Introduction to Patterns of Inheritance

Genetics is the study of genes, and how genes are replicated, transmitted and used by subsequent generations.

The study of genetics can be sub-divided into three main areas: Inheritance Genetics, Molecular Genetics, and Population Genetics.

In this introductory course, the focus is on Inheritance or Classical Genetics, which deals with the basic principles of heredity and the mechanisms by which traits are passed from one generation to the next.

The work of Gregor Mendel is central to classical genetics. Other aspects of Classical Genetics are covered, including the relationship between chromosomes and heredity, the arrangement of genes on chromosomes, and the physical mapping of genes.