Chromosomes and Genes

Lesson 5

Chromosomes & Genes

Today, we are going to continue our journey through past historical discoveries, and this time we will enter the 20th century. This lesson will cover cells, DNA, chromosomes, and genes. Many of the concepts that we have begun to discuss in the previous lessons will be repeated and clarified. Each lesson builds on the previous, so make sure you understand the concepts presented each time before moving on. This lesson deals with number 1 on the list of areas of genetic study from your textbook. A reminder of that list can be found below:

1. Cellular and molecular genetics- the study of cells and DNA

2. Classical or Mendelian genetics- pedigrees and trait inheritance and expression

3. Population genetics- genetic variation within and between species and evolutionary history of species

4. Phylogenetics- evolutionary relatedness between species; phylogenetic trees

5. Behavioral genetics- influences of genetics on behavior

What will we learn in this lesson?

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to answer the following “big picture” questions:

• Why are mutations significant for evolution?

• How are phenotypes determined?

• Does natural selection act on the genotype or the phenotype?

By the end of this lesson, you should understand the following important details:

• The different parts of the cell (and their function)

• The two types of cells (and which is diploid/haploid)

• The structure of DNA (micro and macro)

• The outcomes of mutations (and point & frame-shift mutations)

• Sickle cell anemia as a point mutation

By the end of this lesson, you should understand the following terms and concepts:

• prokaryote, eukaryote, nucleus, mitochondrion, ribosomes, somatic cell, mitosis, gamete, meiosis, DNA replication, protein synthesis, nucleotide, nitrogen base, codon, chromatin, homologous chromosome, centromere, diploid, haploid, chromatid, autosome, sex chromosome, gene, locus, allele, genotype, homozygous, heterozygous, phenotype, mutation, phenotypic plasticity (& examples)

Questions?

If you have questions about the course or content, please post