BIL 104 - Genetics and Society

Dana Krempels

Study Guide for Exam I

Remember: this is merely a checklist to help you focus on the important items in your notes and in the text. It's not a substitute for them! All topics covered in Lectures 1-7 are FAIR GAME.

If something in your book was not covered *at all* in lecture and is not on this guide, you need not concentrate on it for this exam, but that doesn't mean it's not important to your life.

Remember that being able to regurgitate simple vocabulary and facts is important at the most basic level, but that you must also be able to MAKE CONNECTIONS among the things you have learned so far, and be able to apply your knowledge to solving problems. This means that your understanding of the material has to go deeper than simply being able to remember a definition or memorize a drawing without understanding what it's saying.

Ready? Here we go....

Life, the Universe and Everything

Understand the hierarchy of components that make up living things, from smallest to largest (i.e., starting with electrons, protons and neutrons, and working your way up to macromolecules).
Know the general properties of the four types of biological macromolecules, and be able to recognize examples of each. Know the subunits of which each molecule is composed.
Know the meaning/significance of: polymer, enzyme, substrate, element, compound, atom, molecule, polar vs. non-polar molecules (and examples), Avogadro's number (6.02 x 1023) = one mole, organic vs. inorganic molecules
Know how to read the Periodic Table of Elements, and know what is meant by the atomic symbol, atomic mass and atomic number.

Cell: The Smallest Living Thing

Understand the basic differences between a prokaryotic and a eukaryotic cell, and know that only bacteria are prokaryotic. All other organisms (plants, animals, fungi and protists) are eukaryotic).
Know the very basic structure and main functions of each of the parts of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell.
Understand the difference between unicellular, colonial and multicellular organisms (with true tissues).
Know the basic characteristics something must have/be/do to be considered truly ALIVE.
Know the meaning/significance of: Endosymbiont Model of Eukaryotic Cell Evolution (devised by Lynn Margulis, Ph.D. of U.C. Berkeley), symbiosis, mutualism, parasitism, commensalism.

Science

Understand what is meant by "The Scientific Method", and be able to recognize the proper order of action in a scientific undertaking.
Know the meaning/significance of hypothesis, theory, law (and the difference between a null and an alternative hypothesis).
Know the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning.

Cell Division: Mitosis & Meiosis

Know the parts of the cell and the names of the stages of mitosis.
Know what happens during each phase of mitosis, especially in terms of what the chromosomes are doing.
Know the stages of meiosis, especially the stages of Prophase I.
Which part of meiosis is the "reduction division," when the DNA actually divides in half? Which part is the "equational division," that is like mitosis?
Know the meaning/significance of: centromere, kinetochore, homomorphic & heteromorphic chromosomes, the general roles of cyclin and cdc 2 in cell division. (What can go wrong if there's a mutation in the p53 gene?)
Know the morphological types of chromosomes (e.g. acrocentric, telocentric, etc.)
Know the meaning/significance of: clone, synapsis, sister chromatid, homologous chromosomes, crossing over
Know the meaning/significance of: cytokinesis, S phase, Gap 1, Gap 2, GO stage, GI checkpoint, Cdk G1-cyclin complex, p53 gene

Mendelian Genetics

Know the meaning/significance of the terms: gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, dominant vs. recessive alleles of a gene, chromosome, locus (plural = loci), continuous vs. discontinuous characters, diploid, haploid, ploidy, homozygous vs. heterozygous, true-breeding vs. hybrid.
Know the basic meaning of Mendel's Laws:


Know the very basic meaning/significance of: autosome (and autosomal traits), sex-chromosome (and sex-linked traits)
Know what a "cross" is, and how to figure out (using a Punnett Square) the expected ratios of genotypes and phenotypes in offspring from a monohybrid (i.e., in which both parents are heterozygous for a single trait you're studying) and dihybrid (i.e., in which both parents are heterozygous for two traits you're studying) cross.
Know what is meant by Parental (P), First Filial (F1) and Second Filial (F2) generations.
Know the meaning/significance of: back cross, test cross, and reciprocal cross, wild type vs. mutant

Know the meaning/significance and ploidy of: spermatogonium, oogonium, sperm, ovum, polar body. (Which sex produced polar bodies during meiosis? What does this mean in terms of how many gametes are produced per diploid germ cell (oogonium or spermatogonium), and how much energy is used to make sperm vs. eggs?

Understand how to read a human pedigree chart.

GENE INTERACTIONS

Know the meaning/significance/examples of polygenic (additive) traits, and interactive traits (for example, comb form in chickens), epistasis, hypostasis, understand that mutations at any point along an enzymatic pathway might affect a final product of that pathway, pleiotropy, allele interactions, mammal coat color gene loci,

Know the meaning (and difference between) incomplete dominance and codominance, and recognize examples of each (even if you haven't seen them before, from my description).

Understand the basics of the genetics (and practical application) of human blood type genetics (ABO and Rh Factor).

GOOD LUCK!