Course CodeBSC207Fee CodeS1Duration (approx)100 hoursQualificationTo obtain formal documentation the optional exam(s) must be completed which will incur an additional fee of £30. Alternatively, a letter of completion may be requested. Genetics provides a foundation for both Breeding Plants, and Understanding Plant Conservation and Management. It is an essential area of study for anyone working in horticultural research, botany, environmental management or other areas of applied biological sciences. If you want to understand how to develop new plant cultivars, you will need to have a knowledge of genetics at a level equal to what is in this course. Lesson Structure There are 10 lessons in this course: Introduction to Genetics Scope, nature and history Darwin and Mendel Mendel’s experiment Mendel’s law of segregation Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment Advances since Mendel Important genetics terminology Cells, Organelles and Cell Division Prokaryotes Eukaryotes Organelles in the cell Cell structure and function Organelles in plants -Cell wall, Vacuole,Plastids Organelles in plants and animals - plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes etc. Genetic structures and materials Nucleus Nuclear envelope Nucleolus DNA Cell division –meiosis and mitosis DNA replication Four stages of Mitosis Cytokinesis Gametogenesis Gametes Meiosis Meiosis 1 Meiosis 2 Gamete production in plants Interaction between Chromosomes Introduction Sex determination Sex chromosomes Sex linked inheritance Haemophilia example Colour blindness example Linkage and crossing over Linked genes Genetic mapping Set task Interaction between Genes Introduction Traits and gene expression Polygenic inheritance Gene interactions Epistasis Enhancer genes Suppressor gene Incomplete dominance Codominance Lethal genes Cytoplasmic inheritance Gene expression Transcription Translation Genetic Chemistry Nucleic acids DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Structure Double Stranded Helix Chromosomes Chromatin Chromatids Understanding the genetic code Role of proteins Transcription and translation Post translational modification Introns and exons Reading the code Mutations Introduction Chromosome mutations Insertion Inversion Duplication Translocation Nondisjunction Gene mutations Point mutations (single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Point substitution mutation Insertions Deletions Frameshift mutations Categories of gene mutations Silent mutations Missense mutations Nonsense mutations How do mutations occur Radiation Viruses or other microorganisms Chemicals Spontaneous mutations Effect of mutations Repair of mutations DNA Repair and Recombination Introduction Excision pathways Methyl directed mismatch repair SOS repair Photoreactivation (Light dependent repair) Crossing over Recombination Developmental Genetics Introduction Genetics are instructions for structures Cellular organisation and differentiation Model organisms used in developmental genetics Why study developmental genetics The human genome project Birth defects Genetic advances in birth defects Gene therapy Gene therapy and cancer Population genetics What is population genetics Genetic variation within a population How do we measure genetic variation The hardy weinberg law Evolutionary agents and their effect on population genetics Mutations Movement of individuals between populations Genetic drift Non random mating Natural selection Polymorphism Applied Genetics Genetics in breeding animals Farm animal breeding Breeding pets Genetics for breeding plants Cloning plants Cloning -somatic cell nuclear transfer Modifying organisms genetically Transgenic animals Agricultural applications for transgenics Medical applications for transgenics Transgenics to modify DNA in plants Genetics in human health science Disease understanding Diagnosis of disease Genetic screening Gene therapy Pharmacogenomics Genetics Underpins Plant Breeding and Propagation It is through a deeper understanding of genetics that you are able to improve anything you do with plant propagation, or plant breeding. Whenever you set out to create new plants, there are many variables in the outcome. Propagated plants may be produced in a way that is either identical or different to the plant you propagate from. The amount and type of difference can be controlled if you wish. To exercise that control though; it is important to properly understand genetics - and what you learn in this courser underpins and improves your capacity to exercise that control. Employment Opportunities Genetics may be found in the future: Plant Breeding Animal Breeding Genomics Ancestry Gene therapy Diagnostic genetic testing – paternity; genetic disorders Clinical trials Forensic science Genetic enhancement Biotech/Medical Sales and Marketing Research e.g. medical, public health, anthropological Dietetics/Nutrition Nursing Education Science Outreach Technician Patenting Scientific/Technical/Medical Writing and Illustrating Genetic counseling Bioinformatics Administration Physician Assistant Genetic programming