Difference between revisions of "Organization of genetics topics"

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**LOD scores
 
**LOD scores
 
*cytological genetics
 
*cytological genetics
**chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis, nondisjunction, aneuploidy, polyploidy
+
**chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis
 
**sex chromosomes and sex determination systems
 
**sex chromosomes and sex determination systems
**aneuploidy and polyploidy
+
**nondisjunction, aneuploidy and polyploidy
 
**distinction between the germ-line and the soma
 
**distinction between the germ-line and the soma
 
*molecular genetics
 
*molecular genetics

Revision as of 12:52, 22 August 2014

I am interested in what people thin the best organization of genetics topics might be.

Genetics is a vast, rapidly changing field. There are connections to other diverse fields such as psychology, law, medicine, history, and teaching. A classic way to divide genetics topics is into classical, molecular, and population genetics; however, I suspect this leaves out important areas.

The topics I would like an introductory genetics class to cover (or at least touch on in an introductory sense) include:

  • classical genetics
    • Mendelian Inheritance and Punnet squares
    • Complementation tests
    • Genetic linkage and recombination
    • Punnet squares and epistasis
    • alleles and morphs
    • penetrance and expressivity
    • pedigree analysis
    • LOD scores
  • cytological genetics
    • chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis
    • sex chromosomes and sex determination systems
    • nondisjunction, aneuploidy and polyploidy
    • distinction between the germ-line and the soma
  • molecular genetics
    • gene structure, gene expression regulation, protein structure, and the central dogma
    • genome structure and organization
    • types of mutations and their effects
    • metabolic pathways, developmental pathways, and epistasis
    • transposable elements and other forms of selfish genes
    • genotype/phenotype association tests
    • comparison of model organisms and viral versus bacterial versus eukaryotic genetics
    • methods of genetic engineering and germ line transformation
    • genetic tools such as binary expression systems, PCR, Sanger sequencing, next generation sequencing, restriction endonucleases, and plasmid engineering, FISH, probes, chip hybridization
    • forward genetics and reverse genetics
    • X-inactivation, imprinting and epigenetics
  • population genetics
    • inbreeding and population structure
    • average heterozygosity and effective population size, the coalescent
    • selection and genetic drift
    • tests of neutrality
  • quantitative genetics
    • parent-offspring regression
    • heritability and phenotype variance
    • breeder's equation
    • twin studies
  • evolutionary genetics
    • species phylogeny
    • gene evolution and gene families
    • evo-devo
  • supporting statistical logic
    • probability rules
    • binomial distributions
    • normal distribution
    • Poisson distribution
    • the chi-square test and degrees of freedom
    • linear regression
    • means and variance
  • interdisciplinary
    • the history of eugenics and current laws regarding genetic data
    • GMO crops including examples, methods, ethics, and economics
    • genetic pest management
    • medical and cancer genetics
    • personal genomics
    • developmental genetics
    • genetic anthropology