Study Guide-Exam I
Read the assigned material, review your lecture notes, review the homework
problems/answers and look at relevant course web site information.
Exam I will probably consist of three parts [i.e., I. General genetics knowledge (~20 points),
II. Multiple choice (~40 points), and III. Short answer/Genetics problems (~40 points)].
You should know the following information for the first exam.
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DNA structure and the central dogma
Chromatin structure (chromosomal DNA wrapped around histones)
Southern, northern and western blots
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Model genetic organisms (names and advantages)
Genomes present in organisms
Names and contributions of geneticists discussed in lectures, including their organisms
Definitions of key genetic terms (e.g., gene, allele, dominance, recessiveness,
homozygous, heterozygous, chromatin, forward genetics, reverse genetics, chiasma,
linkage, centimorgan, map units, meiosis, chi-square test, SNP)
Genetics nomenclature (A/a, Aa.Bb, Aa;Bb, AB/ab, Ab/aB, cis, trans, wild type, +)
Meiosis
Monohybrid crosses
Pedigrees
Test crosses
Incomplete (partial) dominance
Sex-linked gene inheritance
Pleiotropy
Dihybrid crosses and independent assortment
Polygenetic inheritance and QTLs
Cytoplasmic segregation and maternal inheritance
Genetic linkage and crossing over to produce recombinants
Parental versus recombinant genotypes
Linkage analysis (drawing genetic maps based on recombinant data and vice versa)
Diagnostic phenotypic ratios (e.g., 3:1, 9:3:3:1, 1:1:1:1)
Molecular markers (SNP, RFLPs, SSLPs, minisatellites, microsatellites, VNTRs)
Haplosufficent versus haploinsufficent
Dominance Variations (Incomplete, Codominance, Dominant negative, Recessive lethals)
Interacting genes in a metabolic pathway
Most importantly, you should know how to solve a variety of genetics problems as
exemplified in the textbook, in the lectures, and in the homework assignments for
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.
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