• Semester 1 (Day)

Pre-requisite: 62101+64001

Synopsis

The  unit  presents the scientific basis of heredity.  The  principles
of  genetics play an increasingly important role in the modern  world;
in  the breeding of improved crops and livestock. the conservation  of
endangered  species and the genetic engineering of  new  products  for
agriculture  or  medicine.  The unit commences  with  an  overview  of
Mendelian genetics and introduces concepts of importance to both plant
and  animal  breeding.  The theory and practice  of  manipulating  and
mapping  the  location  of genes on chromosomes  and  the  effects  of
mutations  on gene expression are studied and the science  of  genetic
engineering is briefly introduced.  Changes in chromosome  number  and
structure  in  plants (eg evolution of wheat) and  animals  (eg  Downs
Syndrome)  are  examined  as  are the important  areas  of  population
genetics, evolution and behavioural genetics.