Cells and DNA: Theory and Experiment

An introduction to some concepts and techniques in molecular biology/genetics. Central to this semilab will be a few typical laboratory experiments. We will stain our own cells and look at them under microscope. We will isolate their DNA, separate and visualize it using home-made agarose gels. We will look for mitotic chromosomes in garlic root cells. While performing these experiments we will discuss the relevant concepts such as what is DNA, its properties and structure, principles of electrophoresis, chromosomal structure, etc. This course will attempt to use very little prior knowledge and will adjust to the level of the students.