CRS 1104INTRODUCTION TO GENETICS

2. INSTRUCTOR(s):Dr.SettumbaMukasa (BSc Agric, MUK, Uganda; MSc, UQ, Australia; PhD, SLU, Sweden) (Senior Lecturer).

3. COURSE TYPE:Core for: B.Sc. Horticulture I/ BSc HMN I/ BSc Agric II

Prerequisites: None

4. COURSE STRUCTURE:

2 Credit units: 15 lecture hours (1 contact hour per week for 15 study weeks) and 30 practical/ tutorial hours (equivalent to 1 contact hour per week for 15 study weeks).

5. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Students undertaking this course will be introduced to concepts and applications of genetics in agriculture. Areas to be covered include: Definition of genetics and role of genetics to humanity; Monohybrid inheritance; Dihybrid inheritance; Extension of Mendelian analysis; Genome organisation; Genome variation; Gene mutations and their implications in breeding; Cell division and development; Genetic linkage analysis and genetic maps; Gene structure and expression; Concepts of population genetics; Concepts of quantitative genetics; Introduction to molecular markers and their applications; and Recombinant DNA Technology in crop and animal breeding. This course puts an emphasis on the principles of heredity, genetic problem solving, and their applications in animal and plant breeding.

6. COURSE OBJECTIVES:

General objective

  • To equip students with theoretical and technical aspects of genetic analysis for use in classical and molecular breeding and selection systems of crop plants and animals.

Specific objectives

  • To provide students with principles and methods used in the study of genetics
  • To enable students understand the current genetic topics and their influence on modern life
  • To provide a foundation for more advanced studies in agricultural research

7. RECOMMENDED REFERENCES FOR READING

  • Griffiths, A.J.F. et al., 2004. (Eds). Introduction to Genetic Analysis (7th. Edn). Freeman. ISBN-10: 0716749394
  • Hartl, D.L. and Jones, B. 2007. (Eds.) Essential Genetics. Paperback. ISBN: 780763735272. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, USA.
  • Lewin B., 2004. (Ed) Genes VIII. Ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN-10: 0131439812
  • Website

8. COURSE CONTENT, METHODS OF INSTRUCTION, AND TOOLS REQUIRED

TOPIC / CONTENT / METHOD OF INSTRUCTION / Time allocated / TOOLS/ NEEDED
1. Introduction /
  • Definition of genetics
  • Role of genetics to humanity
  • History of genetics in plant and animal breeding
/ Interactive lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial (2 hrs) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk.
2. Monohybrid inheritance /
  • Mendel’s monohybrid crosses.
  • Genes and alleles defined
  • The law of segregation
  • Assignment 1: Probability as applied to genetics
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial (2 hrs) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk
3. Dihybrid inheritance /
  • Mendeliandihybrid experiments
  • Law of independent assortment
  • Dihybrid test cross
  • Assignment 2: The punnet square
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Practical -field tour (3 hrs) / BB/Chalk,
Transport (140 pple) to MUARIK.
4. Extension of Mendelian analysis /
  • Intra-allelic interactions: incomplete and co-dominance
  • Lethal genes, Pleiotropism
  • Penetrance and expressivity
  • Exercises: Mendelian inheritance
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Practical -field tour (3 hrs) / BB/Chalk,
Transport (140 pple) to MUARIK.
5. Extension of Mendelian analysis /
  • Multiple alleles
  • Sex linkage in plants and animals
  • Inter-allelic interactions: epistasis
  • Tutorial 1: The chi-square test
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial/exercises (1 hr) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk
6. Genome organisation /
  • Definition of a genome
  • Examples of genomes
  • Chromosome structure
  • Tutorial 2: Karyotypes
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Practical - laboratory (3 hrs) / BB/Chalk,
Microscopes,
Laboratory (70 pple x 2)
7. Genome variation /
  • Chromosome mutation
  • Aneuploidy and euploidy
  • Polyploidy and plant breeding
  • Excursion: Genetic variation
/ Lecture (1 hrs)
Practical - laboratory (2 hrs) / BB/Chalk,
Microscopes and accessories
8. Gene mutations and their importance /
  • Gene mutations
  • Types and causes of mutations
  • Transposable elements
  • Practical 1: Mitosis
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial/exercises (2 hrs) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk.
9. Cell division and development /
  • Mitosis and the cell cycle
  • Meiosis, gametogenesis
  • Contrast meiosis and mitosis
  • Sex determination and linkage
  • Practical 2: Meiosis
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial (2 hrs) / LCD Projector,
Lab (70 pple x 2)
10. Genetic linkage analysis /
  • The concept of linkage
  • Recombination and gene linkage
  • Three-point test cross
  • Linkage maps and mapping
  • Tutorial 3: Recombination frequencies
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial/exercises (2 hrs) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk.
11. Concepts of population genetics /
  • Concept of a gene pool
  • The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
  • Evolutionary aspects
  • Practical 3: Random genetic drift
/ Lecture (1 hrs)
Practical - laboratory (3 hrs) / BB/Chalk,
Handouts,
Lab materials
(70 pple x 2)
12. Concepts of quantitative genetics /
  • Quantitative traits
  • Genotype-phenotype relationship
  • Estimating genetic variance
  • Tutorial 4: Heritability estimate
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial/exercises (2 hrs) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk
13. Gene structure and expression /
  • Genes at a molecular level;
  • Transcription and Translation
  • Gene regulation in eukaryotes
  • Tutorial 5: Gene regulation
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial/exercises (1 hrs) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk
14. Introduction to molecular markers and their application /
  • The basis of molecular makers
  • Types of molecular markers
  • Tutorial 6: Application of molecular markers in breeding
/ Lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial/exercises (1 hr) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk
15. Recombinant DNA Technology /
  • Definition of gene cloning
  • Gene cloning procedure
  • Recombinant DNA technology
  • Assignment 4: Applications of recombinant DNA to agriculture
/ Interactive lecture (1 hr)
Tutorial (1 hr) / LCD Projector,
BB/Chalk
16-17 /
  • Revision Time
  • Final Examination

9. SUMMARY OF TIME NEEDED:

Lectures15 (30) hrs

Tutorials (and assignments)15 hrs

Practicals15 hrs

10. COURSE ASSESSMENT:

Continuous assessment (Quizzes tests): / Three (3) quizzes and tests arising from tutorials and assignments during semester week 5, 10 and 15. / 30%
Continuous assessment (Practicals): / Students will write 3 practical reports / 10%
University Examination: / Final examination during week 16-17 of the semester / 60%