By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Understand the process of translation and discuss its key factors
Describe how the initiation complex controls translation
Explain the different ways in which the post-translational control of gene expression takes place
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the steps involved in prokaryotic gene regulation
Explain the roles of activators, inducers, and repressors in gene regulation
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Discuss why every cell does not express all of its genes
Describe how prokaryotic gene regulation occurs at the transcriptional level
Discuss how eukaryotic gene regulation occurs at the epigenetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
List the steps in eukaryotic transcription
Discuss the role of RNA polymerases in transcription
Compare and contrast the three RNA polymerases
Explain the significance of transcription factors
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
List the different steps in prokaryotic transcription
Discuss the role of promoters in prokaryotic transcription
Describe how and when transcription is terminated
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the different steps in RNA processing
Understand the significance of exons, introns, and splicing
Explain how tRNAs and rRNAs are processed
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the different steps in protein synthesis
Discuss the role of ribosomes in protein synthesis
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain the “central dogma” of protein synthesis
Describe the genetic code and how the nucleotide sequence prescribes the amino acid and the protein sequence
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain that meiosis and sexual reproduction are evolved traits
Identify variation among offspring as a potential evolutionary advantage to sexual reproduction
Describe the three different life-cycle types among sexual multicellular organisms and their commonalities
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis
Describe cellular events during meiosis
Explain the differences between meiosis and mitosis
Explain the mechanisms within meiosis that generate genetic variation among the products of meiosis
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes in dominant and recessive gene systems
Develop a Punnett square to calculate the expected proportions of genotypes and phenotypes in a monohybrid cross
Explain the purpose and methods of a test cross
Identify non-Mendelian inheritance patterns such as incomplete dominance, codominance, recessive lethals, multiple alleles, and sex linkage
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain Mendel’s law of segregation and independent assortment in terms of genetics and the events of meiosis
Use the forked-line method and the probability rules to calculate the probability of genotypes and phenotypes from multiple gene crosses
Explain the effect of linkage and recombination on gamete genotypes
Explain the phenotypic outcomes of epistatic effects between genes
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe the scientific reasons for the success of Mendel’s experimental work
Describe the expected outcomes of monohybrid crosses involving dominant and recessive alleles
Apply the sum and product rules to calculate probabilities
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Describe how a karyogram is created
Explain how nondisjunction leads to disorders in chromosome number
Compare disorders caused by aneuploidy
Describe how errors in chromosome structure occur through inversions and translocations
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Discuss Sutton’s Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance
Describe genetic linkage
Explain the process of homologous recombination, or crossing over
Describe how chromosome maps are created
Calculate the distances between three genes on a chromosome using a three-point test cross