This course provides an interdisciplinary view of the DNA molecule and its impact upon medicine, law, philosophy, agriculture, ethics, politics, and society at large. The course has two parts. In the first part, we will learn the chemistry and physics of DNA and the processes by which the information stored in DNA is expressed. In the second part of the course, we will discuss what DNA has done and still can do for us--for example, treat and prevent genetic diseases, improve our food through genetic engineering, achieve criminal justice through genetic fingerprinting, understand the evolutionary origin of humans, and enrich our idea of what it is to be human. The course assumes basic knowledge of chemistry and biology at the general high school level. Independent exploration and inquiry are encouraged. |