Principles Of Genetics

AY2014/2015 Semester 2

The Lecture series introduces students to the basic principles of Genetics, with a strong emphasis on molecular and biochemical rather than classical genetics. The structure of the course is designed to guide students, after a brief introduction to classical genetics, from the primary structure of DNA and its chemical properties to the genetic code. This is followed by an introduction to the realization of genetic information in pro- and eukaryotes, mechanisms of gene regulation, the duplication of the genetic material, the various mechanisms of DNA rearrangement and repair, leading to the overall structure and content of Genomes. From there on, topics include the higher organization of DNA inside living cells, the structure of chromosomes, the important question of how the genetic material is segregated during cell division, and the increasingly relevant question of epigenetic modifications of DNA. Finally, the important roles of genes in developmental processes, and in basic human and medical genetics will be discussed at an introductory level. Whenever possible, topics will be highlighted through the presentation of key experiments and the most recent results not yet included in textbooks. Naturally, DNA will be at center-stage in BS1006.