Genetics

Catalog description

Why do offspring often exhibit physical features of their parents? Why do combinations of certain features in offspring translate into specific characteristics that either enhance or diminish the organism’s fitness? Answers to questions such as these fall partly within the discipline of genetics, which is the study of heredity. Principles from the Foundations of Science curriculum and Organismal Biology provide a framework for learning about classical genetics, chromosome structure and mutation, gene function and regulation, and aspects of molecular and developmental genetics. Recent studies in human genetics and their applications, particularly to health-related issues, are also investigated. Prerequisite: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II. Fulfillment: Core Curriculum Requirement Science, Technology and Society Courses; Biology Major Electives; Neural Science Major Approved upper-level Biology courses.