Genetics – The Blueprint of Life
The module explores the foundational concepts of genetics, emphasizing the significance of Mendel's laws in understanding heredity and variation in living organisms. It discusses the complexities of gene interactions, including epistasis and linkage, and outlines the processes of meiosis and mitosis as they relate to genetic transmission. The module also connects genetic principles to human biology, particularly single-gene disorders and the concept of complementation, providing insight into modern genetic research and applications.
Sections
Navigate through the learning materials and practice exercises.
What we have learnt
- Genetics serves as the fundamental science underlying many biological principles.
- Mendel's laws describe the principles of inheritance that govern hereditary traits.
- Gene mapping and understanding genetic interactions are crucial for modern genetic analysis.
Key Concepts
- -- Genetics
- The branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms.
- -- Mendelian Inheritance
- The inheritance patterns described by Gregor Mendel, including the laws of segregation and independent assortment.
- -- Punnett Square
- A graphical method for predicting the genotype and phenotype ratios of offspring from a genetic cross.
- -- Epistasis
- A gene interaction where the presence of a certain allele can mask or modify the expression of another gene.
- -- Linkage
- The tendency of genes located close together on the same chromosome to be inherited together.
- -- Complementation
- A genetic test used to determine whether two mutations causing the same phenotype are in the same gene or in different genes.
Additional Learning Materials
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.