Introduction to Unit 8 : Important Topics To Read
Unit 8 – Genetics! Carrying a significant weight age of minimum 25 marks, it is a big risk to skip this unit. In fact, you don’t need to, as we all have more or less some idea about basic genetics from our +2 level, so being quite a conceptual and useful unit, you will find several connections and extensions with other units as well. Expect both theoretical and numerical based questions, and sometimes both combined. The best way is to write and practise. This unit syllabus contains short topics, which does not require much of your time to prepare individually, but can be really confusing as you have a myriad of such short topics.
TOPICS COVERED
UNIT 8. INHERITANCE BIOLOGY
A) Mendelian principles : Dominance, segregation, independent assortment.
B) Concept of gene : Allele, multiple alleles, pseudoallele, complementation tests
C) Extensions of Mendelian principles : Codominance, incomplete dominance, gene interactions, pleiotropy, genomic imprinting, penetrance and expressivity, phenocopy, linkage and crossing over, sex linkage, sex limited and sex influenced characters.
D) Gene mapping methods : Linkage maps, tetrad analysis, mapping with molecular markers, mapping by using somatic cell hybrids, development of mapping population in plants.
E) Extra chromosomal inheritance : Inheritance of Mitochondrial and chloroplast genes, maternal inheritance.
F) Microbial genetics : Methods of genetic transfers – transformation, conjugation, transduction and sex-duction, mapping genes by interrupted mating, fine structure analysis of genes.
G) Human genetics : Pedigree analysis, lod score for linkage testing, karyotypes, genetic disorders.
H) Quantitative genetics : Polygenic inheritance, heritability and its measurements, QTL mapping.
I) Mutation : Types, causes and detection, mutant types – lethal, conditional, biochemical, loss of function, gain of function, germinal verses somatic mutants, insertional mutagenesis.
J) Structural and numerical alterations of chromosomes : Deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation, ploidy and their genetic implications. K) Recombination : Homologous and non-homologous recombination including transposition
Important Topics to be studied From CSIR NET Unit 8
- Mendelian ratios, their statistics, terms like codominance, incomplete dominance, pleiotropy, genomic imprinting, penetrance, expressivity, phenocopy, linkage, crossing over, sex linkage, sex limited and sex influenced characters, maternal inheritance and various gene interactions
- Different genetic crosses, pedigree, ABO blood grouping, multiple genes, complementation, mitotic and meiotic non-disjunction, tetrad analysis
- Mutations (mutational studies based questions expected) which can be also covered under Unit 3.
- Also, questions are asked from the structural and numerical alterations of chromosomes, like deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation, various ploidy, and their genetic implications.
- Microbial genetics and interrupted mating experiments, (Hfr mapping, methods of genetic transfers – transformation, conjugation, transduction and sex-duction, mapping genes by interrupted mating).
- Chromosome mapping of humans and drosophila, homologous and non-homologous recombination (which can also be prepared under Unit 2)
REFERENCE BOOKS For CSIR NET UNIT 8
- iGenetics: A Molecular Approach by Peter Russell
- Principles of Genetics by D. Peter Snustad, Michael J. Simmons
- Genes – By Benjamin Lewin
