Key Information
About the content
Genetics permeates every aspect of the 21st century, from our doctors' offices to our judicial systems. By the end of this course, you’ll be well prepared to deal with both today’s genetic issues and new questions that are sure to arise in the future.
This challenging but very rewarding course focuses on the genetics issues that impact our health and well-being, while providing the same rigorous examination of genetics principles as a college genetics course.
The course is taught in two parts. Part 1 consists of 6 modules followed by a final exam. You’ll learn how genes work and how the different versions we inherit affect our daily lives and our society. You’ll learn to evaluate predictions about health risk, why DNA fingerprinting is so powerful, and what analysis of your DNA does and doesn’t reveal.
Syllabus
- Why our DNAs are so similar but our appearances are so different
- How DNA differences affect gene functions
- What personal genomics can and can’t tell us
- Why cancer is usually caused by bad luck rather than bad decisions
- How to analyze your ancestry, even back to the Neanderthals
- How to communicate what you’ve learned to your family and community
Instructors
- Rosemary Redfield
Content Designer
The University of British Columbia was founded in Vancouver in 1908. The College of British Columbia is one of the most prestigious universities in North America, and ranks among the top universities in the world. UBC has more than 61,000 students, spread over the historic Vancouver campus (1908) and the Okanagan campus (2005), and an annual budget of 2.3 billion dollars.
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