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Description
Buried in the cells of each newborn is a unique set of genetic instructions. These molecular blueprints not only shape how the child will grow and develop and whether it will have brown eyes or blue, but what sorts of medical problems it might encounter. Errors in our genes, our genetic material, are responsible for an estimated 3,000-4,000 hereditary diseases, including Huntington disease, cystic fibrosis, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. What's more, altered genes are now known to play a part in cancer, heart disease, diabetes and many other common diseases. Genetic flaws increase a person's risk of developing these more common and complex disorders. The diseases themselves stem from interactions of genetic predispositions and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle.
Human Genetics has many areas of expertise. This course will focus on four areas, (1) classical or Mendelian genetics, diseases where major effects are from a single gene, (2) multifactorial inheritance, continuous traits and discontinuous traits where several genes plus environmental factors are involved, (3) cytogenetics, diseases involving chromosomal abnormalities, and (4) mathematical genetics, including population genetics, linkage, and mapping.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of a full year of high school biology or equivalent
Course Objectives
- Discuss examples of inherited disorders, their symptoms, and their causes.
- Demonstrate how modern knowledge and techniques have led to understanding the cause of genetic disorders.
- Relate genes and protein synthesis to the expression of phenotypes.
- Describe techniques that permit diagnosis of a genetic disorder.
- Demonstrate how increased knowledge and advances in medicine have improved the quality of life for people with the disorder.
- Use a Punnett square and a pedigree as a tool to provide information about the possibility of having a child with a genetic disorder.
- Discuss the impact of the disease on the victim, their family, and society.
- Disseminate, use and manage information collected from a variety of sources.
- Communicate and collaborate with other people in other locations.
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Details
Discipline:
Science - Life Science, Science
Level:
High School Honors
Program:
High School, STEM
Grade:
10, 11, 12, 13
When Offered:
Fall, Spring
Duration:
15 weeks
Lab Kit Purchase Required:
No
Accredited:
Certified by NCAA for initial-eligibility (VHS Learning School Code:221356), Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges
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