BISC 480 - Developmental Biology - Spring 2008
This course is designed to introduce upper-level undergraduates and early graduate students to the field of developmental biology. Students are expected to have had core Biology classes (BISC 120L, 220L, 320L) as well as their associated prerequisites.
Lecturers:
Samantha Butler HNB 201a 821-1161
Xuelin WuMCB 304b
Office hours by appointment any time (arranged via email)
TA: Emma Watson
Textbook: Principles of Development (3nd ed.), Lewis Wolpert, Oxford, 2007
Lecture: 10:00 - 11:50pm TuTh HNB100
Discussion: 2-3:30pm W, 10:00-11:30am F, HNB 120F
NOTE: The discussion section is an important part of this course. It complements the lectures with discussion, study questions, films, exercises, and demonstrations. In addition, quizzes will be given during discussion sections (no make-ups if you don't attend).
Course materials (syllabus, readings, lecture figures, etc.) will be available on Blackboard: Please check this site frequently for course information.
Overview and Course Content:
What is Developmental Biology? Developmental Biology encompasses the study of development in all living organisms, at every level of analysis. Clearly, all organisms build themselves from simpler beginnings. However two eggs that are indistinguishable at fertilization can give rise to a whale and a mouse, respectively. How is a complex organism made? We will pursue the biological analysis of life’s progression from fertilization to maturity.
The aim of this course is to introduce students to fundamental aspects of development, from molecular to organismal levels, including:
- Determination of cell fate: cell-autonomous specification and induction
- Cell-Cell interactions and signal transduction
- Regulation of gene expression: differential gene expression
- Patterning of tissues & organs: morphogenesis
We also want to encourage you to learn to evaluate data and evidence, to think critically, and to express your ideas both verbally and in writing. These are skills that will last you a lifetime.
PLEASE NOTE: Research seminars (talks) by nationally known scientists are sponsored by:
the Molecular Biology Section every Friday at noon; the Neurobiology Section every Tuesday at 4 pm; the Marine Biology Section every Tuesday at noon. Speakers and titles are announced in class and posted around AHF, HNB, and ACB. Your studies will prepare you to understand most of these seminars. By attending you will reinforce your knowledge and gain an appreciation of research at the leading edge of this exciting field.
DATE______SUBJECT______LECTURER______
JAN 15IntroductionSJB
17FertilizationXW
22Cleavage and the specification of body axes“
24 Gastrulation and the induction of mesoderm“
29 Neurulation: the induction of the nervous system“
31 Drosophila embryogenesis“
FEB 5 Drosophila embryogenesis“
7Drosophila embryogenesis“
12Celegans early development“
14Plant embryogenesis“
19 Midterm 1
21 Vertebrate body planSJB
26 Limb development“
28 The development of the Internal Organs “
MAR 4Neural patterning“
6Neurogenesis“
11Migration“
13Axon guidance“
17-22Spring Recess
25Synaptogensis“
27Putting it all together: the formation of the invertebrate eye“
APR 1Putting it all together: the formation of the vertebrate eye “
3Midterm 2
8The development of flowersXW
10Plant meristems “
15 Stem cellsSJB
17 Cell death “
22 RegenerationXW
24 Evo-devo“
29Review SessionXW
MAY 1Review SessionSJB
MAY ? Final Exam (Exam 3 plus comprehensive questions), 2:00 - 4:00
The schedule and topics may be modified as the semester progresses. Reading assignments will be made the day of each lecture for that topic. Many journals publish articles presenting new findings in developmental biology. Some of the ones you may wish to browse through on-line or in Seaver Science Library include Science, Nature, Development, Developmental Biology, Genes & Development, Trends in Genetics, Trends in Neuroscience, Cell, and Neuron. An invaluable reference source that enables you to look up specific topics and articles is the PubMed website ( run by the National Library of Medicine. PubMed also includes a wonderful feature called Bookshelf, which includes interactive on-line access to many textbooks ( including Developmental Biology (6th ed.) by Scott Gilbert.
ADVICE FOR THE SERIOUS STUDENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
First of all, welcome to the study of developmental biology! We are ardent enthusiasts of this topic, and we hope you will be too. As an aid to learning in this course (and in general) we have taken the liberty of listing a few suggestions or guidelines.
1. Always come to class. No exceptions - no kidding. If you could learn it all out of a book, you wouldn't need to come to any classes. In this particular course, a lot of material will be covered in class that will not be covered in the reading, so it behooves you to come to each lecture. In addition, consider that the instructor of a college-level course has generally spent years studying the topic at hand, and you should take advantage of this fact - not just by attending class but by participating in an active fashion. Above all else, be sure and ask questions, especially if you don't understand or get lost. Forget worrying about looking dumb or inattentive and remember the most basic rule of any course: the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.
2. Taking notes in class is important, but an even more important exercise is to review your notes for 5 or 10 minutes WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE TIME YOU TOOK THEM. Reviewing your notes very briefly will have an amazing and lasting effect. First, you can verify and correct them. If there are points that seem unclear, you can ask for explanation at the beginning of the next class. You can think about the information in an in-depth way, which is difficult to do in class when you are trying to take notes and keep up with the flow of the lecture. You can ask yourself questions about the material to extend your understanding. You should always ask yourself why a particular piece of information is important and what it means; you should also try to think of additional questions and how to test them. Remember, your teacher is there only as a tour guide. How well you learn and understand the material is completely up to you. This is a big responsibility, but it is well worth it since by far and away the most valuable knowledge is self-taught and self-achieved. Do yourself a favor and plan on taking a truly active role in learning the subject matter of any course. The more you get used to the idea the easier it will be to take the initiative in learning new information and ideas.
3. You should keep up with the reading. You may wish to look over the assigned reading before class and skim through the major points. You should definitely do the reading soon after the relevant lecture, before you forget the material covered in the lecture. The scenario you should avoid is the one where you begin to read 6-8 complex, detailed chapters less than a week before an exam. It's not that it is impossible to get through the reading and do OK on the exam - some people can get by. However, your ability to remember the material and to develop your own critical ideas and appraisal of the information will be severely limited.
4. On the subject of grades: Generally speaking, your professor does not care what grade you get. They are much more concerned with what you actually know and understand. As a matter of general policy, you shouldn't worry about the grade. You should get excited about the subject material and study for the sheer love of learning and for the intellectual excitement of discovering a discipline that is new to you. If you are keeping up with the work and following the excellent advice in this hand-out, the grades will follow naturally.
5. Your college years are precious ones. This may be the last time in your life when you will have the luxury and the freedom to study a potentially unlimited array of topics, not only in science, but in all fields. You should consider making the most of this opportunity while it lasts . . . We're here to help. Good luck!
ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING
Points
2 take-home essays @ 50 pts each 100
Exams 1, 2 @ 100 pts each200
1 final exam 100
Discussion quizzes/exercises @ 10-20 pts each 100
500 points total
XWassigns essay 1 on ? due ?
SJB assigns essay 2 on ?due ?
The instructors may, at their discretion, weight the final grades according to class participation. You can therefore increase the probability of getting a higher grade by being proactive in terms of asking questions in class and/or contributing to discussions. Quizzes given during Discussion should be treated as absolutely confidential until AFTER both Discussion sections have met – be sure not to discuss the quizzes with anyone who has not already taken the quiz during a given week.
Essays must be type-written (double-spaced) and should be approximately 2 pages in length (maximum 650 words). Two questions will be handed out on the day each essay is assigned, and you will select one of these questions and write a cogent, succinct essay in answer to the question. Essays are due by 2 pm on the assigned date - no late essays will be accepted without a written excuse from a medical doctor.
These essays are intended to help you practice writing and to allow you to study the questions and think about them in a relaxed way. You should study your notes and reading, think about the question and make a well-organized outline of the points you wish to cover, and plan on trying to write the actual essay in approximately 30-60 minutes. Your written essays will be returned to you in the week after they are due in order to go over the comments. If you wish to request a re-grade, you must submit your essay within one week of receiving it, along with a written explanation of why you think your answer deserves more credit. Your grade may go either up or down as a result of a re-grade.
Exam dates are firm. There are no makeup exams in this course without a written excuse from a medical doctor (including a phone number). Regrading of exams: if you think an answer was graded incorrectly, you may seek a regrade. You must provide a typewritten explanation of why you think your answer deserves more credit. When a regrade request is submitted, then the entire exam may be subject to a regrade. Your grade may therefore go up, go down, or remain the same. Regrade requests must be received within two weeks of the day the exam was returned to the class. Academic integrity policies of the university will be strictly followed. Infractions can result in severe penalties.
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP when adequate documentation is filed. Please be sure the letter is delivered to Professor Butler as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301and is open 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday thru Friday. Phone number: 213-740-0776.
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