The Stuyvesant High School Online Course Guide

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1. The student goals of this one-term course are to:

•Explore the study of heredity in humans.
•Become proficient in the interpretation of genetic disease patterns in human families.
•Understand the clinical approaches to diagnosing and treating human genetic disease.
•Understand human molecular genetic and genomic analytic approaches.

2. The Central Question: What makes human genetics unique?

•Modern eukaryotic genetic analysis has exploded in the last 70-100 years.
•The structure of the human genome is complex.
•Many genetic diseases are not caused by just one problem.
•Genetic diseases are incurable because they target the DNA of every cell of a person.
•The approaches used by scientists to identify and study genetic disease are complex.
•The Human Genome project promises to identify the genetic basis for many diseases.
•The search for treatments for these diseases is a major goal of clinical geneticists.

3. How we will study this subject:

I. Classroom Instruction:

•Classical analysis techniques: Punnett squares and Probabilities for 1-gene inheritance
•Human Heredity I: Genetic diseases and pedigrees for 1-gene disorders
•Human Heredity II: Chromosome structure and basis for abnormalities in it
•Human Heredity III: Gene structure and molecular basis for genetic abnormality•
•Analysis of Genetic Diseases: Karyotyping, Clinical Cytogenetics, Molecular Analysis
•Treatment and Prevention: Protein Replacement, Gene Therapy, Stem Cells, IVF
•Characterization of the Human Genome: Approaches, Database Exploration
•Ethics of: Genetic Counseling, Genomics, Therapies, Prevention

II. Final Culmination Project: Written and Oral Presentation

•Students will develop an original proposal for treatment of one human genetic disease.

4. Prerequisites and Requirements: Successful completion of Biology Living Environment SL1 and SL2 or equivalents, Biology/LE Regents Proficiency. Offered to students in Grades 10, 11 and 12. Spring term only.

5. Grading Policy and Assessments: 70% Exams including cumulative final, 20% Final Project (oral presentation and written report),10% Homework and regular assessment in class. This course is one of several possible prerequisites for Hospital Internship.