Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is a college-level class being offered simultaneously to new students at Duke University. The course gives interested people a very basic overview of some principles behind these very fundamental areas of biology. We often hear about new "genome sequences," commercial kits that can tell you about your ancestry (including pre-human) from your DNA or disease predispositions, debates about the truth of evolution, why animals behave the way they do, and how people found "genetic evidence for natural selection." This course provides the basic biology you need to understand all of these issues better, tries to clarify some misconceptions, and tries to prepare students for future, more advanced coursework in Biology (and especially evolutionary genetics). No prior coursework is assumed.
Introduction to Genetics and Evolution
Instructor: Dr. Mohamed Noor
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There are 12 modules in this course
General introduction to this MOOC, including coverage and expectations.
What's included
2 readings
This module discusses the definition of the word "evolution" in a biological context, evidence for the truth of evolution and common ancestry of species, and public thoughts and misconceptions about biological evolution. This module is optional and will not be included in the course assessments. There are not class discussion forums for this section, as we feel such discussion can happen on other, non-course-related, sites on this topic (of which there are a great many on the internet).
What's included
5 videos1 reading
An introduction to basic transmission genetics and inheritance. This module reflects what is often covered in high school biology courses in the USA.
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments
This module delves somewhat more deeply into genetics and specifically the concept of "recombination." It begins to discuss how recombination is leveraged in classic genetic works as well as mapping simple genetic traits using crosses or data from natural populations.
What's included
7 videos1 reading2 assignments
This module delves even more deeply into the complexities of the genetics underlying traits,the origin of genetic variation, and how "complex" traits (ones controlled by multiple genes) are studied genetically.
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments
This module begins the transition to evolutionary genetics by looking at the relative contributions of genetics and environment to traits, and also introduces how population growth is studied.
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments
Rather than looking at individuals, this module discusses how multiple individuals from natural populations can be studied genetically to begin to understand the evolutionary forces acting upon the populations.
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments
This module extends the previous one to specifically examine the effects of natural selection and genetic drift on genetic variation in natural populations.
What's included
7 videos1 reading2 assignments
This advanced module explains why sexual reproduction (involving recombination) is evolutionarily advantageous, and discusses how the analysis of DNA sequences can be used to understand the evolutionary forces acting on populations or species, either in general or at specific genes.
What's included
7 videos1 reading2 assignments
This module changes gears a bit to look at the exciting field of animal behavior-- specifically, how particular behaviors are or may be adaptive, and why individuals choose particular others as mates.
What's included
5 videos1 reading2 assignments
This module gets into the nitty gritty of what causes the formation of new species, and how evolutionary relationships between species are inferred.
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments
This final module talks about applications and misapplications of many of the concepts discussed in the course to human health, understanding, and well-being. This module is optional and not included in the assessments.
What's included
2 videos1 reading
Instructor
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Basic Science
Universiteit Leiden
Rice University
Johns Hopkins University
American Museum of Natural History
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Reviewed on May 17, 2020
A good course loaded with information.
Reviewed on Sep 27, 2017
Very good course that prepared me for Genetics at Pima Community College in Tucson. I am able to follow the lectures and actually understand what is being presented. I am glad I took this course.
Reviewed on Aug 11, 2022
A new subject for me to get to grips with (as a programmer) and there were many areas I struggled with, but ultimately an enjoyable and eye-opening introduction to the subject.
New to Basic Science? Start here.
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Frequently asked questions
No. Completion of a Coursera course does not earn you academic credit from Duke; therefore, Duke is not able to provide you with a university transcript. However, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.