The Human Genome Project and biology education

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Bioscience

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1312631· OSTI ID:213084

McInerney, J D ^[1]

---

1. Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, Colorado Springs, CO (United States)

Within the last several years, biologists celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the Watson-Crick model of DNA and the fiftieth anniversary of the demonstration that DNA is the genetic material, discoveries that began a pervasive and ongoing revolution in biology and medicine. Nobelist Joshua Lederberg, for example, called the work of Avery`s group {open_quotes}the most important discovery in biology in the twentieth century.{close_quotes} This early work on DNA also contributed to a revolution in biology education, beginning in the 1960s. Like the biological revolution that is its counterpart, however, the educational revolution is incomplete, in part because the science continues to evolve, but primarily because scientists and science educators have not yet responded completely to the challenges of genetics and molecular biology. These challenges are made even more obvious by the scope and visibility of the Human Genome Project, the international project intended to map and sequence all human genes. Science educators face 4 challenges discussed in this article and using the Genome project as an example: teach for conceptual understanding; the nature of science; the personal and social impact of science and technology; the principles of technology.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 213084
• Journal Information: Bioscience, Journal Name: Bioscience Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 45; ISSN 0006-3568; ISSN BISNAS
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
BIOLOGY
EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
GENETIC MAPPING
LEARNING
MAN
SOCIAL IMPACT