To study the mendelian as well as modern aspects of genetics with Plant Breeding.
Genetic Inheritance : Mendelism, laws of inheritance, gene interactions, linkage and crossing over, multiple alleles, sex determination, sex linked, sex influenced, sex limited traits.
Chromosomal variations: Chromosomal aberrations, duplication, deficiency, inversion and translocation, changes in chromosome number: haploids, aneuploids and polyploids, autopolyploids and allopolyploids, monosomics and trisomics. Mutations- spontaneous and induced, physical and chemical mutagens , related genetic disorders- Turner’s syndrome, Down’s syndrome, Kleinfelter’s syndrome, Cri-du –chat syndrome, Triple X syndrome.
Gene expression: Gene fine structure, introns and their role in genetics, regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, lac operon and tryptophan operon, lytic and lysogenic cycle in bacteriophages.
Extra nuclear genome: Genetics of mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA- structure, functions and inheritance, plasmids and episomes; maternal effects and cytoplasmic inheritance, cytoplasmic male sterility.
Plant Breeding: Methods of plant breeding, selection (mass, pureline and clonal), pedigree analysis, acclimatization, hybridization, heterosis and inbreeding depression