Course Description

BI 307 BEHAVIORAL GENETICS   3.0 Credit(s)
This course is designed to familiarize students with the most up to date research at the intersection of genes, neuroscience and behavior. Topics covered include the genetics of aggression and crime, learning and memory, sleep-wake cycles and intelligence, as well as conditions such as ADHD and schizophrenia. This will involve looking at the latest research into the association between our genes and our behavior, and the role model organisms play in elucidating the mechanisms behind these effects. The course will connect genetics to the development and activity of the neurons that control behavior, and explore what happens when this goes wrong. We will debate the ethical consequences of this research, and students will also investigate the relationship between their own genetic make-up and natural behavioral variations, testing the veracity of previously published research. At the end of the course students will be able to answer for themselves the age-old question of whether it is nature or nurture that determines how we act. Prerequisite: Take BI-201 BI-203
Offered: All Semesters All Years