We will cover the basic aspects of human development and reproduction, from conception and pregnancy through sexual senescence. In addition, the biology behind many currently debated social issues will be addressed. Selected topics for this semester will include, but not be limited to, causes of infertility, assisted fertilization, regulation of male and female fertility, pregnancy and paternity testing, prenatal genetic testing, gene therapy, and the effects of legal and illegal drug use on reproductive function.
Among the objectives of this course are to provide: 1)
basic biological concepts necessary to interpret and evaluate popular press and
medical information; 2) a stimulus for considering the social and ethical implications related to
reproductive biology; and 3) an accumulated source of reference information useful
for further study.
Text and References:
The text for this semester's course is Human Reproductive Biology by R.E. Jones (Academic Press). While this book provides a general outline and basic information discussed during the course of the semester, considerable lecture material will necessarily be derived from additional books, professional journals and popular press articles. Whenever possible, I will make the source of reference material available to you.
All lecture outlines (including reference information) will be available via a bios.109 folder located within AFS space. To access, go to NDAccess Login and sign in using your name and password. From the NDAccess server, go to the folder labelled 'Coursefa.00', then open the 'bios' folder, and the bios109.01 folder. The figures used in these presentations may be of help to you in your studies.
Week 1: Basic anatomy, physiology and endocrinology; ovary and reproductive tract; testes and accessory organs; sexual dimorphism (Chapters 1,2,4,5&7)
Week 2: Reproductive cycles: menstrual cycle; spermatogenesis; seasonal fluctuations in fertility; puberty (Chapters 3&6)
Week 3: Family planning and fertility: male and female contraception; (Chapters 11,12)
Week 4: Family planning: assisted reproduction (Chapter 13)
Week 5: Family planning (cont.): newest and future technologies; social and ethical implications (Chapter 14)
Week 6: Early pregnancy: diagnosis of pregnancy; endocrinology; implantation (Chapter 8, pp. 195-210)
Week 7: Pregnancy and fetal development: the placenta; early gestational failure
Week 8: Pregnancy; evaluation of monitoring techniques during pregnancy; gestational diabetes; substance abuse during pregnancy
Week 9: Parturition and Lactation: labor and delivery; preterm delivery; natural childbirth; cesarean delivery; induction of labor (Chapters 9,10)
Week 10: Senescence: menopause and associated physiology; the male reproductive life span
Week 11: Reproductive anomalies: male and female sexual dysfunction; polycystic ovarian syndrome; breast, ovarian and prostate cancers; reproductive tract pathologies
Week 12: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): incidence, causes and
societal implications (Chapter 18)
Week 13: Human sexual behavior (Chapters 15,16&17)
Week 14: Impact of the human genome project, and social/ethical implications
Course Requirements:
Attendance at each lecture is mandatory, and there will be several unannounced quizzes administered throughout the semester. These quizzes will account for 10% of the final grade, and cannot be made up. There will be three lecture examinations during this semester (all three lecture examinations are one hour) and a final, cumulative examination at the end of the semester. Examinations will take the form of a multiple choice/short answer format. Each examination (including the final) will carry equal weight, and your final grade will be based the average of the four examination scores plus quiz scores. Approximately two weeks before an examination you will be able to locate several examples of examination-type questions by accessing the document "Sample Examinations" within the bios109.01 folder. Following each exam and at the time exams are returned, you will also find the "Answer Key".
Office Hours:
I will be available for office hours during the periods 9:30 AM to noon, Wednesdays and Thursdays, or if these times are not convenient or sufficient you are encouraged to make an appointment by telephone or e-mail.
For more information about the Biology Department, see the Department of Biological Sciences homepage.
To contact me directly, send e-mail to: A.L. Johnson