STSC 021 From Darwin to DNA *NEW*
Offered:Fall 2009
Lindee W 2-5
Freshman Seminar
In this freshman seminar, we consider the history of genetics and genomics, from the Darwinian theory of evolution (1859) to the completion of the mapping of the human genome (2004). We will look at how Darwin thought about heredity, how Mendel's work was interpreted, how ideas about heredity changed in the early twentieth century, how experimental organisms like mice and flies became important to genetics research, how technologies for manipulating genes opened up new possibilities and new ethical questions, and how mapping and sequencing human genes facilitated the rise of genomic medicine and consumer genomics today. This course will help students understand the importance of genetics and genomics in our contemporary world by providing them with critical historical perspectives.
