Essay #1 January 14 – January 18 due Thursday January 17
Assume that a particular genetic condition
in a mammalian species causes an inability to digest starch. This disorder occurs with equal frequency in males and females. In most
cases, neither parent of affected offspring has the condition.
(a) Describe the most probable pattern of inheritance for
this condition. Explain your reasoning. Include in your discussion a sample cross sufficient to verify your proposed pattern.
(b) Explain how mutation could cause this inability to digest starch.
(c) Describe how modern techniques of molecular biology could
be used to determine whether the mutant allele is present in a given individual.
Essay #2January 21 – January 25 due Thursday
January 24
Describe the operon hypothesis and discuss how it explains the control of messenger RNA production and the regulation of
protein synthesis in bacterial cells.
Essay #3 January 28 – February 1 due Thursday January 31
A portion of specific DNA molecule consists
of the following sequence of nucleotide triplets.
TAC GAA CTT GGG TCC
This DNA sequence codes for the following short polypeptide.
methionine
- leucine - glutamic acid - proline - arginine
(a) Describe the steps in the synthesis of this polypeptide.
(b) What would be the effect
of a deletion or an addition in one of the DNA nucleotides?
(c) What would be the effects of a substitution in one of the nucleotides?
Essay
#4 February 4 – February 8 due Thursday February 7
In most organisms, there are characteristic sets of chromosomes within cell nuclei.
Describe ways in which the kinds and numbers of chromosomes in the following cells differ from the usual situation and discuss the
possible significance of these differences.
(a) Children whose cells have an extra autosome.
(b) Cells from different members of a hive
of honeybees
(c) Red blood cells in mammals
(d) Salivary gland cells in Drosophila
(e) Cells in tetraploid strains of wheat
(f) Human
gametes containing extra sex chromosomes
Essay #5 February 11 – February 16 due Tuesday February 12
Several kinds of organisms
have been important in genetics research. How have studies of each of the following made a different contribution to our knowledge
of genetics? Give evidence that promotes our knowledge and understanding of genetics from these contributions.
(a) peas
(b) Drosophila
(c) Griffith’s transformation experiments with pneumococci and mice
(d) mutations
