Human genetics

This unit introduces the basic genetic principles underlying modern human genetics.

Topics include: the central role of genes in the inheritance of traits, and the complex variation in inheritance patterns that arise due to interactions of genes with each other and the environment; the identification, characterisation, and mapping of human genes; the value of model organisms in genetics; chromosome variation and its role in both evolution and human disease; how genes function and how genetic malfunction can lead to genetic disease; how an understanding of such diseases at the genetic level may assist in diagnosis, prevention and therapy; the genetic control of development; genetic counselling and calculating risk for genetic diseases; human evolutionary genetics.