Remember! This study guide is merely an incomplete checklist of important items you might expect to see on the exam. It is NOT a substitute for your notes or text readings. Anything from the syllabus and same topic readings is fair game.

Know the difference between adaptation and evolution.
Understand the difference between somatic and germline mutations, and the evolutionary consequences of each.

Know the meaning/significance of: mutation, mutagen, carcinogen, spontaneous vs. induced mutations, DNA replication errors, intercalating agents, free radical, ionizing radiation, UV radiation, pyrimidine dimer, xeroderma pigmentosum.

Know possible causes for the appearance of mutant individuals in a population.

Understand the nature of mutations at the molecular level: forward mutations (silent mutation, neutral mutation, missense mutation, nonsense mutation, frameshift mutation, additions, deletions), reverse mutations, suppressor mutations.

MUTATIONS AT THE CHROMOSOME LEVEL

Know the meaning/significance of: genetic anticipation, various syndromes in humans due to monosomy, nullisomy, trisomy and partial monosomy. (e.g. Down Syndrome, Patau, Edwards, Cri-du-Chat, etc.)

Know what factors can cause chromosomal damage. Know the meaning/significance of: telomere, "sticky" ends, Robertsonian fusion

MUTATIONS AT THE CHROMOSOME SET LEVEL (Aberrent Euploidy)

Know the meaning/significance of: sympatric, allopatric & stasipatric speciation, allopolyploidy, autopolyploidy,

CONTROL OF GENE EXPRESSION

NOTE: I have added a few illustrations to the notes already posted (e.g., what lactose and allolactose look like!). You might want to have a look and see if this helps you understand things better.

Know the meaning/significance of: positive and negative feedback mechanisms, operon, inducible and repressible systems, promoter, operator, allosteric enzymes, corepressor

Understand the general workings of the lac and trp operons. Which is inducible? Repressible?

Understand the discussed mechanisms of gene expression control at the translational level and the post-translational level.

POPULATION GENETICS

Know the meaning/significance of: polymorphisms, heterozygosity, population, deme, microevolution, macroevolution, gene flow, reproductive isolation and reproductive isolating mechanisms

Understand what is meant by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Know how to calculate allele frequencies (given the appropriate information at the start), and how to use the Hardy-Weinberg equation to predict expected genotype frequencies in a population.

Understand the assumptions of the H.W. model, and what factors can operate in populations to take a population out of equilibrium.

Know the meaning/significance of: genetic drift, founder effect, bottleneck effect, character displacement, adaptive radiation