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Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Berhampur

BIO 201 : Introduction to Genetics and Evolution (Credit, 3)

Course Contents:

Transmission genetics of families:

1. Mendel’s laws, Mendelian mutants, monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.
2. Allele action and interaction: How do alleles affect phenotype, Beadle and Tatum’s experiment with Neurospora, Dominance, codominance, intermediate dominance, epistasis, pleiotropy, penetrance, expressivity.
3. Concluding on genotype - phenotype relationship: multiple allele and polygenic nature of quantitative traits.
4. Chromosomal theory of inheritance in reference to cell division.
5. Introduction to Recombination and genetic linkage. Genetic mapping (two point test cross).
6. Introduction to tetrad analysis in Neurospora crassa.
7. Bacterial genetics: Transformation, conjugation (F plasmid and Hfr, low resolution gene mapping, recombination), transduction (only lytic cycle and generalised transduction).

Transmission genetics of populations:

1. Genetic variation as the raw material of evolution. Mutations, types of mutations.
2. Genetic characterization of populations: genotype and allele frequencies.
3. The Hardy-Weinberg Principle.
4. Agents of evolutionary change: One-locus two-allele models of selection.
5. Genetic drift, mutation, migration and inbreeding.

Evolution by selection:

1. Basic idea of selection as “differential heritable reproductive success”. Life-history as the timing of reproductive output and its central role in mediating selection.
2. Field examples: The beaks of Darwin’s finches. Peppered moths and industrial melanism.
3. Laboratory examples: Evolution of lifespan/developmental rates in Drosophila, evolution of antibiotic resistance.

Genetic divergence of populations and origin of species:

1. Species concepts, Reproductive isolation.
2. Allopatric and sympatric speciation. Dobzhansky - Muller model of speciation.

Ecology of fitness:

1. Population growth, malthusian parameter and genesis of intraspecific competition.
2. Community interactions: Interspecific competition and prey-predator arms’ race.
3. Optimal foraging by animals.
4. Mating system and sexual selection.
5. Inclusive fitness and kin selection in animal cooperation.

Suggested Books:

• D. Sadava, W. K. Purves, G. H. Orians, and H. C. Heller, Life: the science of biology, 8th Edn., Sinauer Assoc. & Freeman & Co. (2008).
• N. A. Campbell, J. B. Reece, R. B. Jackson, M. L. Cain, L. A. Urry, S. A. Wasserman, P. V.Minorsky, Biology, 8th Edn. Benjamin-Cummings Pub Co. (2007).
• S. Freeman, L. Allison, M. Black, G. Podgorski, K. Quillin, J. Monroe, E. Taylor, Biological Science, 5th Edn. Pearson Education (2014).

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