RESEARCH IN MOLECULAR GENETICS

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RESEARCH IN MOLECULAR GENETICS

• BASIC INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

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Concept of Course

• Best way to learn science is by doing science

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What is the best way to learn piano?

• Reading how to play piano in a text book.
• Listening to a lecture on playing piano.
• Practicing playing piano.

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What is the best way to learn how to play
baseball?

• Studying a book on baseball.
• Listening to a lecture on how to play baseball.
• Playing baseball

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Unfortunately, science is a complex subject

• It does require learning a lot of facts
• Remember science last year?
• What you get in school (from 1st grade to 4th
  year of college) is a recitation of what science
  has found out.
• In essence, you learn the history of science.

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Facts important, but not the whole story

• Memorizing facts is only a small part of science

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By actually doing science

• You will experience what real science is about.
• Truly, know if you like science or not.

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Hopefully, you will come to appreciate the

• Beauty
• Excitement
• Fun
• Creativity
• Of the scientific enterprise

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Hopefully, by actually doing science

• You will learn the discoveries of science (the
  facts) as a by product of your activities
• You will see how these facts are applied to real
  life situations
• Thus facts will have a greater depth of meaning
  and relevance

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Hopefully, you will also learn that science is a
people activity

• It depends on people trying to persuade one
  another that theyre right and the other guy is
  wrong.

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Hopefully, you will see that science requires

• Practice
• Creativity
• Intellect
• Persuasive ability
• Writing skills
• Social skills
• Much more

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The goals of this course is

• To learn the basic principles of molecular
  genetics
• Learn how science operates

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Why is this important?

• In the 21st century our ability to manipulate
  biology will require the public to make momentous
  decisions.
• These decisions should be made from an informed
  point of view.

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Such decisions may involve

• Stem cell research and its applications
• Cloning and its applications
• Creating designer babies
• DNA identification cards
• Transgenic organisms
• Genetic testing for life and health insurance and
  job applications
• Gene patenting

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Why molecular Genetics?

• Foundation of all the biological sciences.
• An understanding of genes is central to an
  understanding of all biology.
• All of the various facts that seem to be
  unrelated in biology can be woven into a coherent
  whole with molecular genetics as the unifying
  concept.

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Connecting diverse branches of biology with
molecular genetics

• Developmental biology-Ultimately is the study of
  what genes are turned on and what genes are
  turned off (gene regulation).
• Physiology and morphology-Ultimately is the study
  of what proteins are expressed by genes.
• Ecology-Ultimately is the study of genetic
  changes that allow for adaptation to the
  environment
• Evolution-Ultimately is the study of change in
  gene frequency in a population over time.
• Taxonomy-Ultimately is the study of genetic
  differences and similarities between species.

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Definition of molecular genetics

• The study of the biological molecules that pass
  information from generation to generation.
• It involves the study of the structure and
  activity of the genetic material at the molecule
  level.
• The major biological molecules involved are DNA
  and proteins.

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Activities of genetic material

• It makes copies of itself-DNA replication
  (involves DNA and proteins)
• Genes are turned on and off as needed-transcriptio
  n and translation (involves nucleic acids and
  proteins)
• Changes in DNA-mutations
• Products of genes-phenotype (involves nucleic
  acids, protein structure and function)

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Structure of genetic material

• Chromosome-is the structure that contains the
  genetic material that is passed from generation
  to generation.
• Consists of one long DNA molecule and proteins.

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Relationship between chromosome,DNA, and gene

• Chromosome-structure within cell that contains
  the genetic material as threadlike DNA surrounded
  by proteins
• DNA-A nucleic acid molecule that contains the
  genetic information.
• Gene-Segment of DNA (on a specific site on a
  chromosome) that is responsible for the physical
  and inheritable characteristics (trait) of an
  organism usually by specifying a protein.

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Closer look at gene on DNA
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More detailed look at gene and DNA