Welcome to Biol 3301

Genetics
Instructors:
Dr. Brigitte Dauwalder, bdauwalder@uh.edu, 713-743-2550, Office: SR2, 453G
Office Hours: Tues 3:00-4:00 pm and Thursday 7:00-8:00 pm
or by appointment
Dr. Gregg Roman, gwroman@uh.edu, 713-743-5738, Office: SR2, 421G
Office Hours: Tues 3:00-4:00 pm and Wednesday 10:00-11:00 pm,
or by appointment
Attempts will be made to record lectures. Additional course
material and recorded lectures will be available through
Blackboard.

Blackboard Access access: http://www.uh.edu/blackboard/
Login: your cougarnet login
Password: your personal password

Text: Genetic Analysis: An integrated approach by M. F.
Sanders and J.L. Bowman, Pearson Education, Inc, 2012
Online Resource: MasteringGenetics www.masteringgenetics.com
Select the Correct textbook!!!
Course = MGENROMANDAU2014
Grading and Exam Policies:
85% Exams +15% Homework (Mastering Genetics)

Exam grades will be based on the average of two exams +the final. A total of four exams will
be given. We will drop the lowest Mid-term score. The final exam will be comprehensive. Equal
weight will be given to each of the four exams.

All exams will consist of short multiple choice questions ONLY. Questions on exams will only
cover material presented in the lectures or in homework assignments.

Lectures will usually not cover all of the material outlined in the text readings, and sometimes
lectures will cover material that is not in the text.

An extra 2 bonus points are available by attending a minimum of 5 recitations sections
held by the Teaching Assistant.

Sumit Saurabh, TA
sumitdsc1981@gmail.com

Recitation: Tuesday TBD
Wednesday TBD
Office Hour: Friday 4-5:30 pm

Rooms TBD

1st Section
M-W T-Th Lecture Chapter
25-Aug 26-Aug
Introduction
1
27-Aug 28-Aug
Transmission Genetics
2
3-Sep 2-Sep
Cell Division and Chromosome
Heredity
3
8-Sep 4-Sep
Meiotic Mapping
5
10-Sep 9-Sep
Meiotic Mapping and Pedigree
Anal ysis 5
15-Jan 11-Sep
Pedigree Analysis
5
17-Sep 16-Sep
Gene Interaction
4
22-Sep 18-Sep
Bacteria and Phages
6
24-Sep 23-Sep Midterm 1
Gene the basic unit of inheritance
Genome the entire collection of
genes within an organism
Trait an inherited characteristic
AKA- phenotype
Genetics - the field of science that
studies genes and their:
1) diversity of forms
2) mutations
3) replication, and
4) translation of information.
Willie Shoemaker: 100 lbs, 4 11 , pale exterior
Born August 19, 1931 Fabens TX

Wilt Chamberlain: 275 lbs, 71 , less pale
Born August 21, 1936 Philadelphia PA
Natural Phenotypic Variation in Americans
Selective Breeding can increase such differences
Such Traits Show Heritability
Law of Segregation
Maternal
Paternal

Law of Independent
Assortment
Different traits can
segregate
independently
between generations
Wilhelm Johannsen
1857-1927
Coined terms
Gene, genotype, and
phenotype in 1903
Gene the basic unit of inheritance
Phenotype an inherited characteristic
Genotype allelic composition of the cell
or organism
Allele a form of a gene that exists at
A single locus
Locus place on a chromosome
where the gene is located
Genes make enzymes for metabolism
Drosophila melanogaster
Wild type
Drosophila melanogaster
antennapedia
Genetics and the questions of biology
Genes tell the body how to develop
Each cell contains chromosomes, and chromosomes contain genes
The genome continuously provides the information for
the organism to function.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid has the form of a double helix
The molecular basis of genetic information
Adenine - Thymine

Guanine - Cytosine
Information content
Replication
The molecular basis of genetic
information
Central Dogma
The Mutant Variant a is recessive,
the Wild Type variant A is dominant
Loss of Tyrosinase leads to loss of melanin
Therefore, Tyrosinase is required for melanin formation
How to use genetics to understand biology?
A program of genetic investigation
Forward Genetics
1) begin with a biological question.

2) identify genetic variation (phenotype) that effects
your question.

3) identify the cause of the variation
i.e., what gene is responsible

4) that gene is therefore involved in that biological
function

Nave Approach - Start with variation and see what is involved
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
From Big Yellow Taxi by
J oni Mitchell
The program of genetic investigation
Reverse Genetics Starts with the Gene sequence and works
backwards to the Mutant Phenotype
Gene
of Interest
Mutate
GOI
Analyze
Phenotype
Reverse Genetics
or
Directly compare Genomes to discover where the
variation lies
Phylogenetic footprinting
Figure 1-11a
Human Genome = 3.2 Billion Nucleotides
Differences between Chimp and Human = ~ 48,000,000 base pairs
Evolution is Conservative
Genetic Model Systems
Evolution builds in layers, and is highly conservative.
Drosophila
eyeless mutation
pax6
human eyeless mutation
aniridia
Genetic Model Systems
Purpose is to obtain information that would be prohibitively
expensive or time consuming in a different organism.
Evolution builds in layers, and is highly conservative.
1) Inexpensive to Culture in the Laboratory

2) Fast Generation Time

3) Simple Genome

4) Little Genetic Redundancy

5) Collection of Mutants

6) Facile Transgenic Manipulation of Genome

7) Unique Features
Traits of Good Model System
E. coli and phage
Neurospora
Orange Bread Mold
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Budding yeast
1) Arabidopsis thaliana

2) Caenorhabditis elegans

3) Drosophila melanogaster

4) Mus musculus
Multicellular Genetic Model Systems
As differences exist in each of these model systems
We need to understand and learn from each one.
They compliment each other to provide a broader view of
biological function
Lambda Phage Lysing an E. coli host.
Do Genes Solely Define an Individuals Traits?
Genes and the environment both influence eye size in Drosophila
Phenotypes are frequently the result of complex interactions between
the genotype and the environment and random events during
development.
The US Supreme Court upheld the right
of Virginia to Sterilize those deemed genetically unfit
Buck vs. Bell 1927,
We have seen more than once that the public
welfare may call upon the best citizens for their lives.
It would be strange if it could not call upon those who
already sap the strength of the State for these lesser
sacrifices, often not felt to be such by those
concerned, in order to prevent our being swamped
with incompetence. It is better for all the world, if
instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for
crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society
can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from
continuing their kind. The principle that sustains
compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover
cutting the Fallopian tubes.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Chief Justice, US Supreme Court 1927
J essie Lee Herald, 27
Virginia Eugenic Sterilization Act Repealed in 1974
But then Virginia Strikes Again:
July 24
th
, 2014
Summary
Genes encode proteins (and RNAs)

Variation in proteins sequences contribute to different
traits or phenotypes

Genetic Models Systems are invaluable tools that allow the
leverage of genetic variability to answer fundamental
questions in biology Big Yellow Taxi!

Ultimately, the quality of most traits are due to Genetic
Factors, Environmental Factors and Developmental Noise

Many of these traits have very complex inheritance
patterns that are difficult to predict.