I-222
Spring 2000

(to previous syllabi)

Syllabus - First half of the semester

to the second half

Date

Topic

 Reading

Lab

1/24

Chemical similarity of all life; Basic molecular biology Science Matters chapters 15 & 16 No Lab

1/31

Genetic Control Mechanisms

Fingerprinting Basics (@Access Excellence)

Uses of DNA identification (@Access Excellence)

DNA in Forensics and Paternity Testing

2/7

Genetic Control mechanisms, cont'd Check out this website for coverage of molecular biology The MIT biology hypertextbook, especially Central Dogma and Prokaryotic gene expression

Glowing Green Bacteria

GFP in the News

2/14

Theory of Evolution

Origin of Sex

 SM: Chapter 17

5 misconceptions about evolution

Why Bother? (If you can't get it, go to the Discover Archive and type the title in the appropriate box, or get the table of contents for June 92)

Chemistry of Vitamin C

2/21

Embryology
(Rachel Fink)

  • fertilization
  • cleavage

 A Fantastical Experiment (This article from Science News summarizes the science leading up to creating Dolly, the first mammalian clone, and includes basic information about fertilization.)

Sea Urchins (This web site has some great photographs, and some information about the natural history of echinoderms.)

A Gene for Nothing: Discover article written shortly after the first mammalian cloning success (If you can't get it, go to the Discover Archive and type the title in the appropriate box, or get the table of contents for Oct 97)

Fertilization in sea urchins

Animations of fertilization & development (Almost all our lab procedures are illustrated here; so are the biological processes of fertilization and early development in urchins.)

2/28

How do we find out how development works: twinning and what it tells us (KAD)

How does a cell become a whole body? (from Discover) (If you can't get it, go to the Discover Archive and type the title in the appropriate box, or get the table of contents for Nov 92)

Garden of Mutants (Discover Aug 95) Homeobox genes are discovered in plants

From fin to hand (Discover Jan 96: evolution and the homeobox)

Where do toes come from? (TIME Magazine July 31, 1995: evolution and the homeobox. Read this if the Discover server is down)

The Origin of Animal Body Plans (American Scientist, March-April 1997)

Synchronicity in sea urchin cleavage
 3/6 Basic physiological mechanisms; Sensory physiology

 Chapter 20, Selected Readings

Special Senses especially "the Ear" and "Taste"

 Special Senses

to the second half of the semester