly to find what you need.