Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with the basic principles of human genetics. Human genetics is an interdisciplinary course designed to meet the needs of both science and non-science majors. Students interested primarily in anthropology, psychology, sociology, as well as the health sciences, are encouraged to enroll. This course is transferable to the public universities in the state of Oregon, and this course partially satisfies the science requirement for both the associate's and bachelor's degrees.
To clarify the teaching of evolution and its place in the classroom, the Portland Community College Biology Departments stand by the following statements about what is science and how the theory of evolution is the major organizing theory in the discipline of biology, including human genetics.
 

1. Science is a fundamentally nondogmatic and self-correcting investigatory process. In the science, a theory is neither guess, dogma, nor myth. The theories developed through scientific investigation are not decided in advance, but can be and often are, modified and revised through observation and experimentation.
2. The theory of evolution meets the criterion of a scientific theory. In contrast, creation "science" is neither self-examining nor investigatory. Creation "science" is not considered a legitimate science, but a form of religious advocacy. This position was established by legal precedence (Webster vs. New Lenox School district, #122, 917 F. 2d 1004).

Biology instructors of Portland Community College will teach the theory of evolution not as absolute truth but as the most widely accepted scientific theory on the diversity of life. We, the Biology Subject Area Curriculum Committee at Portland Community College, therefore stand with such organizations as the National Association of Biology Teachers in opposing the inclusion of pseudo-science in our science curricula.

Upon successful completion students will be able to:
A. Synthesize and incorporate the fundamentals of gene technology in order to understand how such technology impacts humans.
B. Employ the scientific method to generate new knowledge, and to solve problems, regarding human heredity.
C. Apply to real life situations and one’s life the principles of human heredity.
D. Access historical and current knowledge regarding human heredity, and understand how such knowledge has influenced law, medicine and society.

Course outcome assessment may include a combination of the following:
 

1. student projects
2. student presentations
3. writing assignments (e.g., essays, book reviews, abstracts, term papers, etc.)
4. paper and pencil and/or electronic tests and quizzes
5. meta-cognitive journals
6. case histories
7. creation of a product (e.g., web page, power point, CD-ROM, poster, essay, newsletter, family pedigree, etc.)
8. creation of a portfolio
9. virtual laboratory activities (e.g., electrophoresis, chromosome mapping, blood work, karyotyping, PCR, etc.)
10. cognitive maps using appropriate software
11. oral quizzes and examinations

THEMES
 

1. Humans share with other living organisms self-replicating organic molecules-nucleic acids.
2. Humans carry nucleic acids which can be modified as part of natural processes and by artificial methods and technologies.
3. As with other living organisms, humans are part of evolutionary processes, and humans are not separate and removed from these processes.
4. As part of its genetic endowment, the gene pool of humans carries beneficial as well as deleterious genes.
5. Evolution is a an active biological process which impacts the human gene pool.
6. Humans are an integral part of the web-of-life.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS
 

1. reading
2. evaluating
3. analyzing
4. critical thinking skills
5. collaborating
6. integrating
7. problem solving
8. synthesizing
9. demonstrating
10. computational skills
11. creating
12. writing/word processing

HISTORICAL BASIS OF HUMAN HEREDITY
Instructional Goal:
The instructional goal is for the student to develop an understanding of the significant events, which have established the discipline of human genetics, and the individuals who have been involved in these events.
PHYSICAL BASIS OF INHERITANCE
Instructional Goal:
The instructional goal is to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of human chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis in humans.
PATTERNS OF TRANSMISSION
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop and understanding and skill in the mechanics of inheritance, patterns of inheritance, and Mendelian inheritance in humans.
PEDIGREE ANALYSIS AND PROBABILITY
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to assign a transmission pattern from a human pedigree and to calculate probabilities related to human pedigrees, genotypes, and phenotypes.
THE SEX CHROMOSOMES
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop student understanding of sex-linked inheritance, sex chromosomes, sex determination and development, and sex chromosomal abnormalities, sex-influenced, and sex-limited traits.
THE AUTOSOMES
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop the student's understanding of the autosomes and autosomal anomalies.
GENE STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, AND EXPRESSION
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop a thorough understanding of DNA structure, function and expression and specifically as it relates to recombinant DNA and genetic technology, fingerprinting.
BIOCHEMICAL GENETICS
Instructional Goals:
The goal is to develop an understanding of gene mutation, enzyme defect, and specific inborn errors of metabolism.
IMMUNOGENETICS
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop an understanding of the relationship between genetics and the immune system.
GENES AND CANCER
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop an understanding of the role of genes in cancer.
BEHAVORIAL GENETICS
Learning Goal:
The goal is to apply the principles of human genetics to select behaviors in humans.
TWINNING
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop an understanding of MZ, DZ, parasitic and conjoined twins.
GENES IN POPULATIONS
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop an understanding of the principles of population genetics as it applies to humans.
HUMAN DIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to apply the fundamental principles of evolution to human genetics.
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN HUMAN GENETICS
Instructional Goal:
The goal is to develop an understanding of human genetics as it relates to contemporary issues involving biology and genetics.