Measurable student learning outcomes
- Describe the major concepts in plant genetics: sources of genetic variation, mechanisms of reproduction, transmission of genetic information, and alternative genome organizations.
- Identify causal DNA, RNA, and protein polymorphisms that lead to phenotypic variation.
- Calculate probabilities of inheritance of specific alleles and allele combinations given raw data.
- Identify the mechanisms that lead to sexual differentiation in plants and the consequences that these mechanisms have on population structure, genetic diversity, and strategies for directed evolution.
- Choose appropriate molecular breeding strategies for meeting specific breeding and genetics objectives.
- Diagnose inheritance patterns and the underlying genetic mechanisms.
- Interpret structural and regulatory differences and use this information to choose appropriate molecular breeding technologies.
- Organize information from more than one viewpoint on controversial issues relating to nonsexual gene transfer and gene flow.