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Human and Medical Genetics (GENE30005)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
Semester 2
Overview
| Availability | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Genetics permeates all aspects of modern life, and modern genetic technologies are being developed at an unprecedented rate with impacts on our understanding of human biology and implications for medicine. This subject will expose students to a deeper understanding of human genetics including the origins of human genomes, rapidly advancing technologies to study and understand genomes, and how this can be used for understanding and improving human health, as well as the overarching ethical considerations.
This subject focuses on several key areas in contemporary human genetics: the contributions mutation and natural selection make to human populations; the genetic basis of non-communicable diseases; strategies (technologies) for identifying the genetic basis of human disease; genetics of cancer and ageing; genetic counselling and gene by environment interactions.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of this subject, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of how traits emerge from multiple interacting mechanisms at the cellular, tissue, and organismal levels (and are influenced by the environment);
- Contrast the different approaches used to understand the genetic contribution to human traits and the impact of the limitations of these approaches;
- Critically evaluate and debate the ethical and social implications of human genetics today, including the impact of developing technologies;
- Apply their knowledge to the real world and contribute to public discourse as a genetically literate member of society; and
- Effectively communicate human genetic concepts to a broad audience.
Generic skills
Upon completion of this subject, students will be able to:
- Read relevant literature and be able to interpret this in order to answer detailed questions on both theory and methodology;
- Understand how new scientific data relevant to the human condition is acquired;
- Understand how scientific data is applied to old and new problems in society;
- Have an appreciation for how modern knowledge in human biology is relevant to an understanding of our past and future;
- Use information technology to acquire relevant knowledge; and
- Think clearly about the application of scientific principles to the consideration of ethical issues.
Last updated: 3 October 2024