Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

1974

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Stewart, Herbert H.

Abstract

The author prepared a college sophomore level genetics laboratory manual. The laboratory exercises are unique in that the student studies human organisms instead of the usual non-human plants and animal specimens. The one exception is "Polytene Chromosomes," in which the student studies Drosouhila. Most of the exercises are original; "Polymorphonuclear Leucocytes" and "Polytene Chromosomes," however, are revisions of portions of existing laboratory experiments. The manual should appeal to biology, physical anthropology, physical education, and psychology majors, and should be especially helpful to students planning careers in the medical professions. A knowledge of first year biology, elementary chemistry and mathematics including basic probability and statistics should be prerequisites. The twelve laboratory exercises assume that the student has had little exposure to genetics in the first year general biology course. The first three exercises, "The Physical Basis of Heredity," "Phenotypic Observations, Genotypic Deductions, Inheritance Predictions," and "Pedigree Chart in Genetic Analysis" are interesting, uncomplicated sessions which should give the students an anticipation of the semester's work. The fourth and fifth experiments are methods of determining femaleness in epithelial mucosal cells and in polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Exercise six, "A General Approach to Genetic Counseling," is not usually included in Human Genetics texts. It gives the student opportunity for personal growth and for professional consideration. The seventh exercise, "Lymphocyte Cultures," is divided into two sessions. Although the two parts are long, they are worth doing for the experience in exact timing and measurements, sterile techniques, proper dehydration, staining, and mounting that produce very fine permanent slides of the students' own chromosomes. For more detail of chromosomes, "Polytene Chromosomes" is included. Although prosophila is substituted for Homo sapiens in this laboratory session, the exercise is worthy of inclusion to provide additional experience in microtechnique and histological procedures as added knowledge for the second year student. The following exercise, "Human Chromosomes," properly is for two sessions. The student may go through the procedures of preparing his own karyotype, or he may prepare a karyotype of an unknown individual. The student learns the human chromosomes as defined by arm length and centromere position. "Dermatoglyphics" is interesting in that it shows sexual dimorphisms. Students so inclined may go on with the genetic similarities of races and of geographical areas as evidencep by dermatoglyphics. By the time the last two exercises are to be performed, the students are prepared for the complexity of "Hemoglobin Polymorphism in Selected Human Populations" and "Specific Genomes and the Degree of Relatedness." With the continuation of genetic research, the possibilities for additional exercises are almost limitless.

Extent

95 p.

Comments

Thesis (Educat.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1974.|College of Education|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (Educat.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1974.

Identifier

FADT11642

Format

pdf

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