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Basic Genetics

By Prof. Richa Arya, Prof. Madhu G Tapadia, Prof. J K Roy (retired)   |   Banaras Hindu University
Learners enrolled: 423   |  Exam registration: 1
ABOUT THE COURSE:
The course provides a fundamental understanding of heredity and variation principles. It covers basic Mendelian genetics, extensions of Mendelian concepts, and cytoplasmic inheritance. Students will learn how genetic information is transmitted in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, the interactions of genes within biological systems, and the molecular basis of these processes. Additionally, the course explores the role of chromosomes in determining sex and discusses various chromosomal anomalies that can impact human development.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: UG students

PREREQUISITES: 12th Pass
Summary
Course Status : Upcoming
Course Type : Core
Language for course content : English
Duration : 12 weeks
Category :
  • Biological Sciences & Bioengineering
Credit Points : 3
Level : Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date : 21 Jul 2025
End Date : 10 Oct 2025
Enrollment Ends : 28 Jul 2025
Exam Registration Ends : 15 Aug 2025
Exam Date : 24 Oct 2025 IST
NCrF Level   : 4.5 — 7.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.


Page Visits



Course layout

Week 1: Elements Of Heredity And Variations
1. Historical Background and Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance: Part 1
2. Historical Background and Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance: Part 2
3. Understanding Mendel’s Data: Methods & Applications (Probability, Product Rule, Sum Rule, Binomial Expansion and Factorial) 
4. Understanding Mendel’s Data: Methods & Applications (Punnet Square, Forked Line Method, Statistical Test to Analyze Data) 
5. Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance (Post Mendel’s laws, chromosome behavior during meiosis, theory by Sutton and Boveri, Work of Morgan and team)

Week 2: Extension of Mendelism
1. Dominance Relationships, Multiple Allelism
2. Multiple Allelism, Conditional Alleles, Lethal Alleles
3. Pleiotropy, Phenocopy, Polygeny
4. Epistasis 
5. Gene Interaction

Week 3: Various Ways To Determine Sex And Inheritance Of Sexual Traits
1. Discovery of Sex Chromosomes: From History to Systems
(XX/XY system in Drosophila and Human)
2. Discovery of Sex Chromosomes: From History to Systems (XX/XO, ZZ/ZW, haploidy/diploidy)
3. Environmental and Hormonal control of sex determination
4. Sex Influenced, Sex-Limited and Sex Linked Traits
5. Dosage Compensation in Drosophila and Human

Week 4: Different Types Of Inheritance Patterns
1. Quantitative Inheritance
2. Quantitative Inheritance (Cont.)
3. Extra nuclear inheritance
4. Infective Inheritance
5. Maternal Inheritance

Week 5: Gene Mutations
1. Spontaneous Mutations
2. Induced Mutations
3. Molecular basis of mutations
4. Detections of mutations, Ames test, ClB technique, Nutritional Mutations in Neurospora
5. DNA repair mechanisms

Week 6: Gene Mapping In Prokaryotes
1. Bacterial Growth and Conjugation
2. Conjugation And Sexduction: Gene Mapping in Bacteria
3. Transformation: Gene Mapping in Bacteria
4. Transduction and Gene Mapping in Bacteria
5. Gene mapping in Phages: Mapping the rII Locus – History, Concepts & Applications

Week 7: Gene Mapping On Eukaryotic Chromosomes
1. Linkage and Crossing over: Concepts in Classical & Molecular Genetics
2. Recombination and Cytological Determination of Crossing over 
3. Gene Mapping Using Two point and three Point Test Cross
4. Interference and Coincidence
5. Gene Mapping in yeast and Neurospora Using Tetrad Analysis Methods

Week 8:Chromosomal alterations
1. Anomalies in chromosome number: Aneuploidy
2. Anomalies in chromosome number: Polyploidy
3. Anomalies in chromosome structure: Deletions and duplications
4. Meiotic consequences in inversion heterozygotes
5. Meiotic consequences in inversion heterozygotes

Week 9: Human Genetics: Pedigree Analysis
1. Making A Pedigree Chart and showing dominant and recessive traits
2. Study Of Autosomal Traits In A Pedigree
3. Study Of Sex-Linked Traits In A Pedigree
4. Study Inheritance Of Mitochondrial Traits In A Pedigree
5. Genetic Counselling

Week 10: Human Genetics: Chromosome Analysis
1. Human karyotyping
2. G-banding
3. Chromosome badings other than G-banding
4. Fluorescence in situ hybridization
5. Nomenclature of G-ban

Week 11: Human Genetics: Genetic Disorders
1. Human genetic disorders: Gene mutations
2. Human genetic disorders: Chromosomal aneuploidy
3. Human genetic disorders: Chromosome translocations
4. An introduction to cancer
5. An introduction to cancer with special reference to Human papilloma virus papilloma virus 

Week 12: Regulation Of Gene Activity In Eukaryotes
1. Regulation of gene activity in eukaryotes: Transcription unit
2. Regulation of gene activity in eukaryotes:  Initiation, elongation and termination of transcription
3. Regulation of gene activity in eukaryotes: Activators, enhancers and boundary elements
4. Regulation of gene activity in eukaryotes: RNA processing
5. Regulation of gene activity in eukaryotes: RNA editing, epigenetic modifications

Books and references


Instructor bio

Prof. Richa Arya

Banaras Hindu University
Prof. Richa Arya, Ph.D.: Currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology, teaching the course from last four years


Prof. Madhu G Tapadia

Prof. Madhu G. Tapadia, Ph.D: Currently a full Professor in the Department of Zoology, teaching the course more than ten years


Prof. J K Roy (retired)

Prof. J. K Roy, Ph.D. Retired Senior Professor, BHU, taught the course for more than ten years

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.
The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Date and Time of Exams: 24 October 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.
Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup. It will have the logos of INI and BHU.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- INI Team


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