Objectives:
The course will impart knowledge and understanding of:
- Cell division and its significance in cell cycl
- Concepts and mechanisms of inheritance pattern, chromosome and gene linkage and molecular basics of genetics.
- Animal behavior and communicati
- Theories of evolution, gene flow and mechanism of evolution with reference to animal diversity.
Course Contents:
Cell Division:
Cell cycles: Mitosis and meiosis; control of the cell cycle.
Inheritance Patterns:
Mendelian genetics; inheritance patterns; gene, structure, chemical composition and types. Chromosomes and Gene Linkage: Eukaryotic chromosomes; linkage and crossing over; chromosomal aberrations.
Cellular Control:
DNA: the genetic material; DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; control of gene expression in eukaryotes; gene mutation; recombinant DNA technologies and their applications.
Animal Behavior:
Behaviour and its types, proximate and ultimate causes; anthropomorphism; development of behavior; learning; factors controlling animal behavior; communication; behavioral ecology; social behavior.
Evolution: A Historical Perspective:
Theories of evolution: Natural selection Lamarckism and neo larmarckism, Darwinism and neo Darwinian.
Evolution and Gene Frequencies:
Hardy-Weinberg principle; evolutionary mechanisms: population size, genetic drift, gene flow, de Vries mutation theory and rates of evolution, polymorphism; species and speciation; molecular evolution; mosaic evolution.
Practicals
- Study of mitosis in onion root ti
- Study of meiosis in grasshopper testis (students should prepare the slide).
- Problem based study of Mendelian ratio in animals.
- Multiple alleles study in blood groups.
- Survey study of a genetic factor in population and its frequency.
- Study of karyotypes of Drosophila, mosquit
- Study of cytochemical detection of DNA in protozoa and avian blood cell.
- Study to demonstrate nervous or endocrine basis of behavior (conditioned reflex or aggression or parental behavior).
- Study to demonstrate social behavior (documentary film be shown, honey bee, monkey group in a zoo).
Note for1-2: Prepared microscopic and/or projection slides and/or CD
ROM computer projections must be used).