Enrollment year
2018/2019
Academic discipline
BIO/18 (GENETICS)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY "LAZZARO SPALLANZANI"
Course
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Curriculum
PERCORSO COMUNE
Period
2nd semester (01/03/2020 - 14/06/2020)
Lesson hours
72 lesson hours
Prerequisites
No prerequisite.
Learning outcomes
Aim of this course is to achieve an adequate level of knowledge of: (1) the mode of transmission of hereditary characters at cellular, individual and population level; (2) the structural and functional characteristics of the genetic material; (3) gene expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
Course contents
Part 1. Mitosis and meiosis. Mendel's laws and simple Mendelian ratios. The chromosome theory of heredity. Sex-linked inheritance. Extrachromosomal inheritance. Analysis of pedigrees. Sex determination. Testcross and analysis of two and three character-hybrids. Probability and genetic event. Chi-Square analysis. Chromosome mapping in Eukaryotes. Genetic association and rate of recombination. Cis and trans association. Three point mapping. Interference. Genomic mutations, chromosome mutations (variation in number and structure). Monosomy and trisomy in humans. Genetic analysis in Prokaryotes: conjugation, transformation, transduction. Population genetics.
Part 2. The molecular nature of genetic material (experiments of Griffith, Avery, Hershey/Chase). DNA and RNA as genetic material. The organization of DNA in chromosomes. DNA replication (experiment of Meselson/Stahl). The chemical bases of DNA and RNA. Transcription, RNA polymerase in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. Promoters and terminators. Organization, properties and characteristics of the genetic code. Colinearity gene-proteins: exons and introns. Gene mutations and metabolic chains. Mutations: molecular and functional definition (frame-shift, nonsense, missense).
ARGOMENTI TRATTATI NELLE ESERCITAZIONI POMERIDIANE
- Mitosis and meiosis.
- Mendel's laws.
- Analysis of pedigrees.
- Association, genetic maps.
- Molecular Genetics: transcription, translation and genetic code.
Population genetics, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
Teaching methods
The course consists of lectures; however 6-7 exercise sessions will be also organized. These sessions will be held in the afternoon during the course period and will allow students to practice on topics of formal, population and molecular genetics. The exact schedule of the exercise sessions will be defined at the beginning of the course.
Reccomended or required readings
- A.J.F. Griffiths et al. – W.H. Freeman and Company– Introduction to Genetic Analysis.
- P.J. Russell – Benjamin Cummings - iGenetics. A Molecular Approach.
- D.P. Snustad e M.J. Simmons - John Wiley & Sons Inc- Principles of Genetics.
Assessment methods
There will be a single final exam for the Genetics course (there are no intermediate exams). The final exam consists of two parts. The first is a written text with 6 exercises covering formal, population and molecular genetics. Students who pass the written text will sustain an oral exam over the entire program of the course. The oral exam is usually offered a few days (2-4) after the written text.
Further information
The course programme is available online at http://genmic.unipv.eu/site/en/home/teaching.html following the link "Courses".
Slides and other material used during the course is available online at : http://elearning2.unipv.it/bio/course/index.php?categoryid=7.
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