Learning Objectives:

Chapter 14: Gene Expression

• Define what a gene is
• Explain how genes are expressed
• List the sections of DNA, the types of RNA, the proteins and enzymes involved in gene expression and explain their function in the process
• Describe the characteristics of the genetic code
• Describe and compare prokaryotic transcription with eukaryotic transcription
• Explain the process of splicing and its implication for gene expression
• Summarize the steps that take place for genes to be expressed and how the differ between prokaryotes and eukaryotes
• Explain the different types of mutations and relate it to the severity of their effects.

Chapter Sec. 5.6: Cell Communication

• List the function of ligand, receptor and signal transduction in cell communication
• Explain what is phosphorylation and how cells use it
• Compare the signaling transduction pathway of hydrophobic and hydrophilic signals
• Compare cell-surface and intracellular receptors
• Relate cell signaling with gene expression regulation

Chapter 15: Control of Gene Expression

• Explain how gene expression is controlled
• Describe the difference in control of gene expression between eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
• Describe the DNA regions involved in gene regulation (operator, promoter and enhancer regions)
• Use the example of the lac operon to explain how cells control gene expression to suit their needs.
• Explain what transcription factors and regulatory proteins (activators, repressors) are and how they regulate gene expression in eukaryotes.
• Describe how chromatin structure (DNA methylation and histone modification) affect gene expression
• Contrast the mechanisms regulating gene expression depending on when they act on: 1) regulating transcription, 2) posttranscriptionally (regulating the mRNA and protein synthesis) and posttranslationally (regulation of protein degradation)

Chapter 10: Meiosis

• Explain why meiosis is fundamental in sexual reproduction
• Contrast meiosis I to meiosis II and mitosis, describing how homologous chromosomes pair and then divide
• Describe the process of crossing over and its importance in genetic recombination
• Relate the events in meiosis to the Mendel’s principles of inheritance
• Explain the consequences that mistakes during meiosis can have for the future offspring

Chapter 11: Mendel and the Gene Idea

• Distinguish between: gene, allele and gene locus
• Explain the principle of segregation and independent assortment and their relation to meiosis
• Distinguish between phenotype and genotype
• Apply the rules of probability to infer genotypes from test crosses
• Identify dominant and recessive alleles and infer the genotype of individuals in a pedigree or in a genetic cross
• Explain what makes an allele dominant or recessive
• Define the concepts of codominance, incomplete dominance, environmental effects, polygenic inheritance and pleiotropy and explain how these and other factors interfere with Mendel’s predictions.

Chapter 12: Chromosomes and Inheritance

• Relate the events that occur in meiosis with Mendel’s Principles of Independent Assortment and Segregation
• Explain what sex-linkage is and predict the outcome of a cross of a trait with sex-linkage inheritance
• Explain dosage compensation and its effects on the phenotype
• Explain why distance in the genetic map affects recombination and its relation to crossing over during meiosis
• Use data from genetic crosses to infer the location of alleles on a chromosome