This is the first of about two dozen meetings we shall have this semester. Each morning I plan to have an outline of the lecture ready for you to pick up at the front along with other pertinent material. This outline and those that follow will assist you in organizing your thoughts and notes over the semester. The outlines will be truly valuable as you study for the quizzes and final exam because much of the material we cover will either not be covered by your text, or it will be covered only briefly.

This morning we will spend most of our time getting organized and introducing you to one of the most central concepts in genetics and evolution: mutation. Today's meeting functions as a hook designed to stimulate your thinking about genetics and genetically related issues.

About The Course (See Next Page and Hand-out)

Text (See Hand-out)

Grading (See Hand-out)

About the Laboratories

Patterns of Transmission

Organization of the Genetic Material

Locating Genes on Chromosomes

Isolating Genes

Functions and Properties of the Genetic Material

Transcription (including Replication)

Translation

Mutation

Regulation of Gene Activity

Experimental Evidence for Various Ideas

Historical Roots of Modern Concepts

Genetic Analysis Through Data Analysis

Human and Social Issues

To illustrate the above themes, we will discuss how our view of mutation has evolved through experimental analysis. More specifically, we shall look at the question of pre-adaptive versus post-adaptive mutations, an issue that continues to be a source of controversy.