BioEd Online: Biology Teacher Resources, Lesson Plans

An interactive, web-based course that explores the rapidly evolving world of genetics and genomics. Genes, Health and Society is available for undergraduate credit, or it can be taken, free of charge, for professional/personal development. Learn more here.

Join us now! Once you have registered and logged in, you will be able to move freely among the following three modules of the course.


	Transmission Genetics How are physical characteristics transmitted from parents to offspring? This module focuses on classic Mendelian genetics and the principles of heredity, the methods and tools used to predict the heritability of a given trait, and ideas about the nature of science and the process of scientific inquiry. Available for 20 professional development contact hours. Log In >>

	The Nature of Genetic Material What are the molecular structures and mechanisms that encode, replicate and translate the genome into physical characteristics? This module focuses on the molecular identity, structure and behavior of genetic material, the mechanisms that underlie the translation of the genome into physical characteristics, and the historical events and scientific advances that led to our current knowledge in this field. Available for 20 professional development contact hours. Log In >>

	Medical Genetics How does human genetic variation contribute to individual physical characteristics, including disease risk? This module focuses on the role of genetic variation in human disease, and on how the study of genetics and genomics has fundamentally changed our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. It also explores the relationships among science, technology, and society and the legal and ethical issues emerging from the field of genetics and genomics. Available for 20 professional development contact hours.

The development of this course was sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We express our sincere appreciation for the foundation's assistance.


BioEd Online was developed in partnership with Texas A&M University and is funded by grants from Houston Endowment Inc.; Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Science Education Partnership Award program of the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Space Biomedical Research Institute; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH; National Science Foundation GK-12 Program; RGK Foundation; and The Powell Foundation. © 2004—2010 Baylor College of Medicine. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy fruit fly image © 2001 Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc.