Genetics - channel 1

Graduates in Biological Sciences, studing Genetics acquires knowledge to analysis of Mendelian inheritance characters. They acquires the general principles concerning distribution of alleles in natural populations. They acquires the basic knowledge about the structure and organization of DNA, and general principles of gene expression. They knows the different types of mutations and their phenotypic effects . They acquires knowledge about the main methods of DNA analysis and its polymorphisms. He learns to find and use the main telematic databases and the scientific literature.

Principles from Mendel; genotype and phenotype. Monohybrid and dihybrid cross. Relations between the alleles: complete and incomplete dominance, co-dominance and recessivity. Multiple alleles. The Epistasis. Mitosis: chromosome configuration at different stages of cell cycle. Meiosis: random assortment of chromosomes, crossing-over and gametes formation. Haploidy and diploidy. The Chromosomal theory of heredity: the Morgan experiments. Gene linkage and genetic mapping. Probability and statistics to analyze the transmission of Mendelian traits. The chi-square test. The pedigree analysis in the study of inherited traits.
Population Genetics: allele and genotype frequencies. Mendelian populations and Hardy-Weinberg principle for loci with two alleles. Genetic structure of populations (outline).
Griffith, Avery-McLeod-MacCarty, Hershey and Chase experiments. The structure of DNA and RNA molecules. General features of DNA replication. Characteristics of the virus, prokaryotes and eukaryotes genomes. Organization of Eukaryotic chromosomes. The human karyotype: main methods to preparation and analysis.
Organization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes. The gene expression. The untranslated genes: the ribosomal and transfer RNAs. The property of the genetic code and the biosynthesis of protein. Analysis of DNA polymorphisms.
Mutations in somatic and germ cells. Molecular basis of mutations . Genetic mutations: definition classification and phenotypic effects. Mutations in the number and in the structure of the chromosome.Mutagenic environmental factors: physical, chemical and biological agents.

Genes and DNA. The central dogma of genetics: DNA-transcription and RNA-translation. The genetic code: definition and properties. Historical evolution of the functional definition of the gene. The prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes The evolution of eukaryotic genes. The genes in multiple copies and gene families. The genes orthologs and paralogs. Pseudogenes. The regulation of gene expression; main models of regulation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Outline of developmental genes and differentiation.

Basic Methods for DNA analysis. Preparation of genomic DNA, PCR, enzymatic cut, electrophoresis, sequencing. The RFLP and their use in diagnostics.

Russel. GENETICA: UN APPROCCIO MOLECOLARE. Pearson Italia, Milano.

Griffiths e altri. GENETICA: PRINCIPI DI ANALISI FORMALE. Zanichelli, Bologna.

Hartl & Jones. GENETICA IN UNA PROSPETTIVA GENOMICA. Idelson-Gnocchi Editore. Napoli.