INTRODUCTORY GENETICS.

Branches of Genetics

1. Mendelian/Classical/Transmission Genetics –studies the transmission of traits from generation to

generation. Applied in classical genetic breeding experiments.

2. Molecular Genetics – studies the molecular basis of genes and chromosomes. This area of genetics is the

progenitor of the widely popular aspect of genetics known as Biotechnology which includes fields such as

cloning.

3. Cytogenetics – the study of the correlation of the actions of chromosomes in the nucleus of cells of living

organisms with the manifestations of some physical phenomena.

4. Population Genetics – Study of the genetic structure and attributes of Populations of living organisms.

Applications of genetics

The many applications of genetics can be grouped into three (3) major categories namely

1. Agriculture – in terms of improved yield of crops and animals, disease resistance varieties of crops and

breeds of animals, more nutritious food (golden rice), longer shelf life of agricultural produce, ability to be

cultivated in a wider range of ecological zones, etc. We now have genetically modified foods (GM Foods),

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), etc.

2. Health care – genetics has greatly improved our understanding of the basis of inheritance of genetic

diseases, helped in its prevention as well as early diagnosis, treatment using modern biotechnology tools,

etc.

3. Crime Detection and Paternity – Genetics has revolutionized this area of social order through

fingerprinting, DNA profiling and matching, etc. In terms of Paternity and family relationships, genetics has

solved many of such cases/issues, even those that died centuries ago.

Other recognized branches of genetics include

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Plant genetics, Animal genetics, Microbial Genetics, Fungal Genetics, Drosophila genetics, Clinical

genetics, Immunogenetics, Behavioural genetics, Forward and Reverse genetics, etc.

Assignment

Read up the following topics

(1.) Eugenics (2.) GMOs (3.) GM Foods

Mendelian Genetics

The principles of how genes are transmitted from parents to offspring.

It forms the basis of the study of inheritance.

• Johann Mendel was born in 1822

• Became a Priest of the Augustinian Monastery in Brno (now in Czeh Republic) in 1843 and took the

name Gregor

• Between 1851 -1853, he attended the University of Vienna, studying Physics and Botany

• Performed his first set of experiments with the Garden pea Pisum sativum L.

• Mendel research endeavours lasted for a period of 12 years

Reasons for Mendel’s success

• Elegant model of experimental design and analysis

• Excellent knowledge of the methodology necessary for good experimental biology

• Chose an organism that was easy to grow and hybridize artificially

• Experimented on seven (7) visible traits

• Restricted his experiments to one or very few pairs of contrasting traits in each experiment

• Kept good quantitative records; a necessity for genetic experiments

• First to apply statistics to the analysis of genetic experiments

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Monohybrid Cross

• Involves a pair of contrasting traits e.g. tall plants versus dwarf plants

• Other crosses include rounded seeds versus wrinkled seeds,

yellow seeds versus green seeds, full pods versus constricted pods,

green pods versus yellow pods, Axial flower position versus

terminal flower position, violet flowers versus white flowers, tall

stems versus dwarf stems

• All first filial generation plants showed a case of simple dominance

• When F1 were selfed, Mendel observed a 3:1 in all cases in relation to the dominant to recessive

traits.

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