Summary

This course is a journey into the biology of the human genome and will highlight the scientific, social, and personal perspectives of people living with a variety of traits.

Expected Learning

You will learn about fundamental principles of inheritance, gene expression, mutation and variation, development of simple and complex biological traits, human ancestry and evolution, and the acquisition of personal genetic information. By the end of this course, you will be able to read and understand genetic information available from personal genetics services such as 23andMe.

Syllabus

Trait variation and categorization, basic models of inheritance, and the connection via DNA. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

DNA structure, chromosomes, and genome organization. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Protein coding genes, transcription, translation, discerning the genetic code, and alleles. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Non-coding DNA, regulatory regions of genes, and transcription factors. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Family relationships and pedigrees, inheritance patterns, allele dominance, and chromosome dynamics. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Types of mutations, various causes of mutation, allelic frequency, and the spread of alleles in a population. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Personalized genetics: sample acquisition, DNA extraction and processing, and interpretation of results. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Molecular causes of monogenic traits, loss-of-function vs. gain-of-function alleles, and dominance. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Polygenic traits, complex traits with an environmental effect, qualitative and quantitative measures, twin studies, relative risk, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, alleles affecting drug metabolism, and personalized medicine. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Identity by state (IBS), Identity by descent (IBD), relative finder, maternal and paternal lineages, neanderthal interbreeding, and human/chimp evolution. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Personal decisions, legal questions, professional options, and the future of genetics. Check out the concept map for this lesson.

Using only normal household items, even YOU can extract DNA and see it live and in person. At the end of this lesson you'll have the best new party trick EVER. (just remember to bring strawberries) Here is the protocol/procedure to make it happen.

Required Knowledge

No previous experience in genetics is necessary. However, familiarity with basic biological concepts, like the cell, is beneficial.