Genetics

(4 Credits)

Why do offspring often exhibit physical features of their parents? Why do combinations of certain features in offspring translate into specific characteristics that either enhance or diminish the organism's fitness? The course covers the concepts, principles and research methods used in the field of genetics. Students learn about the major types of genetic variation and how they are generated, distributed and maintained across genomes and between individuals. The course covers concepts such as mutation, recombination, transmission systems, cytoplasmic inheritance, population genetics, and multifactorial inheritance. Emphasis is placed on patterns of Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance and the use of genetic methods to analyze protein function, gene regulation, and disease.