Essential Genetics

You will receive an introduction to modern genetics in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, including humans. This module will cover molecular genetics (the study of the physico-chemical nature of genes and how they work) and transmission genetics (the study of how genes and the characters they determine are shuffled into new combinations and passed from individual to individual).

The topics that will be covered will include: information, how it is stored, transmitted, and translated; the genetics of bacteria and viruses; the cell cycle in eukaryotes; mitosis and meiosis; gene linkage and chromosome mapping; DNA mutation.

Basic principles will be illustrated in practical classes and considerable attention will be given to solving problems in transmission genetics. 

By the end of the module you should be able to:

• show knowledge and understanding of all parts of the syllabus
• apply their knowledge to solving simple problems in transmission genetics;
• construct genetical hypotheses and test them, using simple statistical methods where appropriate;
• appreciate the different methods used for genetical analysis in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms