Genetics is fast moving and always changing. This course will gain you the foundation of the knowledge and information you require to learn about this fascinating subject.
Genetics can be very useful in areas such as; animal science, nutrition, plant science, psychology and child behavior. The understanding of genetics is incredibly important as we move into the future but it can be incredibly difficult subject to grasp – this online course will set you on the right direction and give you a solid foundation.
Course Structure
The duration of this online course is 100 hours. This consists of 10 in-depth lessons:
- Introduction to Genetics
- Scope, nature and history
- Darwin and Mendel
- Mendel’s experiment
- Mendel’s law of segregation
- Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment
- Advances since Mendel
- Important genetics terminology
- Cells, Organelles and Cell Division
- Prokaryotes
- Eukaryotes
- Organelles in the cell
- Cell structure and function
- Organelles in plants – Cell wall, Vacuole, Plastids
- Organelles in plants and animals – plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes etc
- Genetic structures and materials
- Nucleus
- Nuclear envelope
- Nucleolus
- DNA
- Cell division – meiosis and mitosis
- DNA replication
- Four stages of Mitosis
- Cytokinesis
- Gametogenesis
- Gametes
- Meiosis 1
- Meoisis 2
- Gamete production in plants
- Interaction between Chromosomes
- Introduction
- Sex determination
- Sex chromosomes
- Sex linked inheritance
- Haemophilia example
- Colour blindness example
- Linkage and crossing over
- Linked genes
- Genetic mapping
- Interaction between Genes
- Introduction
- Traits and gene expression
- Polygenic inheritance
- Gene interactions
- Epistasis
- Enhancer genes
- Suppressor gene
- Incomplete dominance
- Codominance
- Lethal genes
- Cytoplasmic inheritance
- Gene expression
- Transcription
- Translation
- Genetic Chemistry
- Nucleic acids
- DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Structure
- Double Stranded Helix
- Chromosomes
- Chromatin
- Chromatids
- Understanding the genetic code
- Role of proteins
- Transcription and translation
- Post translational modification
- Introns and exons
- Reading the code
- Mutations
- Introduction
- Chromosome mutations
- Insertion
- Inversion
- Duplication
- Translocation
- Nondisjunction
- Gene mutations
- Point mutations (single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)
- Point substitution mutation
- Insertions
- Deletions
- Frameshift mutations
- Categories of gene mutations
- Silent mutations
- Missense mutations
- Nonsense mutations
- How do mutations occur
- Radiation
- Viruses or other microorganisms
- Chemicals
- Spontaneous mutations
- Effect of mutations
- Repair of mutations
- DNA Repair and Recombination
- Introduction
- Excision pathways
- Methyl directed mismatch repair
- SOS repair
- Photoreactivation (Light dependent repair)
- Crossing over
- Recombination
- Developmental Genetics
- Introduction
- Genetics are instructions for structures
- Cellular organisation and differentiation
- Model organisms used in developmental genetics
- Why study developmental genetics
- The human genome project
- Birth defects
- Genetic advances in birth defects
- Gene therapy
- Gene therapy and cancer
- Population genetics
- What is population genetics
- Genetic variation within a population
- How do we measure genetic variation
- The Hardy Weinberg law
- Evolutionary agents and their effect on population genetics
- Mutations
- Movement of individuals between populations
- Genetic drift
- Non-random mating
- Natural selection
- Polymorphism
- Applied Genetics
- Genetics in breeding animals
- Farm animal breeding
- Breeding pets
- Genetics for breeding plants
- Cloning plants
- Cloning – somatic cell nuclear transfer
- Modifying organisms genetically
- Transgenic animals
- Agricultural applications for transgenics
- Medical applications for transgenics
- Transgenics to modify DNA in plants
- Genetics in human health science
- Disease understanding
- Diagnosis of disease
- Genetic screening
- Gene therapy
- Pharmacogenomics
Course Aims
- Acknowledge the history of urban genetics and interpret vital terminology in genetics work used, particularly relating to areas of study such as plant and animal sciences, conservation of plant and animal species, agriculture, horticulture, veterinary medicine and human health sciences.
- Develop understanding of the structures of cells and comprehend their basic functions specifically relating to cell division.
- Discuss the ways features are inherited.
- Develop knowledge of biological interactions and understand the significance of gene expression in heritability.
- Describe chemicals and reactions involved in genetics including protein synthesis.
- Explain the nature and management of genetic mutations.
- Develop understanding of how DNA repair mechanisms, and recombination to understand the significance of DNA cleaving and re-joining.
- Demonstrate an understanding of genetics to explain how variations occur in living organisms both within and beyond species.
- Explain both the significance and dynamics of genetic variation within populations of different living organisms.
- Describe how genetic knowledge is applied to a variety of human endeavours.
GENETICS TODAY
Everything from agriculture and horticulture, to veterinary and human health science, is being impacted a great deal by our ever growing understanding of genetics. While the future may not be predictable, there is little doubt that a knowledge of genetics will lay a very good foundation for many business and employment opportunities over the coming decades.
Farm Animal Breeding
Selective breeding in farm animals is centred around finding the most desirable characteristics and breeding animals that display them. Traits fit into five basic categories:
- Fitness traits
- Production traits
- Quality traits
- Type traits
- Behavioural traits
Pet breeding
Whereas the main objective of a farm animal breeding program is to improve performance, breeding programs for pedigree cats and dogs and other pet animals has centred on how they look. This has led to the development of over 1700 different dog breeds throughout the world. Pedigree dog breeding is huge opportunity and can generate significant amounts of money for the breeder.
Plant Breeding
Plant breeding has been practiced since near the beginning of human civilization. It is the manipulation of plant species to create desired genotypes and phenotypes for various purposes. Today this manipulation involves either controlled pollination, genetic engineering, or both, followed by artificial selection of progeny.
HOW DOES A WARNBOROUGH ONLINE COURSE WORK?
You can start the course whenever is convenient for you. You will be studying from home and have access to support from our qualified tutors. Practical exercises and research tasks will be set at the end of each lesson – including an assignment. You will submit this assignment to your course tutor, who will mark your work and give you constructive feedback and suggestions.
If you have any questions please contact us.
