Ateneo - UPO

This course is intended for students who need to expand their knowledge of basic genetics. It is particularly intended for students who have never taken a genetics class.During the course, information is provided on the structure of DNA and the organization of genetic material in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The course covers the fundamentals of formal genetics, from Mendel’s laws to the interpretation of genetic and physical maps, and also addresses the basic principles of genetic transformation in plant cells.

RUSSEL P.J. Genetica “un approccio molecolare”, Ed. Pearson SNUSTAD P.D., SIMMONS M.J.- Principi di genetica, Ed. EdiSES. GRIFFITHS A.J.F., GELBART W., LEWONTIN R.C., SUZUKI D.T., MILLER J.H., WESSLER S.R. Genetica - Principi di analisi formale, Ed. Zanichelli.

This course aims to guide students in learning the basics of the organization, expression, and transmission of genetic material, providing the fundamental basis for understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms central to courses in genomics and biotechnology. Through the study of the principles of inheritance, Mendelian traits, and their extensions, the course aims to help students understand how biological information is translated into phenotypic traits and how these are transmitted across generations. Furthermore, the course aims to provide students with the conceptual foundations of quantitative genetics.
The course is primarily lecture-based, with in-class exercises designed to help students understand the mechanisms of trait transmission.

Basic knowledge of cell biology.

Lectures (Frontal Instruction): Conducted with the aid of multimedia presentations (PowerPoint) projected onto a screen. This tool is used to illustrate complex concepts in a clear, schematic, and visual manner. The slides used in class will be made fully available on the University’s educational support platform (DIR), thus providing a comprehensive and accessible study resource. Guided and interactive exercises (Interactive Teaching): Focused on explaining and solving practical problems in formal and quantitative genetics. In this phase, priority is given to the use of the whiteboard (traditional or digital), a fundamental tool for demonstrating, step by step, the logical and mathematical progression of the exercises.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or- learningdisabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The course does not include any verification of learning, as it is supplementary teaching

The genetic material: chemical composition and structure. Replication, transcription and translation of genetic material. DNA organization in prokaryotic and eukaryotic chromosomes. Cell division: mitosis and meiosis. Mendel's laws and their applications. Human mendelian genetics: interpretation of pedigrees. Extension of mendelian analysis: multiple alleles and genetic interaction (epistasis, penetrance and expressivity). Chromosome theory of heredity. Sex chromosomes and sex determination. microorganisms: bacteria, bacteriophages and yeast. Exchange of genetic material: conjugation, transformation and transduction. Principles of quantitative genetics.

Knowledge and UnderstandingBy the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate that they: Have a comprehensive understanding of the structure of genetic material, including the biological mechanisms of replication and vertical transmission. Understand the theoretical foundations of Mendelian inheritance, along with the main interactions between genes (extensions of Mendelian genetics and epistasis). Understand the biological basis and molecular stages of genetic transformation in plants using the biological vector Agrobacterium. Possess a theoretical foundation in quantitative traits, understanding their biological, phenotypic, and statistical distribution differences compared to qualitative traits. Ability to Apply Knowledge and UnderstandingBy the end of the course, students should be able to: Solve practical problems in formal genetics by calculating expected genotype and phenotype frequencies  Analyze a set of basic phenotypic data or a distribution curve to independently determine whether a biological trait is qualitative or quantitative in nature.