Tackling and mastering inheritance, selection and variation

Description

DNA, mitosis, meiosis, genetics...do these sound like keywords that you need extra revision with before exams? Are you self-studying at home?  If so, this course is for you!

Tackle and Master inheritance and variation so that you are confident in the exam

There are 2 big sections in this course which include inheritance and selection and variation. You will learn about what chromosomes are, how proteins are made all the way to working out inheritance and sex linked disease using Punnett Squares. Other tricky topics that will be covered include mutations, selective breeding, sickle cell anaemia and antibiotic resistant bacteria to name a few.

I've integrated my teaching experience, passion for Biology and creative flare into videos that make Biology more easy to understand. You can see me teaching in each video, instead of just having to hear a voice, which adds to making the lessons more personal.  

By the end of this course, you'll have valuable skills that will help you to draw the key concepts from the content and retain the knowledge more easily. You'll know how to describe, list, calculate, explain,  interpret necessary information. 

What to expect

I've upped my game and designed a course that integrates interesting Keynote presentations as well as a video of me explaining the key concepts into short videos. You will find 16 teaching videos that explain 2 of the most difficult concepts in the syllabus. You will also be able to download, print and cut out flash cards, which are study cards, of questions and terminology that will help you to learn a difficult topic easily.  At the end of each section is a short quiz for you to check that you are on track.

To start each lecture, I've outlined clear learning outcomes, that are in line with the syllabus. What's brilliant about this course is that the videos are short and can be watched over and over again. Furthermore, I've used real life examples so that you can link the concepts together.

This course is for you if you are studying the Cambridge IGCSE syllabus or an equivalent board. Check the curriculum to see if the content overlaps with what you are studying!

Enjoy and all the best with your revision! :)

What You Will Learn!

• 1. INHERITANCE
• a) INTRODUCTION
• Define inheritance
• State the meaning of chromosome, gene, DNA and allele
• Define a diploid and haploid nucleus
• State how many chromosomes there are in a human cell and human sex cell
• State how to determine the sex of a person by looking at the karyotype
• b) DNA TO PROTEINS. PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
• Explain how DNA controls cell function by controlling what proteins are made.
• State 3 important proteins in the body: enzymes, antibodies and receptors for neurotransmitters
• Explain what the genetic code is
• Explain how the sequence of bases in a gene code for the correct order of amino acids in a protein
• Explain briefly how a protein is made
• c) DUPLICATING CELLS. MITOSIS
• Define mitosis
• State the use of mitosis in growth, repair, replacement of cells and asexual reproduction
• Define meiosis and state its role in gamete function
• State that chromosomes are duplicated before mitosis
• Outline what happens to chromosomes during mitosis
• State the difference between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells and describe the role of stem cells
• d) FORMATION OF GAMETES. MEIOSIS
• Define meiosis
• Explain how meiosis produces variation by forming new combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes
• State the differences between mitosis and meiosis
• e) PHENOTYPES, GENOTYPES AND THE CONFUSING TERMINOLOGY IN INHERITANCE
• Use pedigree diagrams to show how features are inherited
• Distinguish between genes and alleles
• Define phenotype, genotype, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant and recessive
• f) BREEDING PLANTS. MONOHYBRID INHERITANCE
• Define monohybrid inheritance
• Use genetic diagrams to predict the results of monohybrid crosses and calculate phenotypic ratios
• Use Punnett squares in crosses which result in more than one genotype to work out and show the possible different genotypes
• Explain how to use a test cross to identify an unknown genotype 

• g) SHARING POWERS. CODOMINANCE
• Explain the term codominance
• Describe the inheritance of ABO blood groups
• State the possible allele combinations of people with blood groups A, B, AB and O.
• Use Punnett squares to determine the resulting blood groups of children from parents who have different blood groups.
• h) SEX LINKAGE
• Describe how sex is determined and inherited in humans
• Describe colour blindness as an example of sex linkage
• Define a sex linked characteristic
• Use genetic diagrams to predict the results of crosses involving sex linkage
• 2. VARIATION AND SELECTION
• a) TALLEST TO SHORTEST. VARIATION
• Define variation
• Identify and explain examples of variation
• Distinguish between genetic variation and phenotypic variation
• State the differences between continuous and discontinuous variation
• Draw the typical graphs of continuous and discontinuous variation
• State that phenotypic variation is caused by both genetic and environmental factors
• State that discontinuous variation is mostly caused by genes alone such as the different blood groups
• Give examples of genetic and environmental factors that cause phenotypic variation
• b) MUTATIONS. HOW WE GET DIFFERENT ALLELES
• Define the term mutation
• State that mutation is the way in which new alleles are formed
• Describe the possible effects of radiation and certain chemicals on the rate of mutations
• Describe sickle cell anaemia as an example of a mutation
• Briefly describe how gene mutations can result in cancer
• c) STICKY CELLS. SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA
• Describe sickle cell anaemia as an example of a gene mutation
• Describe the symptoms of sickle cell anaemia
• Explain the distribution of sickle cell allele in human populations with reference to the distribution of malaria
• Use a punnett square to work out the genotype and phenotype of children from parents who have the sickle cell trait
• State that the heterozygous condition for sickle cell trait gives resistance to malaria
• d) ADAPTING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. ADAPTIVE FEATURES
• Define adaptive feature
• Define fitness
• Interpret images or other information about a species to describe its adaptive features
• Explain the adaptive features of hydrophytes and xerophytes to their environments
• e) STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL. NATURAL SELECTION PART 1
• Describe natural selection
• Describe evolution as the change in adaptive features of a population over time as a result of natural selection
• Define the process of adaptation
• f) MUTANT BACTERIA. NATURAL SELECTION PART 2
• Describe the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria as an example of evolution by natural selection
• Give other examples of natural selection: Darwin's finches, peppered moth, sickle cell anaemia trait
• g) SELECTIVE BREEDING
• Describe the role of selective breeding in producing varieties of animals and plants with increased economic importance
• Describe examples of artificial selection
• Outline how selective breeding is carried out
• State the differences between artificial and natural selection

Who Should Attend!

• This course is perfect if you want to go through the different sections in your own time and fill in any gaps that you might be missing from class
• It you are preparing for the Cambridge IGCSE Biology exam or an equivalent board, you will find this course really useful

TAKE THIS COURSE