Offered: First Semester
Prerequisite: High school level introductory Biology course

What makes us who we are? Is it our DNA? Our environment? How are the diseases and disorders that affect us connected to the genetic code inside each of our cells? Just because we can modify DNA, should we? Who do we approach a world in which the ability to manipulate DNA itself is now a possibility? In our rapidly advancing world of biotechnology and our increased understanding of the genetic code and how it functions, we have questions to consider that were not even a possibility 60 years ago before the discovery of DNA. This course will explore topics from the three main branches of genetic study: Transmission genetics (how traits are passed from one generation to the next), Molecular genetics (the structure, function and operation of the DNA molecule itself) and Population genetics (how traits are expressed in populations, and how those traits change over time). As a vehicle for our discussions we will look at a number of different medical topics ranging from genetic abnormalities to the study of cancer. In addition we will explore new and emerging research in the field and the social and ethical controversies and questions that often accompany these technological advances.