Biology 450: Evolutionary and societal impacts of
developmental biology
Instructor: Dr. Christopher Rose
Office hours: TTh 8:30-11; look for me in my office and lab; email me for an appointment outside of office hours.
Office: Burruss 213 Lab: Burruss 339
Phone: 568-6666 email: rosecs@jmu.edu
Webpage: http://csm.jmu.edu/biology/rosecs/Bio450.html
General description: Developmental biology has a unique position in both science and society. The field occupies a central position in modern biology, having well defined interfaces with the mechanistic sciences of genetics and cell and molecular biology, and rapidly emerging interfaces with the more organismal areas of ecology, environmental science and evolutionary biology. Just as developmental processes and mechanisms play key roles in understanding the organism in its ecological and evolutionary contexts, developmental biology plays a key role in integrating disparate biological sub-disciplines to better understand the history and complexity of life.
In a more general sense, developmental biology also ranks as the science of our times, as the field is currently impacting our lives and our view of life in more profound ways than any other science. Recent advances in cloning, embryonic stem cell research, tissue engineering, and reproductive technology are combining with new information from the human genome and other -ome projects to create a new era when science awill offer cures for aliments such as genetic disease, paralysis and organ failure that are presently viewed as inherent limitations of the human condition. Developmental genetics and the multiple species genome projects are revealing surprising insights into how animals and plants control their development, and how changes in DNA sequence have controlled the diversification of their body forms. Evolutionary biology theory is generating insight into our understanding of developmental phenomenon like aging and the health problems associated with human pregnancy. Developmental biology is also experiencing a renewed appreciation for the pervasive role of environmental factors in the development of anatomy and conditions like obesity, old-age diseases, fertility, and cancer. Recent discoveries highlight the ability of behavior and environmental factors to regulate development by modifying the chemical structure of DNA bases and their associated proteins, and open up a new science of evolution beyond natural selection.
Course goals and objectives:
1. Attain an in-depth understanding of specific developmental biology phenomena by discussing the relevant biological mechanisms and the research methods used to investigate them.
2. Promote thinking across different sub-disciplines of biology by discussing topics that emphasize the integrative nature of developmental biology and make connections between different ways of understanding the same phenomenon.
3. Explore the ethical implications of scientific progress by discussing topics that provoke public debate about the utility and potential misuse of the science involved.
For each topic, the professor will lecture on the underlying scientific principles and research methodologies, and then students and professor will explore the integrative and controversial aspects of the topics though student and professor-led discussions of primary literature.
Prerequisites: BIO 224 and Junior standing.
Course time and place: TTh 11-12:15 in Burruss 336
Registration: Students are responsible for registering for classes and verifying their class schedules on e-campus. Late course additions will not be permitted. The deadline for adding a spring semester class without instructor and academic unit head signature is Tuesday, Jan. 19. Between Tuesday, Jan. 19 and Thursday, Jan. 28, instructor and academic head unit signatures will be required to add a class for spring semester. No student will be allowed to register for a spring semester class after Thursday, Jan. 28. Tuesday, Jan. 19 is the last day to drop a course without getting a W grade. The deadline for dropping a fall class with a W grade is Friday, March 19. WP and WF grades will not be given out in this class, meaning that students who ask to withdraw after March 19 will be told to remain in the class and receive the grade earned at the end of the semester.
Disabilities: JMU abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandate reasonable accommodations be provided for students with documented disabilities. If you have a disability and may require some type of instructional and/or examination accommodations, please contact me early in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate provision of accommodations you may need. If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the Office of Disability Services, the designated office on campus to provide services for students with disabilities. The office is located in Wilson Hall, Room 107 and you may call 540-568-6705 for more information.; Phone: 568-6705
Required texts and materials: None
Lecture schedule:
|
Wk |
Date |
Topic |
|
1 |
Jan.
12 |
Course
introduction |
|
|
Jan.
14 |
Lec 1: Topic #1a: How
do genes specify animal body plans? |
|
2 |
Jan. 19 |
Lec 2: Topic #1b: How
do genetic changes produce large-scale changes in animal and plant body
plans? |
|
|
Jan.
21 |
Discussion
of Reading # 1 (led by professor) on Eye
and tooth formation in blind cavefish |
|
3 |
Jan.
26 |
Discussion
of Reading # 2 (led by professor) on QTL
mapping of stickleback pelvis genes |
|
|
Jan.
28 |
Lec 3: Topic #2a: Cloning
concepts |
|
4 |
Feb. 2 |
Lec 4: Topic #2b: Human
Cloning and post-cloning research |
|
|
Feb. 4 |
Discussion of Reading # 1 on Cloning Mice with OSNs |
|
5 |
Feb. 9 |
Discussion
of Reading # 2 on epigenetic reprogramming |
|
|
Feb.
11 |
Discussion
of Readings # 3 and 4 on cloning ethics |
|
6 |
Feb.
16 |
Student Assessment Day |
|
|
Feb.
18 |
Lec 5: Topic #3a: Aging
and its physiological basis |
|
7 |
Feb.
23 |
Lec 6: Topic #3b: Evolutionary
biology theories of aging |
|
|
Feb.
25 |
Discussion
of Reading # 1 on Aging
in possums
|
|
8 |
Mar. 2 |
Discussion
of Readings # 2 and 3 Figures |
|
|
Mar. 4 |
Midterm Exam |
|
9 |
Mar. 9 |
Spring Break |
|
|
Mar.
11 |
Spring Break |
|
10 |
Mar.
16 |
Lec 7: Topic #4a: Human
pregnancy and the genetic conflict theory |
|
|
Mar.
18 |
Lec 8: Topic #4b: Genomic
imprinting and the genetic conflict theory |
|
11 |
Mar.
23 |
Discussion
of Readings # 1 and 2 on morning sickness and pre-eclampsia |
|
|
Mar.
25 |
Discussion
of Readings # 3 and 4 on fetal cell microchimerisms |
|
12 |
Mar.
30 |
Lec 9: Topic #5a: The
developmental basis of human sexuality |
|
|
Apr. 1 |
Lec 10: Topic #5b: Variation
in the development of human sexuality |
|
13 |
Apr. 6 |
Video
and discussion of cultural perceptions of “normal” sexuality |
|
|
Apr. 8 |
Discussion
of Reading # 1 and 2 on sexual differentiation of the brain |
|
14 |
Apr.
13 |
Discussion
of Readings # 3 and 4 on psychological evaluation and treatment of intersex
conditions |
|
|
Apr.
15 |
Lec 11: Topic #6a: The
role of environmental factors in animal development |
|
15 |
Apr.
20 |
Lec 12: Topic #6b: NonDarwinian
roles of the environment in animal evolution |
|
|
Apr.
22 |
Discussion
of Readings # 1 and 2 on epigenetic imprints by Napa valley herbicide
affecting fertility and mate choice behavior |
|
16 |
Apr.
27 |
Discussion
of Readings # 3 and 4 |
|
|
Apr. 29 |
Catch-up
and Review |
|
17 |
|
Final Exam |
|
|
|
|
Grading will be based on the scores of a midterm exam (30%) a noncumulative final exam (30%), a student-led class discussion (10%), class participation (12%), and six 1-page typed summaries of readings to be handed in at the beginning of the class discussion (18%). Midterm and final exams will be comprised of short essay questions that might require the use of diagrams. Exams will cover material from lectures and assigned readings.
TO DO WELL on lecture exams, students are recommended to do THREE THINGS. First, you attend class, pay attention, and be active note takers, which means that you do not limit this task to just copying what the teacher writes on the blackboard. Second, after each class, you review your notes and the assigned readings, and if you still don't understand the material, you seek clarification in office hours at that time. Third, you prepare and use study notes before each exam.
ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO DO ALL THE ASSIGNED READINGS. The readings for which you are required to produce 1-page summaries will be posted at least one period before they are due. The summaries must be written in your own words and without the use of direct quotations from the text. They will be evaluated with a score of 0 (not done or handed in on time), 1 (inadequate effort), 2 (adequate effort but missed one or more key points), or 3 (adequate effort indicating good comprehension of the article).
Student-led class discussions will be evaluated on the basis of degree of preparedness, organization of material, communication skills, comprehension of the main points of the articles, and ability to lead and engage the class in discussion. The MOST IMPORTANT factor is whether the student makes an effort to process and synthesize the information from the article on their own. Do they present and verbalize the ideas in their own words, or do they simply repeat phrases directly from the text?
Final letter grades will be assigned using the standard numerical scale (e.g., > 90 = A, 80-89 = B, etc.). Grades of WP and WF will not be given out in this class.
Missed exams and reading summaries: If you have a valid reason (official school business, sickness with doctor’s note, death in family) for missing an exam, contact me by phone or email before the time of the exam and you will either be given a make-up exam or have your grade calculated on the basis of the remaining evaluations. If you do not have a valid excuse or fail to contact me before the missed exam, your grade will be zero. In the case of reading summaries that are not handed in on time for valid reasons, your grade will be calculated on the basis of the remaining summaries.
Final exam schedule: Consult the university website
Honor Code: All students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the JMU Honor Code. Work submitted for this course must be written in your own words and written by you for this course. Direct quotations (which are to be used only in rare circumstances) and paraphrased materials must be properly cited in the text and referenced in the bibliography (see above). Forms of academic dishonesty include lending your work to another person to submit it as his or her own, deliberately creating false information on a works cited or reference page; and plagiarism, presenting another person’s writing, ideas or results as your own, whether intentional or not.
For educational rights and privacies, consult the following websites:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974