BIOL 219 – The Living Cell: 2005 Syllabus

Chapter 9 - How Genes and Genomes Evolve: Chapter 9 pdf, Chapter 9 Powerpoint (pdf versions may not reflect certain animations)

- Phylogenetic analysis by distance supplemental slides, the files used for the analysis, the programs you'll need to analyze them, BioEdit and MEGA.

- If you are walking in the woods with a friend and a bear starts to chase you, you don't have to be faster than the bear to survive. You just have to be faster than your friend. This is the basic idea behind natural selection. Part of a great site about evolution

- How does BLAST work?

- Bacterial conjugation movie

- NCBI - Genbank, BLAST, etc.

- UCSC Genome Bioinformatics - BLAT, genome browsers, etc.

- The debate on creation vs. evolution is comprehensively covered at the Talk.Origins Archive

- DNA sequence and phylogeny reconstruction movie

- I beg you to read this very entertaining response by a working scientist to the statement, "I get frustrated when you guys can't see the impossibilities of evolution." It all comes down to this:

- The scientific processes that brought us: 1) the ability to diagnose, treat and cure many diseases, 2) the ability to communicate across the planet almost instantaeously, 3) the presence of a man-made flag on the surface of the moon, 4) our understanding of the chemical makeup of the atmosphere on Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn etc., 5) our understanding of the atomic structure of matter, and 6) the materials to construct the computer on which you are reading this are identical to the scientific processes that brought us to our understanding of how life evolves on Earth. Why are the scienctific processes that lead to items 1-6 valid but the scientific processes that lead to evolution not valid?

- Along the same lines, here is the complete text of the ruling by a U.S. District Judge on the 2005 Pennsylvania case in which the Dover school board required a disclaimer on Evolution be read in Biology classes. Read the whole thing if you like (I have) but I think the important points start being made on page 64.

- What if the periodic table, gravity, the solar system, and literature were taught as "Just theories?" All from the reDiscovery Institute.

- Here is a nice comparison of Hierarchical and Whole Genome Shotgun sequencing to supplement the in-class discussion

- Sample questions for chapter 9

- One of your fellow students brought this to my attention. You can be a part of human population history research via Genographic.

 

 

 

Chapter 10 - Manipulating Genes and Cells:Chapter 10 pdf, Chapter 10 Powerpoint (pdf versions may not reflect certain animations)

- Supplemental slides for DNA microarray fabrication

- Supplemental slides for overcoming PCR limitations

- PCR movie and an even better animation

- The animation at this site links many of the concepts of DNA manipulation to illustrate how a genome can be sequenced.

- An animation illustrating how to produce a DNA library and clone a gene (go to the Steps in Cloning a Gene link)

- Another plasmid cloning and DNA library animation

- What are SNPs?

- This is by far the best animated description of gel electrophoresis I've come across.

- A detailed illustration of how to create a genetically engineered mouse.

- This site offers an excellent explanation of how DNA microarrays (DNA chips) work.

- The gene almanac is a cool site exploring DNA and DNA technology

- Sample questions for chapter 10

 

Chapter 20 - Genetics, Meiosis, and the Molecular Basis of Heredity:Chapter 20 pdf, Chapter 20 Powerpoint (pdf versions may not reflect certain animations)

- Mitosis supplemental slides

- Cystic fibrosis supplemental slides

- Meiosis movie

- It is hard to understand meiosis without understanding mitosis. Check here for a review of mitosis.

- The same site as above but covering meiosis.

- Learn more about the differences between meiosis and mitosis with this animation

- Independent assortment explained via animation.

- Learn more about some genetic disorders at this link

- Ask a geneticist

- Sample questions for chapter 20