Computer Science 242. DNA An amazing blend of biology,
chemistry, computing and mathematics emerges when considering
the molecule “deoxyribonucleic acid” (DNA). DNA is the blueprint
of life for all organisms on Earth and throughout evolutionary
time. This course explores DNA from the following four points of
view: molecular biology, applied mathematics, evolutionary
biology and computer science. Students will analyze DNA
sequences by learning to write computer programs (software) in
the language Perl. Learning to write programs is a pure,
distilled form of problem solving, a vital skill for many
careers and graduate studies. Historical and ethical aspects of
DNA are discussed. Counts as a related course in the biology
major and as a 200-level elective in the computer science major.