These images from the Smithsonian Institution depict Nancy Knowlton's work with snapping shrimp in Panama. Knowlton found that the closing of the isthmus -- dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean -- resulted in new species of shrimp.
This course will sample the broad diversity of animal behavior and the behavioral adaptation of animals to the environments in which they live. This will include discussion of both field observations and controlled laboratory experiments. Particular emphasis will be placed on the comparison of behavior within an evolutionary framework, animal cognition, and on the genetic, neural, and hormonal mechanisms underlying behavior.
The homeobox genes that define the basic body plan of mice and fruit flies are illustrated in this graphic from The Human Evolution Coloring Book by Adrienne Zihlman. The accompanying article describes how these genes act as molecular architects in all animal species.
Paul Nurse describes his research that showed that humans share some genes with organisms as different from us as simple brewer's yeast. Footage from Secret of Life: "Immortal Thread."
These photographs supplied by Genelex Corporation depict actual DNA fingerprints and show the types of information that can be gleaned from them.
Take a peek at the artistic side of science in this virtual exhibit, featuring work by Eva Sutton, Alexis Rockman and Sidney Harris.
This image of polydactyly illustrates one symptom of Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, which is commonly found in the Amish. Ellis-van Creveld is one example of the founder effect and genetic drift.
This video segment from NOVA: "Cracking the Code of Life" looks at the potential created by understanding the human genome.
This video segment from the Secret of Life School Video: "On the Brink: Portraits of Modern Science" explores the genetics of breast cancer.
The shared set of genes for body segments, possessed by all animals, are discussed in this video segment from Evolution: "Great Transformations."
This video segment from NOVA: "Cracking the Code of Life" explores the genetic similarities and differences among organisms.
Learn how genetic disorders are passed from parents to children as explained in this excerpt from Blazing a Genetic Trail, from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
From The Human Evolution Coloring Book by Adrienne Zihlman, four different proteins from humans and horses are compared in this graphic and article, and the reasons each protein evolves at its own characteristic rate are discussed. Each protein is useful for measuring evolutionary change over a different time scale.
Roles of neural plasticity in learning and memory and in development of invertebrates and mammals. An in-depth critical analysis of current literature of molecular, cellular, genetic, electrophysiological, and behavioral studies. Discussion of original papers supplemented by introductory lectures.
The purpose of this course is to explore the subject of human disease, placing special emphasis on the cause of disease at the tissue level. The student will pay close attention to the underlying mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate the disease state. The student will begin this course with a basic review of molecules, cells, and tissues in the human body, then discuss the inflammatory reaction and the immune system. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: explain how atoms combine to form larger molecules such as proteins and carbohydrates; compare and contrast inflammation, the innate (non-specific) immune response, and the adaptive immune response; define the term infectious disease, giving examples of causative agents and resulting disease states; differentiate between apoptosis and necrosis; describe how normal cells become immortalized to become cancer cells; compare and contrast diseases involving an overactive and underactive immune system, including SCID, HIV, allergies, and asthma as examples; explain how an autoimmune response leads to diseases such as Type 1 diabetes mellitus and lupus (SLE); explain how genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, are passed from parents to offspring and the changes that occur to the cells involved; describe how changes in the skeletal system and skeletal muscle anatomy and physiology lead to the development of diseases such as osteoporosis and muscular dystrophy; identify the changes that occur in the circulatory system with atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction; outline the major changes that occur in renal diseases such as glomerulonephritis; diagram the levels of damage seen with first-, second-, and third-degree burns; write a list of cellular and tissue changes seen with various diseases, including cirrhosis of the liver, thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism, nervous system diseases like Alzheimer's, and in sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis; identify major changes that occur to a body postmortem and how the autopsy is used to recognize normal and abnormal changes. (Biology 402)
This video segment from NOVA: "18 Ways to Make a Baby" describes a technique used to determine the health of a developing embryo.
This figure from Human Genetics: Concepts and Applications by Ricki Lewis identifies techniques used to collect cells from fetuses for genetic testing.
In this article by the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Human Genome Research, find answers to your questions about genetic testing.
