BS00710 - GENETICS AND EVOLUTION

Module Identifier

BS00710

Module Title

GENETICS AND EVOLUTION

Academic Year

2006/2007

Co-ordinator

Dr Glyn Jenkins

Semester

Semester 1

Other staff

Dr Christopher L Davey, Professor Michael Young

Course delivery

Other

Workshop (5 hours)

Lecture

10 x 1h lectures

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment Length/Details	Proportion
Semester Exam	2 Hours theory paper	60%
Semester Assessment	Essay	40%
Supplementary Exam	2 Hours theory paper	60%
Supplementary Assessment	resubmission of failed coursework	40%

Learning outcomes

On completion of the module, students should be able to:

demonstrate a basic understanding of the role of DNA in the hereditary process,
analyse the outcomes for simple Mendelian inheritance,
explain in simple terms the process of evolution,
outline the process of gene expression and its use in recombinant technology.

Aims

The module aims to give a basic understanding of aspects of genetics and evolution considered essential to complement and underpin other aspects of biology. It will give level 0 students some exposure to these areas of study to enable them to make informed choices about their future degree courses.

Content

The students will be introduced to the language and basic principles of genetics through a historical survey of important discoveries. This will be linked to the concepts of evolutionary theory and of phylogeny, systematics taxonomy and classification.
The curriculum will include:

Inheritance and the linkage of inheritance to nuclear material, genes and DNA.
DNA organization into chromosomes.
Principles of linkage mapping.
Expression and regulation of genetic information.
Recombinant DNA technology.
Genomes and model organisms.
Basic aspects of DNA replication, meiosis and mitosis.
Change through genetic mutation.
Mendelian genetics.
The process of evolution and Darwin's contribution to evolutionary theory.
The relationships between phyla on an evolutionary basis.

Reading Lists

Books
Purves, William K. (Feb. 2004) Life:The Science of Biology and Lecture Notebook 140393567X

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 3