Welcome to HMB265H1F General and Human Genetics

Course Syllabus 2022-2023 Fall Session

Course Coordinators: Dr. Maria Papaconstantinou, Human Biology Program

Dr. Adriana Caragea, Human Biology Program

Course Instructors: Dr. Naomi Levy-Strumpf, Human Biology Program (Lectures 1-11)
Dr. Belinda Chang, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Cell & Systems
Biology (Lectures 12-23)

Lectures: Tuesdays 3:10 to 5:00 pm* and Fridays 1:10 to 2:00 pm, Convocation Hall.
Lecture sessions will be recorded and posted on Quercus.

*Lecture Review Session/Office Hours: Tuesdays 4:10 to 5:00 pm, Convocation Hall.
*Midterm Exam—Tuesday, October 18th from 3:10 to 4:20 pm.

TA Review Sessions: Fridays 3:10 to 5:00 pm, Online Synchronous via Zoom.
TA review sessions will be recorded and posted on Quercus.

Arts & Science Calendar Course Overview [24L, 12T]: An introduction to classical and modern
methods of genetic analysis. Topics include Mendelian genetics, the genetics of human populations
and disease, genomics, and applications of genetics to human society.
Prerequisite: BIO120H1, BIO130H1, (CHM135H1/CHM139H1, CHM136H1/ CHM138H1)/
CHM151Y1
Exclusion: BIO260H1/ BIO207H5
Recommended Preparation: Recommended Co-requisite: BIO230H1/BIO255H1
DR=SCI; BR=4

Course Description: An understanding of genetics is essential for all life science students and is
becoming increasingly important for all members of society. This course is designed to give you a
solid grounding in genetics. Topics include Mendelian genetics, the genetics of human populations
and disease, genomics, and applications of genetics to human society. A variety of activities—
lectures, readings, mandatory tutorial quizzes, and assignments—are planned to help you learn the
material. To do well in the course, we recommend that you participate fully in all of these activities
and that you keep up to date with the material. We hope you enjoy the course.

Lecture notes will be posted under Modules before the lecture. Make sure you have a copy of
the lecture notes in your possession well before quizzes, the midterm test and the exam in the
event of a problem accessing the course website.

If you have questions regarding the course material, please post them on the Discussions section
of the course website. We encourage students to answer questions too—this is a great way to make
sure you understand the material.

For questions of an administrative nature unrelated to course content, please post on the Discussions
section of the course website under “administrative questions”, or contact Dr. Maria
Papaconstantinou or Dr. Adriana Caragea via the course administrative email:
[email protected].
Required textbook and solutions manual (available at the U of T bookstore); solutions manual
only available online via Connect:
1. Goldberg ML, Fischer JA, Hood L and Hartwell LH (2021) Genetics: From Genes to Genomes,
7th edition, McGraw Hill, USA.
2. Goldberg ML, Fischer JA, Hood L and Hartwell LH (2021) Solutions Manual for Genetics: From
Genes to Genomes, 7th edition. McGraw Hill, USA.

Required Online Quizzical Assignments:

The Quizzical tool that is available on Quercus will be used to encourage students to create and
practice multiple choice questions, promoting dialogue amongst peers that can contribute to the
mastery of concepts and course terminology.

Each student is assigned 2 lectures (please check the Quizzical platform for the lecture dates
assigned to you). Students start off by writing their own multiple-choice questions based on course
material and receive a grade and feedback on their contributions. The question may be accepted “as
is” or sent back for revision. Questions are then added into the quiz bank if a minimum grade of 3.5
is achieved. Higher marks will be awarded to more creative application-based questions that
require critical thinking skills or concept integration. Students can access this bank at any time to
test themselves and prepare for tutorial quizzes and course exams and achieve participation marks
while doing so. The Quizzical assignment mark is composed of the two abovementioned
components: question composition (5%) and practice quizzes (5%).

Thus, your Quizzical assignments will count towards 10% of your final grade.

In order to receive your marks for the question composition component, you must post 1 multiple
choice question and 4 answer choices with justification, for 2 assigned lectures. As indicated in
the lecture schedule found below, the platform assigns the lecture numbers according to the
lecture date. Please ignore the lecture number assigned by the platform, the LECTURE DATE
is indicative of the lecture assigned to you. Once you are assigned a lecture, you will have 3 days
to submit your question following the assigned lecture, and your question can either be accepted or
sent back for minor revisions. Revisions are due within 2 days from the date you received the
revision notice. IMPORTANT: please sign up for Quercus notifications to avoid missing the
deadlines. Please review the due dates and times online on Quizzical. Your final assigned mark out
of 5 for each submitted question will count toward your final grade, thus you are encouraged to
create the best questions possible from the start and revise your questions when prompted to do so,
since effective revisions can help you achieve a higher mark.

*To receive full marks for the practice quizzes, you have to attempt a minimum of 5 questions per
lecture and score a minimum average of 60% per lecture. Practice quizzes are due 12 days after the
lecture date. After the 12 days, you can attempt as many practice quizzes as you would like,
however, these quizzes would not count toward your Quizzical mark or affect your Quizzical grade.

*Late penalties (100%) apply if the Quizzical questions or practice quizzes are not submitted
or completed by the due date & time.

Before you start, be sure to read the student guide posted on the course website under the Quizzical
module. Under the same module you could also find a tip sheet on how to write good multiple-
choice questions.
HMB265 Lecture Schedule:
Date Lecture Topic Textbook
Number Chapter*
Sep 9 1 The genetics & genomics of human biology 1
Forward Genetics
Sep 13 2 Mendelian genetics for single gene traits 1
Sep 16 3 Molecular basis of genetic polymorphisms and their 1, 7, 9, 12
Detection
Sep 20 4 Pedigree analysis 1
Sep 23 5 Extensions of Mendelian genetics I – dominance, co- 2
dominance, penetrance, expressivity
Sep 27 6 Extensions of Mendelian genetics II – 2, 8
complementation/allelism, epistasis
Sep 30 7 Sex-linked traits & chromosomal theory of inheritance 3, 4
Oct 4 8 Linkage & recombination 3, 5
Oct 7 9 Linkage mapping 5
Oct 11 10 Population genetics 24
Oct 14 11 Genomics & Midterm Exam Review 10, 25
Oct 18 Midterm exam (3:10 pm-4:20 pm)
Oct 21 12 Quantitative genetics 2, 9
Oct 25 13 Quantitative trait loci 25
Oct 28 14 Genetic mapping & complex traits 12
Reverse Genetics
Nov 1 15 Mutation 7, 9
Nov 4 16 Transposable elements 8, 9
Nov 8 Fall Reading Week-No classes
Nov 11 Fall Reading Week-No classes
Nov 15 17 Large-scale chromosomal changes I 14, 15
Nov 18 18 Large-scale chromosomal changes II 11, 14
Nov 22 19 Epigenetics 13, 20
Nov 25 20 Using genetics to understand development 22
Nov 29 21 Genetics of cancer 23
Dec 2 22 Gene therapy & gene editing 21
Dec 6 23 Final Exam Review
*Required pages will be posted in the lecture notes. Based on Goldberg, 7th edition.

Evaluation:
Term Mark (66%
or 67%) 25% Midterm exam (Oct. 18)
20% Tutorials (weekly)
10% Assignment (Nov. 14)
10% Quizzical Participation (starting Sept. 13 and ending Dec. 16)
1% Academic Resilience Workshop Reflection-1 (Sept. 18)
1% Academic Resilience Workshop Reflection-2 (Dec. 10) optional
Final Exam 33% (if opt-in for reflection-2) or 34% (if opt-out of reflection-2) (Final Assessment period)
Exams: Multiple choice and short answer questions.

Midterm exam:
Content: Lectures 2-11 and tutorials 1-4.
Date & time & location: Tuesday, October 18th, 3:10 – 4:20 pm, location TBA.
If you miss the midterm exam for a valid reason (see below), within five business days submit the
appropriate documentation (see below) online to the Human Biology Office.

Final exam:
Content: all lectures and tutorials.
During the Faculty of Arts and Science Final Assessment Period.

Academic Resilience Workshop (MANDATORY; Sept.13 from 4:10-5:00pm in Convocation

Hall):
On Sept. 13th the U of T’s Academic Resilience team joins us for an interactive workshop
“Principles for Success in HMB265: Rhythm, Practice & Resources”. They will discuss ways to
find a rhythm for this and other courses and explore effective practices and essential resources to
support your learning. This will help set you up for success in HMB265!

In this session they will explore the importance of...

 Creating a plan for a good rhythm for learning.
 Engaging in effective practices to support your learning
 Accessing resources when you encounter academic difficulties.

After the session you will be asked to reflect on how will you incorporate a rhythm for studying this
course into your schedule? What study practices or learning activities you plan to use to support your
learning? Etc.

*This reflection is worth 1% of your final grade. At the completion of the course, you will have the
option to reflect again on the effectiveness of the tools and techniques you learned in this workshop.
This will be worth another 1% of your grade. You can opt-out of the latter and the 1% will be
reweighed to your final exam.

*Late penalties (100%) apply if the workshop reflections are not submitted or completed by the
due date & time.

Tutorials (MANDATORY; Mondays weekly, starting Sept.19):

The tutorials follow a team-based learning format. All tutorials start with a short individual quiz (2/3
tutorial mark). See below for the pre-tutorial readings and problems for each tutorial. This
information, along with the associated lecture material and readings, will form the basis of the
quizzes. All the quizzes will be a combination of multiple choice and short-answer questions.
Students then discuss the reading/problems and answers in small groups. Each group hands in one
set of answers to the quiz based on their discussion (1/3 tutorial mark) before presenting to the
tutorial group. Students are not allowed to use cell phones, laptops, tablets, textbooks, lecture notes,
smart watches, etc. during tutorials. The only aid allowed is a non-programmable calculator that
students should bring to every tutorial. Please attend the tutorial that was assigned to you. If you are
not on the class list for that tutorial, you will not be allowed to stay in the tutorial. There are 10
tutorial quizzes but the total final quiz mark will be scaled out of 9. This means that you may
miss one tutorial without penalty. Should you miss more than one tutorial for a valid reason, see
the missed tutorial quiz/midterm test policy and follow the procedures outlined there. For up to two
missed quizzes (after the first no-penalty missed quiz) the weight of those two quizzes will be
redistributed across the other tutorial quiz marks. For more than two missed quizzes, the weight of
the missed quizzes will be reweighed into the midterm and/or final exam. Students who only miss
one tutorial, even for valid reason, will still start their final quiz mark scaled out of 9. For this
reason, it is not necessary to submit documentation for your first missed tutorial (i.e. it will not give
you any advantage).

Tutorial Schedule of Assigned Readings and Problems (to be completed before tutorial):
Date Number Assignment
Sep 12 No tutorial

Sep 19 1 Chapter 1 Problems: 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33,
and 34
Sep 26 2 Chapter 1 Problems: 20, 21, 25, 36, 37, 38, 43, and 44
Chapter 2 Problems: 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, and 15
Oct 3 3 Chapter 2 Problems: 28, 29, 32, 34, 39, 41, 48, 53, 54 and 57
Chapter 3 Problems: 3 and 17
Chapter 4 Problems: 21, 24, 25, 26, 31, and 32
Chapter 8 problems: 4, 5, 6, and 17
Oct 10 Thanksgiving Day—No tutorial

Oct 17 4 Chapter 5 Problems: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 27, and 29
Chapter 24 Problems: 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 19, and 20
Oct 24 5 Writing in your own words: tutorial to help you write the HMB265 assignment.

Assigned readings:
i) “How not to Plagiarize” by Dr. Margaret Procter at
http://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize/
ii) “Paraphrasing and Summary” by Jerry Plotnick at
http://www.uc.utoronto.ca/paraphrase
iii) Parts A and B of the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic
Matters. Document linked in tutorial section of the course website.
Bring a copy of the front page of a primary journal article that you have chosen for
the assignment to tutorial.
(Quiz on assigned readings and short answer assignment based on a writing
assignment using an article)
Oct 31 6 Chapter 2 Problems: 47, 49, and 56
Chapter 12 Problems: 33, 35, 36, and 38
Chapter 25 Problems: 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31,
and 32
Nov 7 Chapter 21 Problems:
Fall Reading Week—No 10tutorial
and 11

Nov 14 7 Hand in hard copy of assignment.

Chapter 8 Problems: 15, 16, 18, and 20
Chapter 9 Problems: 42, 44, and 45
Chapter 14 Problems: 27, 28, and 30
Nov 21 8 Chapter 14 Problems: 3, 8, 10, 13, 19, 22, and 24
Chapter 15 Problems: 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, and 19
Nov 28 9 Chapter 4 Problems: 36, 37 and 38
Chapter 20 Problems: 2, 3, and 4
Chapter 22 Problems: 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35
Dec 5 10 Chapter 21 Problems: 29, 30, and 31
Chapter 23 Problems: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 15, and 22
Assignment*: submit 2 copies by November 14,
1) A hard copy to your TA before your tutorial begins
2) An electronic copy to Ouriginal.com via Quercus under the “Modules” section before 9 am on the
due date
*Late penalties (100%) apply if any of the copies are not submitted by the due date & time (see
below for accommodations).

This course uses Ouriginal. All written assignments will be required to be submitted to ouriginal.com
via Quercus. “Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to the University’s
plagiarism detection tool for a review of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In
doing so, students will allow their essays to be included as source documents in the tool’s reference
database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that
apply to the University’s use of this tool are described on the Centre for Teaching Support &
Innovation web site (https://uoft.me/pdt-faq).].” Information on how to access Ouriginal for this
course will be available on Quercus after the course starts.

Put your name, student number, topic and your TA’s name on the first page of your assignment.

The assignment must be written in your own words and be done on an individual basis. It cannot
contain material submitted for marks in another course. Copying or working closely with others on
an assignment is considered plagiarism. This is a serious academic offense. All parties involved will
receive a mark of zero for the assignment. In addition, a letter documenting the case of plagiarism
will be sent by the Director of the Human Biology Program to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and
Science. This letter becomes part of the student’s academic folder within Faculty of Arts and
Science. The Dean will then consider further disciplinary action. Make sure you keep your own
work in a secure location and do not share answers with others.

Please contact Dr. Maria Papaconstantinou or Dr. Adriana Caragea at the HMB265 email
([email protected]) at least one week before the assignment due date to request an
extension if you have a long-term illness or condition that prevents you from being able to complete
the assignment on time. Extensions will not be granted if this step is not followed. Complete the
HMB missed assessment form (https://www.hmb.utoronto.ca/missed_assessment). If an extension is
granted, the assignment is still due, with a maximum extension of ONE WEEK if the above is
followed and the reason validated. Do NOT wait for confirmation from the program office to submit,
because confirmation will not come. An extension cannot be made on top of a previously granted
extension. Short-term illnesses are not considered to be an excuse for handing in an assignment late.
Late penalties will apply if an extension is not granted and any of the copies are not submitted
by the due date and time—100% deduction per day.

About academic integrity:

The University of Toronto treats cases of academic misconduct very seriously. Academic integrity is
a fundamental value of learning and scholarship at the UofT. Participating honestly, respectfully,
responsibly, and fairly in this academic community ensures that your UofT degree is valued and
respected as a true signifier of your individual academic achievement.

The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters outlines the behaviours that
constitute academic misconduct, the processes for addressing academic offences, and the penalties
that may be imposed. You are expected to be familiar with the contents of this document. Potential
offences include, but are not limited to:
In papers and assignments:
•Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
•Submitting your own work in more than one course.
•Making up sources or facts.
•Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment (this includes working in groups
on assignments that are supposed to be individual work).

On tests and exams:

•Using or possessing any unauthorized aid, including a cell phone.
•Looking at someone else’s answers.
•Letting someone else look at your answers.
•Misrepresenting your identity.
•Submitting an altered test for re-grading.

Any instance of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student Academic
Integrity. For further information on you may wish to visit
https://www.academicintegrity.utoronto.ca/perils-and-pitfalls/ and
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice.

Missed Tutorial Quizzes and Midterm Test Policy:

This course follows the University of Toronto's Policies on missed tests and quizzes and follows the
Human Biology Program's procedures for missed tests and quizzes. Students are expected to follow
these policies and procedures as they will be strictly enforced. Please note that this policy applies
to everything due in this course.

Steps of what to do if you fail to write a quiz or midterm test for a valid reason only:

1. Fill out the HMB Missed Assessment Form: https://www.hmb.utoronto.ca/missed_assessment

• A copy of this form and its details will be emailed to you and to your instructor; this is how
you notify your course instructor.

2. Self-declare your absence on ACORN

 The HMB program office will ONLY contact you if there is an issue

3. There are no make-up tutorial quizzes in the course, but the tutorial grade will be re-weighted if
Steps 1 and 2 listed above are completed. Please note any reweighs will happen at the end of
term when final grades are calculated.

4. For the midterm test, there will be one opportunity for a make-up midterm exam that will be
granted to students on Friday, October 28th if Steps 1 and 2 listed above are completed.

Please note that the HMB Missed Assessment Form must be submitted within five (5) business
dates of the missed test/quiz date.

Copyright Notice: Lecture Recording and Sharing Notes:

Students may create audio-recordings of the lectures for their personal use. Recordings are intended
to permit lecture content review so as to enhance understanding of the topics presented. Audio-
recordings are not substitutes for attending class.
Students should note that since audio recordings are to be permitted, their voice may be recorded by
others during the class. Please speak to the instructor if this is a concern for you.
In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, persons who have
special needs will be accommodated.
Students agree to the following terms when creating audio recordings of lectures:
• Recordings are not to be distributed without the permission of the instructor via the Internet, using
social media such as Facebook, peer-to-peer file sharing such as One Drive or Dropbox, or other
distribution channels.
• Recordings are not to be shared with other classmates unless they are to be used in collaborative
assignments, or if the instructor permits for other reasons.
Non-compliance with these terms violates an instructor’s intellectual property rights and the
Canadian Copyright Act. Students violating this agreement will be subject to disciplinary actions
under the Code of Student Conduct.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

The university experience can be a challenging one, there is no need to go about it alone. If you or
anyone you know could use someone to talk to (or text with), here are some resources in addition to
your instructors, program coordinators, and TAs:

 Your college registrar and Office of the Deans of Students/Division of Student Life
 SSP [24/7, talk in 146 languages & text in 35 languages]: available on Apple App Store and
Google Play Store.
 Good 2 Talk Student Helpline [24/7]: 1-866-925-5454
 Gerstein Centre [24/7]: 416-929-5200
ACADEMIC SUPPORT

 Writing Centre for all writing-related help (https://writing.utoronto.ca/writing-centres/arts-

and-science/)
 Study Hubs for weekly goal-oriented study sessions
(https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/program/study-hubs/)
 Recognized Study Groups to connect with fellow students in the same class
(https://sidneysmithcommons.artsci.utoronto.ca/recognized-study-groups/)
 Learning Strategist for one-on-one help to improve learning strategies
(https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/service/learning-strategist-connections/)

Important Notes:

1. Late submission of assignments is subject to a late penalty of 100% per day.

2. Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to the University’s plagiarism
detection tool for a review of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so,
students will allow their essays to be included as source documents in the tool’s reference database,
where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the
University’s use of this tool are described on the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation web site
(https://uoft.me/pdt-faq).].
3. This course, including your audio participation, will be recorded on video and will be available to
students in the course for viewing remotely and after each session. Course videos and materials
belong to your instructor, the University, and/or other sources depending on the specific facts of each
situation, and are protected by copyright. Do not download, copy, or share any course or student
materials or videos without the explicit permission of the instructor. For questions about recording
and use of videos in which you appear please contact your instructor.
4. Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you
have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach
us and/or Accessibility Services at (416) 978 8060; accessibility.utoronto.ca (Academic Handbook,
2.19).
5. The contents of this syllabus may change.