Biological Sciences
BIO 201 : Introduction to Genetics and Evolution (Credit, 3)
Course Contents:
- Mendel’s laws, Mendelian mutants, monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.
- Allele action and interaction: How do alleles affect phenotype, Beadle and Tatum’s experiment with Neurospora, Dominance, codominance, intermediate dominance, epistasis, pleiotropy, penetrance, expressivity.
- Concluding on genotype - phenotype relationship: multiple allele and polygenic nature of quantitative traits.
- Chromosomal theory of inheritance in reference to cell division.
- Introduction to Recombination and genetic linkage. Genetic mapping (two point test cross).
- Introduction to tetrad analysis in Neurospora crassa.
- Bacterial genetics: Transformation, conjugation (F plasmid and Hfr, low resolution gene mapping, recombination), transduction (only lytic cycle and generalised transduction).
- Genetic variation as the raw material of evolution. Mutations, types of mutations.
- Genetic characterization of populations: genotype and allele frequencies.
- The Hardy-Weinberg Principle.
- Agents of evolutionary change: One-locus two-allele models of selection.
- Genetic drift, mutation, migration and inbreeding.
- Basic idea of selection as “differential heritable reproductive success”. Life-history as the timing of reproductive output and its central role in mediating selection.
- Field examples: The beaks of Darwin’s finches. Peppered moths and industrial melanism.
- Laboratory examples: Evolution of lifespan/developmental rates in Drosophila, evolution of antibiotic resistance.
- Species concepts, Reproductive isolation.
- Allopatric and sympatric speciation. Dobzhansky - Muller model of speciation.
- Population growth, malthusian parameter and genesis of intraspecific competition.
- Community interactions: Interspecific competition and prey-predator arms’ race.
- Optimal foraging by animals.
- Mating system and sexual selection.
- Inclusive fitness and kin selection in animal cooperation.
Transmission genetics of families:
Transmission genetics of populations:
Evolution by selection:
Genetic divergence of populations and origin of species:
Ecology of fitness:
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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