Human Genetics and Evolution

BIOL 110/3.0

Overview

Introductory genetics and evolutionary processes as they relate to the human condition - genetic diseases, medical techniques, inheritance and ethical issues such as cloning and genetically modified foods. LEARNING HOURS 118 (26L;10T;10G;36O;36P)

Learning Outcomes

Students completing BIOL 110 will have the ability to:

  • identify and define basic concepts in genetics such as inheritance, gene, and chromosome
  • apply genetic concepts in the understanding of human evolution
  • appreciate the relevance of genetics to important societal issues such as stem cell research, longevity research, genetic testing, cancer, and other genetic diseases
  • distinguish between “older-school” research approaches and cutting edge approaches
  • evaluate how life might be affected by new technologies in the Genomics Age.

Topics:

  • The Human Genome
  • Cell Biology/Chromosomes
  • Meiosis and Development
  • Mutation/Single-Gene Inheritance
  • Beyond Mendel's Laws
  • Sex and Genetics
  • Multifactorial (Complex) Traits
  • Genetics of Behavioural Traits
  • Human Evolution
  • Cancer
  • Genetic Technology/Genetic Testing
  • Genomics

 

Terms

Fall 2024
Course Dates
–
Delivery Mode
Online

Evaluation

15% - Quizzes (x3)
20% - Discussion Forums (x2)
5% - Paper Proposal
25% - Final Essay
35% - Proctored Final Exam

**Evaluation Subject to Change**

Proctored Exams  
Exam Centre Location, Eligibility, and Fees  

Students enrolled exclusively in online courses may choose one of two options to write this course’s proctored assessments:  

  1. You may choose to write the assessments online under supervision of Examity proctoring services. A $100 fee will be charged to your SOLUS account. This fee is known as the Off Campus Exam Admin Fee and is applied in SOLUS at the earlier of: term tuition posting date, or the date at which exam writing method is changed to online. The fee is assessed once per ASO course with proctored assessments.  
  2. You may choose to write the assessments in-person on Queen’s campus in Kingston at no additional charge.  

Students enrolled in at least one on-campus course are expected to write this course’s proctored assessments on-campus during the scheduled exam time. They will not be permitted to write this course’s proctored assessments online.

Students were prompted to indicate their preferred exam writing method when enrolling in the course in SOLUS. The exam writing method may be changed by contacting the ASO Exams Team at aso.exams@queensu.ca.  

Information for students writing online assessments using Examity

Selected assessments in this course will be administered in onQ using online proctoring provided by Examity, a third-party, cloud-based service. This proctoring solution was chosen to support our efforts in maintaining academic integrity when online proctoring is required. Queen’s has conducted an extensive privacy and security review of Examity and has entered into a binding agreement with terms that address the appropriate collection, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with Ontario’s privacy legislation. To learn more about online proctoring, please see the information provided by the Office of the University Registrar.  

If you registered to write online with Examity, all information pertaining to the technical requirements and preparation for writing online will be posted in onQ well in advance of your exam. 

The use of Examity as described is unique to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science Online. Other Faculties use online proctoring solutions in different ways under different regulations. Students should  contact the appropriate Faculty examination team if they have questions.  

Timing of Final Examinations  

The exam period dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under "Important Dates". Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted to SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should not make any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing them from writing their exams as scheduled should review the information about the Academic Consideration process

Textbook and Materials

ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at  to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.

  • Human Genetics, Concepts and Applications (Ricki Lewis, 12th edition, McGraw-Hill)

Time Commitment

Students can expect to spend approximately 10-11 hours a week (118 hours term total) in study/practice and online activity for BIOL 110.