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Genes and Evolution is a level 2 Biology course, relevant to all students in biological sciences. Genetics and evolution are the two major unifying themes in biology –they were discovered by biologists that everyone has heard of, like Darwin, Mendel, Crick and Watson – and they are so inextricably linked that we have taken the decision to bring them together in a single course.
A large part of the information that specifies the form and development of an organism is encoded in the DNA sequence of its genes. This information is translated into the proteins that build and maintain the organism. These principles apply to all forms of life, from viruses all the way to humans. But the DNA sequence is not identical in all members of a species – diversity is generated by the two processes (mutation, recombination) that we introduced in the first year courses. It is this diversity that evolution acts upon. According to the principle of natural selection (first described by Charles Darwin), some organisms in a population are better adapted to survive, because of the particular combination of genes they have, and therefore more likely to breed and pass on their genes to the next generation. In this way, a species gradually changes (evolves) over time. Ultimately, part of a species may become so different that it gives rise to a new species.
By looking at organisms and their genes, we can see the evidence of these changes, and we will consider many examples in the course. We can also look at evolution from a mathematical viewpoint – it can be described as changes in the relative frequencies of different forms (alleles) of a species’ various genes, over a period of time. This study is called Population Genetics and we shall be introducing you to it in the course. Population genetics has many interesting applications, for example in understanding why some apparently harmful genetic diseases are common in some parts of the world.
There are 36 lectures (3 per week over the 12 weeks of the course), 6 practical sessions (one of which is computer-based) and 2 online assignments. The staff comes from several Schools in the College of Life Sciences and Medicine. Assessment is by a combination of a written examination and coursework (see later in the Manual for full details).
We (the teaching staff) have enjoyed putting together this course. We hope you are going to enjoy actually doing it!
When you have successfully completed the course, you will have gained a solid understanding of the following. Some of the key terms are in bold type:
• The rules of genetic inheritance, including segregation and linkage
• The role of genetic mutation in generating diversity, and the molecular basis and effects of mutation
• An understanding of the general lines of evidence that illustrate the process of evolution, and the forces that shape it
• Deducing the evolutionary relationships between organisms and their genes, and describing them as phylogenies (“trees”)
• Population genetics – the study of changes in allele frequencies in a population
• The processes leading to evolution within a species, and the formation of new species and new major groups of organisms
• An appreciation of how scientists first discovered the basics of genetics and evolution, and how they are being studied today
• The basis of further study in any area of biology in future years of your University career
In addition, by participating in the course, you will have improved your general (generic) skills in several areas. These are as shown below, together with the components of the course that are particularly relevant:
• Numeracy – practical’s (calculations involved in analysis of results), problem-solving questions from past exam papers, lectures on quantitative topics such as population genetics
• Information Technology – use of specialist software for phylogeny analysis (2nd practical) and general software such as word-processing and spreadsheets in written work and calculation
• Literacy – writing practical reports and lecture notes, practise for essay questions in examination
• Teamwork – working with other students in practical’s
• Observation and analysis – practical’s, absorbing and understanding lecture material
• Communication – with other students and staff, especially in interactive classes such as practical’s, and in communicating generally with staff during the course on matters that concern you.
The lecture course is divided into a number of sections, each of which covers a major topic in genetics and evolution. The following pages contain a brief summary of the lecture contents together with references to the relevant parts of the textbook.
INTRODUCTION AND BASIC GENETICS
Lecture 1 (Dr Lionikas): Introduction to course
The course organiser welcomes you, goes over the organisation of the course, and hands out information additional to the manual that you will need.
Lectures 2, 3 and 4 (Dr Lionikas): Genes and Inheritance
These 3 lectures revise the basics of genetics, and extend your knowledge of the topics of linkage and genetic mapping. The topics covered are:
Revision of Mendel’s laws of inheritance; Mendel’s 2nd law explained in terms of probability; application to human pedigrees; alleles and dominance; gene interactions (epistasis); multiple genes influencing single traits; gene-environment interactions; linkage (an exception to Mendel’s 2nd law); recombination frequencies; genetic maps; sex determination and sex linkage; co-dominance; non-nuclear inheritance.
Lectures 6 and 10 (Dr Forbes): Mutation
Mutation is one of the mechanisms for increasing genetic diversity, by creating new alleles. Much of the pioneering work was done on micro-organisms. These 2 lectures cover the following topics, including not only mutation but also the way in which mutations can be corrected (DNA repair).
Mutations and mutants, genotypes and phenotypes; bacteria and mutations; why we use mutants; selection and detection of mutants; types of mutation (nucleotide substitutions, frameshifts, deletions and insertions, rearrangements); mutation rate and its measurement;
Mutagenesis (the creation of mutants: spontaneous; chemical; radiation-induced); DNA repair mechanisms (mismatch repair, apurinic gap repair, photoreactivation repair, excision repair, postreplication repair); reverse and suppressor mutations.
DARWIN AND THE BASICS OF EVOLUTION
Lecture 7 (Dr Piertney): Adaptation and natural selection – the Darwinian paradigm
Human interest in the origins and diversity of living things has a history that stretches back thousands of years. Prior to the 17th and 18th centuries concepts of biodiversity were primarily driven my religious dogma and the orthodox belief that organisms were fixed in form. The voyage of Charles Darwin on HMS Beagle led him to devise the process of organic evolution, an idea already considered by contemporaries like Lamarck and Wallace. Darwin produced 5 interrelated theories that together constitute the Darwinian paradigm: evolution as such; common descent; multiplication of species; gradualism; and natural selection. This lecture defines biological evolution and contrasts it with related but different concepts. The philosophical and historical background to evolutionary theory is presented, highlighting Darwin's main pre-cursors, Darwin's own ideas, and how they were received upon publication of the Origin of Species in 1859.
Lecture 8 (Dr Piertney): Natural selection meets mutation and inheritance – the neo-Darwinian paradigm.
When Darwin put forward the theory of natural selection, he lacked a satisfactory theory for inheritance. As a result, the importance of natural selection was widely doubted until it was shown in the 1920s and 1930s how natural selection could operate with Mendelian inheritance. The synthesis of Darwin's and Mendel's theories is variously called the "modern synthesis" or "neo-Darwinism", and is now all pervasive in biology, unifying genetics, systematics, paleontology, comparative morphology and embryology. This lecture provides an elementary overview of Mendel's laws, the molecular mechanisms of inheritance, and how Darwin's theory of natural selection requires particulate, non-blending inheritance to operate.
Lecture 9 (Dr Piertney): The evidence for evolution and natural selection.
A number of lines of evidence indicate that species have evolved from a common form through the process of natural selection, rather than being created separately and fixed in form. This evidence can be seen spatially, with observed changes in extant species, or temporally, from the fossil record and extinct species. This lecture provides several classical case studies that illustrate the effects of natural selection and evolution.
MOLECULAR EVOLUTION AND PHYLOGENIES
Lecture 5 (Dr Lionikas): Evolution and protein structure
Mutations can be either neutral (having no effect on the organism’s fitness) or they may alter fitness, either to increase or decrease it. Mutations that affect fitness usually do so by altering the structure or expression of a protein. This lecture will consider various examples of how this happens, and will also show how the amino-acid sequence of a protein contains clues to its evolutionary history. The concepts of gene and protein families are introduced, as is the idea of homology between DNA and protein sequences (meaning that 2 sequences are similar because they have a common evolutionary origin).
Lecture 11 (Dr Forbes): Mechanisms of bacterial diversity: gene acquisition, mutation and gene loss
Bacteria serve as an example for illustrating the generation of diversity by various mechanisms that involve gaining or losing large amounts of DNA. They include gene acquisition (transfer of DNA by transformation, plasmids and phage, transposable elements) which can lead to the spread of antibiotic resistances between species; mutation (drug resistance and selection); and gene loss (leprosy, endosymbionts).
Lecture 12 (Dr Forbes): Species concept in bacteria
It is difficult to define what we mean by a species in organisms such as bacteria that can breed without sex. This lecture considers phenotypic and genotypic definitions of species, using the bacteria Mycobacterium and Neisseria as examples. We also consider clonality, population diversity and selection.
Lecture 13 (Dr Price): Molecular clocks and phylogenies
The fact that mutations accumulate through time leads to the appreciation that the divergence between the corresponding homologous sequences of two individuals can be used to determine evolutionary genetic relatedness. The rate of sequence mutation appears to have a constant rate in some sequences, a phenomenon known as a molecular clock. The time of sequence diversion can be calculated and this allows estimation of the timing of major evolutionary events.
Lecture 14 (Dr Price): Genome structure and evolution
The size and structure of genomes varies greatly between organism, even closely related ones. The types and function of DNA that is present in genomes are described in the context of this diversity and its relevance to evolution.
Lecture 15 (Dr Price): Comparative genome structure and synteny
It has recently become apparent that the organisation of genomes is conserved between related species, even though the DNA is rearranged. This is called synteny. The study of synteny reveals processes in evolution and has important consequences for medicine and agriculture.
HOMEOBOXES AND DEVELOPMENT
Lecture 16 (Dr Pettitt): The Hox genes (1): Development of animal bodies
The homeobox (hox) genes were first discovered as giving rise to strange looking, “homeotic” mutants in flies, where legs grow in the place of antennae, or there are extra pairs of wings. This lecture covers how the homeobox gene cluster works to specify axial patterning in flies – how Homeobox proteins pattern the fly body, leading to the development of a complex organism from a fertilised egg.
Lecture 17 (Dr Pettitt): The Hox genes (2): Relationship of phenotype and genotype
Hox proteins are "master switches" that turn sets of genes on or off. When a Hox protein is expressed in a cell, the expression state of many other genes will be different from a cell in which the Hox protein is not expressed. All animals examined so far have Hox genes, suggesting that all use the same basic mechanism to direct their development. This lecture will describe the mechanism by which Hox proteins function and how they specify appropriate cell fates.
Lecture 18 (Dr Pettitt): The Hox genes (3): Evolution of animal bodies
This lecture gives an overview of the role of Homeobox patterning in the evolution of arthropods, and vertebrate axial patterning. Specific examples include the butterfly P. coenia, fruitfly Drosophila and other arthropods such as Artemia, millipedes, etc. As a vertebrate example we will consider how the snake lost its legs.
POPULATION GENETICS
Lectures 20-22 (Dr Noble): Population genetics
Allele frequencies in populations are described by a simple equation, the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Forces that act on allele frequencies in populations include migration, selection, drift and mutation. We will consider the effects of random and non-random mating, and heterozygous advantage – why some harmful alleles are more common than they should be. The concept of haplotypes and their use in determining the genetic relationship of individuals within and between populations.
PLANT GENETICS
Lecture 23-25 (Dr Price): Plant genetics
The three lectures together will cover topics such as the major differences between plants and animals – the breeding schemes, the genomes size, the number of genes, Plant defence genes and plant pathogen interactions, new insights into plants from advanced genetic studies.
EPIGENETICS
Lecture 26 (Dr Haggarty): Introduction to Epigenetics
The human genome contains information which is not fully described by the DNA sequence alone. This so called “epigenetic” information fundamentally affects the way in which the genetic code is interpreted. The sequence information in the human genome determines the function of expressed proteins whilst the epigenetic information determines how, when and where the genetic data is used. This process of epigenetic control is now recognised as a fundamental regulator of the metabolic response of all cells in the body. This lecture will introduce the topic of epigenetics and how it regulates the genome and determines cell identity.
Lecture 34 (Dr Haggarty): Epigenetics in reproduction and human health
Epigenetics, Human Health, and Evolution Epigenetic marking of the genome is influenced by nutrition and lifestyle and epigenetic change has been implicated in cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognition, reproduction function, diabetes, obesity and ageing. A particular type of epigenetic mark is inherited from the parents and this raises the possibility that “epigenetic risk” accumulated by one generation may be passed on to the next. Epigenetics may also influence the process of human evolution and has led some to reconsider the concept of Lamarkian as opposed to Darwinian evolution. This lecture will consider the role of epigenetics in human reproduction, and the consequences for human health and evolution.
EVOLUTION AND GENETICS OF ANIMAL SPECIES
Lecture 28 (Dr Noble): Estimating and using phylogenies – case studies in invertebrates and vertebrates
Are fossils really a key to the past? We will examine approaches to phylogenetic analyses highlighting their strengths and weaknesses as an evolutionary tool, and the impact powerful molecular techniques have had in this field. The use of modern phylogenetic analyses and molecular tools to address important biological questions of disease control and conservation issues will be addressed using examples from tropical freshwater snails and the great white shark.
Lecture 29 (Dr Noble): Ecological genetics of natural populations
One of the greatest challenges facing evolutionary biologists is to understand the interaction of genes and the environment. How do animals, and plants, evolve to cope with their surroundings? Can evolution be caught in the act? Is there evidence of widespread environmental change? We will investigate why the humble land-snail Cepaea and its relatives are ideal models for addressing these issues.
Lecture 30 (Dr Noble): Mechanisms of speciation in animals
The role of breeding systems and their consequences for speciation will be illustrated with examples from a variety of invertebrate groups. Many animals exhibit breeding systems more akin to plants than animals, while others have a choice depending upon prevailing environmental conditions. We will briefly examine the various models of speciation traditionally ascribed to animals, and consider recent evidence that suggests models developed for plants may be more appropriate.
Lecture 31 (Dr Noble): Adaptation to the physical and biological environment
Sex and violence are not the preserve of humans. In this lecture we will briefly review why sex is almost universal in animals and its role in adaptation to evolutionary pressure from parasites and pathogens. Evidence supporting the various models explaining the maintenance of sex in spite of its cost will be considered and illustrated with case examples.
Lecture 32 (Dr Noble): The animal fossil record and evolution
What can the fossil record tell us about animal evolution and biodiversity? Why are evolutionary rates uneven? Why are some animals 'living fossils'? Do mass extinctions have a prolonged detrimental effect on life on Earth? Can molecular biology give a better insight into animal evolution than the fossil record?
Lecture 33 (Dr Jones): Kin selection and the evolution of cooperation
The concept of natural selection occurring at different levels will be introduced here. We will discuss group selection, and why it is unlikely. An introduction to Altruism and kin selection will be given, and its likelihood in diploid and haplo-diploid species will be illustrated. How these concepts explain the evolution of helpers-at-the-nest in avian breeding systems and evolution of eusociality in Hymenoptera & Isoptera will be addressed.
FIRST PRACTICAL (LR)
THE FREQUENCY OF SPONTANEOUS MUTANTS IN A BACTERIAL CULTURE
Dr Ken Forbes
Dr John Dallas
Bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, are particularly amenable for the study of mutation, selection and evolution as they are haploid, genetically well described, easily grown and have a short generation time. In this practical you will be recreating a classical genetics experiment which measured mutation rates and which provided experimental evidence that mutants were derived from pre-existing mutations and did not arise as an adaptive response to an environmental stimulus.
Aims
The aims of this practical are to learn how to handle and analyse bacteria as an experimental model organism, to gain insight into the process of mutation, and to see how a classic experiment in genetics was conceived and carried out.
SECOND PRACTICAL (LR)
TAXONOMIC ANALYSIS OF FLOWERING PLANTS USING MORPHOLOGY AND DNA SEQUENCES
Dr Adam Price
Comparing the variation in morphological characteristics between individuals can assess the taxonomic relationships between them. In flowering plants (angiosperms), the most informative characteristics that allow distinction between closely related genera have generally been those of the flowers (ovary position, numbers of floral parts etc) because they correlate closely with many other distinctions. In recent times, the advent of molecular techniques has allowed the use of a great number of genetic differences to be identified. In particular, some DNA sequences allow great resolution in taxonomic hierarchy and can reveal genetic relatedness within a species or even within the progeny of a single plant.
In this practical, you will study the taxonomic relationship within plants used in the flower industry. In the first part of the practical, you will use morphological characteristics to infer phylogeny. In the second, you will use the sequence of a chloroplast gene from two flower species and describe the sequence differences between them. In the third part of the practical (the second week), you will take the sequence of all 6 flowering plants and analyses these to infer a genetic tree.
Aims
The aims of this practical are to relate information on the phylogenetic relationship of organisms, gained by two different means (observation of phenotype, and analysis of gene sequences). It also introduces you to the software used for this type of phylogenetic analysis.
THIRD PRACTICAL (LR)
THE ANALYSIS OF LINKAGE
Dr Les Noble
A practical to illustrate the concepts involved in constructing a genetic map, by carrying out 3-point crossing using the organisms Neurospora crassa and Drosophila melanogaster.
Aims
The aims of this practical are to use 2 different experimental systems, fruit-flies and fungi, to investigate basic genetic processes such as linkage and mutation. These types of experiment have been a mainstay of genetic research for many years. We will also use some simple statistical analysis to analyse the results.
SAFETY IN LABORATORIES
Please read these notes carefully. Laboratories are potentially dangerous places, and certain codes of conduct must be observed to maximise the chances of you and everyone else working safely. These notes are not designed to be comprehensive, since rules and notices themselves cannot ensure safety. You have an important part to play in ensuring your own and others’ safety. Think carefully before you undertake any task, and if in doubt about safety, ask the supervisory staff.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
You must possess a laboratory coat and wear it during practical classes. Do not carry sharp objects in your pockets. Ensure that footwear is non-slip and is able to protect your feet from falling glassware, etc.
Safety spectacles are available and should be worn at all times in practical classes. Disposable safety gloves are also available; make sure that they are worn whenever chemical reagents of any sort are being used.
FIRE AND ACCIDENT PRECAUTIONS
During the first classes of the session, the class supervisor will tell you where the fire extinguishers, fire alarm, fire exits and first-aid equipment are located in the main rooms in which you will be working. If you enter an unfamiliar room, note where these facilities are before starting work.
Any accident involving personal injury must be reported to the member of staff supervising the class.
HEALTH
If you have difficulties such as epilepsy, diabetes, a heart condition, or colour blindness, which might affect your performance or safety in the laboratory, please tell the Course Co-ordinator at the start of the session. The information, if desired and where practicable, can remain confidential.
SAFETY/RISK ASSESSMENT
It is the policy of the College of Life Sciences and Medicine Teaching Facility to take all reasonable and practicable steps to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of all students whilst at work and to protect others against hazards to health and safety arising from the CLSM Teaching Facility activities. This responsibility is taken very seriously by the Facility and we also expect students to act in a safe and sensible manner.
Prevention of accidents in laboratories, as in all places of work, is a duty of every individual using or entering them. Ensuring the safety of others is as important as the avoidance of personal injury.
We assume that undergraduates are untrained in all matters of health and safety. Staff therefore, have a duty to instruct you in all matters necessary to ensure your health and safety while working in University premises and on supervised field trips.
Academic staff are responsible for the conduct of undergraduate practical classes and are assisted by postgraduate demonstrators.
Limited Risk category practical’s – LR (all the practical’s on BI2002 are in this category)
Practical’s designated as limited risk (LR) present a low risk, providing that students follow basic good laboratory practice guidelines:
• Arrive in time to hear the instructions for the practical class.
• Do not obstruct corridors, fire exits and passageways that form a means of escape from the working area.
• Wear a white laboratory coat, fastened at all times, during practical work. Approved protective equipment, including gloves and goggles, will be provided when recommended and students must comply with directions for their use. Long hair must be tied back.
• Eating & drinking is prohibited in laboratories. Smoking is prohibited in all University premises.
• Mobile phones must be switched off.
• Do not apply cosmetics or chew pens or pencils in a laboratory
• Mouth pipetting (even of harmless substances) is prohibited.
• When wearing protective gloves do not touch anything that someone else might touch. (e.g. computer keyboard, door handle, telephone).
• Immediately inform the lecturer or demonstrator of any spillages or breakages. The lecturer/demonstrator will ensure such spillages/breakages are cleared up and disposed of correctly.
• Report all accidents to the lecturer or demonstrator.
• Take extra care when using sharp instruments. Dispose of scalpel and razor blades in the bins marked ‘SHARPS’.
• Clearly label bottles with their contents e.g. chemical/solution name and, when required, mark with the appropriate hazard warning symbol (marking a bottle for example “solution A” is not acceptable). Wash bottles, including those containing water, must be prominently marked.
• If any equipment has to be set up above head height, ensure that a suitable means of access is available (e.g. kick stool or a stepladder). Climbing on a bench, chair or laboratory stool is not acceptable.
• Make sure gas and water taps are turned off and electrical equipment (including microscopes) is switched off at the mains before you leave the laboratory.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after handling any biological materials or chemicals, and always before you leave the laboratory.
• If the Fire Alarm sounds be quiet and listen for instructions from the person in charge of the laboratory. Switch off electrical equipment and Bunsen burners. You may have to abandon your personal effects and follow a prescribed evacuation route. Stay with your laboratory group and demonstrator during the evacuation until instructions are issued to do otherwise.
Risk category practical’s – R
Practical’s designated as Risk (R) have been identified as posing a potential risk above that described for the Limited Risk (LR) practical’s.
Risk assessments have been made for these classes and a Risk Assessment Form will have been completed by the person in charge of the practical.
The form highlights the risks involved whether it is the use of a hazardous substance (in accordance with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations – COSHH), biological hazards e.g. micro-organisms, equipment or field trips. The form also highlights the control measures that should be taken to ensure adequate safeguards are provided. Students can view copies of specific practical Risk Assessment Forms by contacting Mrs Cathlyn Clark, CLSM Teaching Facility Health & Safety Adviser, room B12, Zoology Building, Telephone no.3965.
Safety notes, pertinent to each class, are set out before each individual set of practical instructions and will be referred to in the practical briefing at the start of the class. It is therefore important that you arrive on time to hear the briefing.
HANDING IN COURSE WORK
Each of the first 2 practical reports should be handed in to your demonstrator at the following practical. The 3rd report should be handed in at the Teaching Laboratory by the end of the week following the last practical. The 2 online assignments should be completed during the weeks indicated below. These are the deadlines:
Work to hand in: Deadline:
Work to hand in Week Deadline
First Practical report 16 (Oct 22 – 26) At Practical
1st Online Assessment 17 Nov 2, 23:59
Second Practical report 20 (Nov 19 – 23) At Practical
2nd Online Assessment 21 Nov 30, 23:59
Third Practical report 23 (Dec 10 – 14) Dec 14, 17:00*
We aim at returning marked reports within 2 weeks, with the exception of the last report which will be returned following the Christmas vacation.
* The final report from the 2nd part of Practical 3 may be left in a drop box in the main Zoology Lab where the Practicals are held.
The course text book is “Life – the science of Biology” (7th, 8th or 9th edition) by Sadava, Hillis, Heller and Berenbaum (for the 9th edition – earlier editions have different authors including Purves). Publisher W.H. Freeman.
You are strongly recommended to buy your own copy of this book. Although the library does have a limited number of copies, it is much better to have your own so you can refer to it at any time.
Text book Website
The publishers of the textbook have a website where you do various tutorials and revision exercises connected with the material in the textbook. Its address is: www.thelifewire.com
The University has strict regulations on plagiarism. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism read the University guide on plagiarism at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing
Copying or plagiarising another person’s work, either from other students or published material in books or papers and submitted as your own for assessment is considered a form of cheating. This is considered by the University to be a serious offence and will be penalised according to the extent involved and whether it is decided there was an attempt at deliberate deception, or whether bad practice was involved. If you do use information or ideas obtained from textbooks or other published material you must give a precise reference to the source both at the appropriate point in your narrative and in a list of references at the end of your work. Direct quotations from published material should be indicated by quotation marks and referenced in the text as above.
TurnitinUK
TurnitinUK is an online service which compares student assignments with online sources including web pages, database of reference material, and content previously submitted by other users across the UK. The software makes no decision as to whether plagiarism has occurred; it is simply a tool which highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources thereby helping academic staff decide whether plagiarism has occurred.
As of Academic Year 2011/12, TurnitinUK will be accessed directly through MyAberdeen. Advice about avoiding plagiarism, the University’s Definition of Plagiarism, a Checklist for Students, Referencing and Citing guidance, and instructions for TurnitinUK, can be found in the following area of the Student Learning Service website: www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism
This course is assessed by a combination of a written examination (75%) and course work (25%). The course work comprises the 3 practical reports and 2 online assignments; each of these carries 5% of the final mark. IMPORTANT: to pass the course you MUST have a mark for each component of the course work. Past exam papers are linked to from the course website, or from the relevant section of the University’s student webpage’s. The exam is in 3 sections. Section A contains about 30 MCQ or short-answer questions, all of which must be answered. Section B is a choice of one out of 3 essay questions, to test in-depth knowledge of different parts of the course. Section C is a choice of one out of 3 problem-solving questions, involving manipulation and interpretation of data.
Don’t forget to bring your calculator to the exam!
To achieve an overall pass for the course you MUST obtain an overall CAS score of 9 or better for the course. For students who do no achieve this, there will be a resit examination (usually in August) in the same format as the first examination.
The results will be posted on the student portals as soon as possible (approx 3 weeks) after the examination.
Guidance on Examination Regulations
Please arrive at the examination venue in good time. Your student ID card should be placed on your desk.
Bring all necessary pens, rulers and a calculator. Put all these materials on your desk. Everything else should be put away in your bag or jacket, normally stored at one end of the examination hall.
Basic scientific calculators are allowed but graphical or programmeable ones are forbidden, since they can be used to store information.
Mobile phones are prohibited. They must be switched off before the examination begins and put away in your bag.
Dictionaries (English to other language and vice versa) are allowed but not electronic ones. Your dictionary will be checked by the invigilators; make sure that it contains no additional notes or writing. So-called scientific dictionaries, which explain the meaning of scientific terms, are not allowed. Inappropriate dictionaries or calculators will be confiscated and taken away to be checked.
Eating and drinking are formally forbidden by University regulations. We do not object to students having water or other non-alcoholic drink, or mints etc, but nothing noisy is allowed.
Dr Arimantas Lionikas
Dr Jonathan Pettitt
Dr Ken Forbes, Dr Stuart Piertney, Dr Adam Price, Dr Les Noble, Dr Cathy Jones, Dr Paul Haggarty
The University is keen to help you successfully complete your studies. If at any time you feel you need assistance, there is a range of support services available to help you. These include support to help with unexpected and/or exceptional financial difficulty, support for disabled students and academic learning support through the Student Learning Service. Further details about all these services are available at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/studenthelpguide/.
We value students’ opinions in regard to enhancing the quality of teaching and its delivery; therefore in conjunction with the Students’ Association we support the operation of a Class Representative system.
The students within each course, year, or programme elect representatives by the end of the fourth week of teaching within each half-session. In this course/school/programme we operate a system of course/year/programme representatives. Any student registered within a course/year or programme that wishes to represent a given group of students can stand for election as a class representative. You will be informed when the elections for class representative will take place.
What will it involve?
It will involve speaking to your fellow students about the course/year/programme you represent. This can include any comments that they may have. You will attend a Staff-Student Liaison Committee and you should represent the views and concerns of the students’ within this meeting. As a representative you will also be able to contribute to the agenda. You will then feedback to the students after this meeting with any actions that are being taken.
Training
Training for class representatives will be run by the Students Association. Training will take place in the fourth or fifth week of teaching each half-session. For more information about the Class representative system visit www.ausa.org.uk or email the VP Education & Employability vped@abdn.ac.uk . Class Representatives are also eligible to undertake the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award; further information about the co-curricular award is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers .
In view of the number of academic appeals which are received which relate to medical evidence which has not been submitted to schools within the appropriate timescales, schools are asked to ensure that course/programme handbooks contain the necessary information regarding University policy on absences for medical reasons or other good cause.
ABSENCE FROM CLASSES ON MEDICAL GROUNDS
Candidates who wish to establish that their academic performance has been adversely affected by their health are required to secure medical certificates relating to the relevant periods of ill health (see General Regulation 17.3).
The University’s policy on requiring certification for absence on medical grounds or other good cause can be accessed at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x5.pdf
You are strongly advised to make yourself fully aware of your responsibilities if you are absent due to illness or other good cause. In particular, you are asked to note that self-certification of absence for periods of absence up to and including eleven weekdays is permissible. However, where absence has prevented attendance at an examination or where it may have affected your performance in an element of assessment or where you have been unable to attend a specified teaching session, you are strongly advised to provide medical certification (see section 3 of the Policy on Certification of Absence for Medical Reasons or Other Good Cause).
Students who attend and complete the work required for a course are considered to have been awarded a ‘Class Certificate’. Being in possession of a valid Class Certificate for a course entitles a student to sit degree examinations for that course. From 2012/13 class certificates will be valid for two years and permit a total of three attempts at the required assessment within that two year period i.e. the first attempt plus up to two resits.
Course Website
Log on to MyAberdeen for the BI2002 website. Here you will find course notices and announcements, copies of the manual, practical groups, lecture notes (for those lecturers that choose to provide them this way), useful links and other information. If you cannot gain access, it is usually because you have not been properly registered for the course. You should contact your Adviser of Studies about this.
Notice Board
Notices and announcements will be posted on a notice board as well as the website. It is located close to the Teaching Labs (where you do the practicals).
Email
You will receive a University e-mail account when you register with the University Computing Centre. The University will normally use e-mail to communicate with you during term-time. These e-mails will be sent to your University e-mail account.
It is your responsibility to check your e-mail on a regular (at least weekly) basis and to tidy the contents of your e-mail inbox to ensure that it does not go over quota (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/email/mailquota.hti for guidance on managing your e-mail quota). It is recommended that you use your University e-mail account to read and respond to University communications. If you already have a non-University e-mail account that you use for personal correspondence, it is possible to set up automatic forwarding of messages from your University e-mail account to your personal e-mail address (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/local/mail.forward/) but, should you do so, it is your responsibility to ensure that this is done correctly. The University takes no responsibility for delivery of e-mails to non-University accounts.
You should note that failure to check your e-mail or failure to receive e-mail due to being over quota or due to non-delivery of an e-mail forwarded to a non-University e-mail account would not be accepted as a ground for appeal (for further information on appeals procedures, please refer to http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/section6.shtml)
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING ATTENDANCE AND MEETING DEADLINES
Attendance at lectures is vital – students who do not attend have a much bigger risk of failing the course.
We will monitor attendance at a random selection of lectures. Students who are absent from more than 25% of lectures will be contacted to find out why. Persistent non-attenders may be withdrawn from the course.
If you are absent from one or more practical classes these will be discounted from the total mark spreadsheet ONLY if a medical certificate or acceptable self-certification form has been submitted. If your reason for absence is unacceptable or if you do not submit an “absence from class form” you will be awarded a zero mark for each practical missed. The re-sit examination will be based on the written paper as above and the previous continuous assessment marks achieved during the course.
Practical reports and online assignments must be completed or handed in by the deadlines shown in “Handing in course work”. Late work will not be marked.
PLAGIARISM
The University has strict regulations on plagiarism. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism read the University guide on plagiarism at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing
Copying or plagiarising another person’s work, either from other students or published material in books or papers and submitted as your own for assessment is considered a form of cheating. This is considered by the University to be a serious offence and will be penalised according to the extent involved and whether it is decided there was an attempt at deliberate deception, or whether bad practice was involved. If you do use information or ideas obtained from textbooks or other published material you must give a precise reference to the source both at the appropriate point in your narrative and in a list of references at the end of your work. Direct quotations from published material should be indicated by quotation marks and referenced in the text as above.
TurnitinUK
TurnitinUK is an online service which compares student assignments with online sources including web pages, database of reference material, and content previously submitted by other users across the UK. The software makes no decision as to whether plagiarism has occurred; it is simply a tool which highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources thereby helping academic staff decide whether plagiarism has occurred.
As of Academic Year 2011/12, TurnitinUK will be accessed directly through MyAberdeen. Advice about avoiding plagiarism, the University’s Definition of Plagiarism, a Checklist for Students, Referencing and Citing guidance, and instructions for TurnitinUK, can be found in the following area of the Student Learning Service website: www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTAL PLANNING (PDP)
Level 1 and 2 students are encouraged to develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to help them learn more effectively, make the most of their University time and plan for their future. Further details on PDP can be accessed from the School website at www.abdn.ac.uk/sms - click on "Undergraduate Teaching".
FEEDBACK ON ASSESSMENT
The University recognises that the provision of timely and appropriate feedback on assessment plays a key part in students learning and teaching. The guiding principles for the provision of feedback within the University are detailed in the Institutional Framework for the Provision of Feedback on Assessment available at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x8.pdf
Enhancing Feedback
The University recognises both the importance of providing timely and appropriate feedback on assessments to students, and of enabling students to voice views on their learning experience through experience through channels such as Student Course Evaluation Forms and Class Representatives. FAQ’s, guidance and resources about feedback can be found on the University’s ‘Enhancing Feedback’ website at: www.abdn.ac.uk/clt/feedback
APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS
The University’s appeals and complaints procedures provide students with a framework through which to formalise their concerns about aspects of their academic experience or to complain when they feel that standards of non-academic service have fallen short of that which they expect.
The process has been designed to make the appeals and complaints process as accessible and simple as possible and to provide a robust, fair mechanism through which to ensure that all appeals and complaints are considered in the appropriate way at the appropriate level.
A major feature of the process is the emphasis it places on early or informal resolution. All students should note that there is an expectation that they will take responsibility for seeking resolution of their academic or non-academic concerns by raising and discussing them at the earliest possible stage with the relevant individuals in an academic School or Administrative Service.
Further details of the processes for making an appeal or complaint, including where to find further help and support in the process, is given at: www.abdn.ac.uk/registry /appeals
TRANSCRIPTS AT GRADUATION
It is anticipated that students who commenced their studies in, or, after, 2009/10, will receive a more detailed transcript of their studies on graduation. The increased details will include a record of all examination results attained. For students graduating in 2012/13 transcripts will show details of all CAS marks awarded, including marks which are fails. Where a resit has been required as a result of medical circumstances or other good cause (MC/GC) this will not be shown, but all other circumstances (i.e. No Paper ‘NP’) will be included.
MYABERDEEN (THE UNIVERSITYS VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT)
MyAberdeen replaces WebCT as the students’ Virtual Learning Environment. This is where you will find learning materials and resources associated with the courses you are studying.
MyAberdeen also provides direct access to TurnitinUK, the originality checking service, through which you may be asked to submit completed assignments.
You can log in to MyAberdeen by going to www.abdn.ac.uk/myaberdeen and entering you University username and password (which you use to access the University network).
Further information on MyAberdeen including Quick Guides and video tutorials, along with information about TurnitinUK, can be found at: www.abdn.ac.uk/students/myaberdeen.php
Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarism can be found at: www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism
ABERDEEN GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
Graduate Attributes are a wide-ranging set of qualities which students will develop during their time at Aberdeen in preparation for employment, further study and citizenship.
There are four main areas of the Graduate Attributes:
• Academic excellence
• Critical thinking and communication
• Learning and personal development
• Active citizenship
Students have many opportunities to develop and achieve these attributes. These include learning experiences on credit-bearing courses and co-curricular activities such as work placements, study abroad and volunteering. In accordance with the University’s commitment to Equality and Diversity, students can request support with any aspect of the Graduate Attributes framework.
The ACHIEVE website offers resources that enable students to assess and reflect upon their present skills and development needs. The website also contains resources to help students to improve their skills and links to a range of university services such as the Careers Service and the Student Learning Service. Students can access ACHIEVE from their MyAberdeen site in ‘My Organisations’ section. More information about Aberdeen Graduate Attributes and ACHIEVE can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes .
THE CO-CURRICULUM
The co-curriculum enhances a student’s employability and provides opportunities to develop and achieve Aberdeen Graduate Attributes. Co-curricular activities complement a student’s degree programme and include: work placements, study abroad, enterprise and entrepreneurship activities, the BP Student Tutoring Scheme, career mentoring and the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award initiative. Below are examples of credit-bearing co-curricular activities. It is anticipated that these types of activity will be included on an enhanced transcript for students graduating in, or after, 2012/13
ERASMUS is an exchange programme funded by the European Commission which enables students to study or work in another European country as part of their degree programme. Eligible students will receive a grant to help with extra costs while abroad and a number of our partner institutions teach through English. For more information, visit www.abdn.ac.uk/erasmus/ . The University also has opportunities for students to study in a non-European country as part of their degree through the International Exchange Programme. International partners include universities and colleges in North America, Hong Kong, and Japan (www.abdn.ac.uk/undergraduate/international-exchange.php). The University aims to ensure full academic recognition for study periods abroad; therefore the credits gained from study abroad will count towards the Aberdeen degree programme for students participating in both ERASMUS and the International Exchange Programme.
Work placements can also form and integral parts of a degree programme and attract academic credit. Placements are available locally, internationally and internationally, lasting from a few weeks to a full year and are generally paid. Visit the Careers Service website for further placement information and to find available work placements.
Further information about the co-curriculum is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers
