some!)
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Why, when and where does mitosis occur? What are the steps?
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Why, when, and where does meiosis occur? What are the steps?
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What’s the difference in the outcome of meiosis and mitosis in term of ploidy (diploid or haploid?) and interms of genetic variation (resulting cells clones of parent cell or genetically different?)
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Why don’t you look like your parents? How does meiosis generate genetic variation? How doesfertilization generate genetic variation?
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Are all mutations that happen in your cells passed on to your offspring? Why not? When ARE they passedon? (Think about the cells involved)Mendelian and Molecular Genetics
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Mendelian genetics: In reviewing the basic principles of genetics and inheritance, you should come tounderstand that traits, from your blood type to your height to your hair color, are determined by acombination of genetic and environmental factors. The genetic basis for traits is the focus of this section,and the key to understanding the material is to understand that there is genetic variation for most traits. Inother words, at the level of DNA and protein, there are often small differences among the alleles that codefor traits. Each individual, at least for those species like us which are diploid, carries two alleles for eachgene out of usually many possible alleles. Sometimes the products from a single gene will ultimatelydetermine the phenotype of a trait, but very often many genes contribute to determining the phenotype for atrait. The learning goal for this section is to be able to use your understanding of basic genetic principles tounderstand these basic patterns of inheritance.
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Do you see how, in constructing Punnett squares to show the potential results of matings between twoindividuals, that you’re following the principle of segregation, and, for traits determined by multiple genes(dihybrid crosses, for example), the principle of independent assortment, as well? Do you understand howto set up a Punnett square? Do you understand how to interpret the results?
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For a autosomal recessive genetic disease, do you understand why so-called carriers don’t show symptomsof the disease? Which individuals will have the disease?
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Do you understand sex determination in humans? What is meant by an autosomal trait as compared to asex-linked trait. What’s the difference between an X-linked trait and a Y-linked trait? How does beingautosomal or sex-linked affect the phenotype (in other words, did you try doing a couple of the genetics problems for X or Y-linked traits and see how the outcome of crosses for these traits can be very differentthan those for autosomal traits because of the distribution of X and Y chromosomes in the two sexes)? Doesthe fact that a trait is sex-linked alter the probability that a child will inherit a particular variant for a traitcompared to an autosomal trait?
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Understand the very basics of DNA and RNA structures (you should still understand what a nucleotide is ina general sense). Very generally, what are the roles of DNA, tRNA, rRNA, and mRNA in transcription andtranslation?
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Explain very basically replication, transcription, and translation.
Why
, when and where do these processesoccur (again, keep it basic).
make sure that you have these processes straight in your mind!
If youconfused them on the third test, especially if you missed the question in which you were given a DNAsequence and you didn’t know how to figure out the resulting mRNA and protein sequence, then make sureyou review this and ask for help if you don’t get it!
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Does a single change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA, say a mutation caused by an error in replication,always cause changes in the protein product of a gene?
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What is meant by the genetic code?
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All of your cells contain the same DNA. Why are they different from one another? (ultimately this isasking: What’s a gene? What is gene expression? How does variation at the level of DNA translate tovariation in YOU? )
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What is the “central dogma” of biology?
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How is DNA packaged in the eukaryotic cell (from DNA strand up to chromosome)?
Cell Metabolism
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Review basic thermodynamic principles, including
)
G, ATP, and enzymes. Do you understand thefundamental principles that allow living cells to exist (live, grow, divide, do work) as complex structures inspite of the fact that Laws of Thermodynamics state that the entropy of the universe is decreasing and inspite of the fact that a single reaction with a +
)
G is NOT energetically favored?
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Review the various means by which cells generate ATP (3 ways - how?).
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Do you still remember the
major
products / functions of the pathways of aerobic respiration that we coveredin class?
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