This course teaches the basic principles of micro-evolution: natural selection; variation; overproduction; how environmental factors can act as stabilising or evolutionary forces of natural selection; the processes that affect allele frequencies in populations with reference to the global distribution of malaria and
sickle cell anaemia; the role of isolating mechanisms in the evolution of new species; artificial selection; evolution of
antibiotic resistance in bacteria and pesticide resistance in insects.
There is no explicit mention of macro-evolution.
Core syllabus, Section P: SELECTION AND EVOLUTION
Content
Natural and artificial selection
Learning Outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
(a) explain how natural selection may bring about evolution;
(b) explain why variation is important in selection;
(c) explain how all organisms can potentially overproduce;
(d) explain, with examples, how environmental factors can act as stabilising or evolutionary forces of natural selection;
(e) describe the processes that affect allele frequencies in populations with reference to the global distribution of malaria and sickle cell anaemia;
(f) explain the role of isolating mechanisms in the evolution of new species;
(g) describe one example of artificial selection;
(h) use the knowledge gained in this section in new situations or to solve related problems.
OPTION 3 - GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCTION
2 ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
(b) discuss the natural advantages and disadvantages of asexual reproduction and explain its evolutionary consequences;
OPTION 4 - APPLICATIONS OF GENETICS
2 SELECTIVE BREEDING
Content
The selection of desirable characteristics of organisms by selective breeding
Progeny testing
Artificial insemination
Embryo transplantation
Social and ethical implications of these techniques
Learning Outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
(a) outline the principle of selective breeding and explain why selective breeding is carried out;
(b) explain, with practical details, how the process of selective breeding may be carried out in
one named plant example and one named animal example;
(c) compare selective breeding with the evolutionary process;
(d) explain the use of progeny testing;
(e) discuss the advantages, disadvantages and use of artificial insemination (AI);
(f) describe the use of, and the techniques used in, embryo transplantation;
(g) discuss the ethical implications of the use of AI, in vitro fertilisation and embryo transplantation in animals and their social and ethical implications in humans;
(h) use the knowledge gained in this section in new situations or to solve related problems.
3 GENETIC DIVERSITY
Content
The problems of inbreeding
The need to maintain genetic resources
The development of resistance
Learning Outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
(a) describe the harmful effects of inbreeding;
(b) explain the need to maintain a gene bank for possible future use, including conserving wild types and rare breeds as genetic resources;
(c) describe the maintenance and use of seed banks and sperm banks;
(d) describe the process of cloning plants from tissue culture;
(e) describe the genetic basis of resistance in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes;
(f) explain, with specific examples, how selective breeding is used to produce disease-resistant varieties in plants and animals;
(g) describe the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and pesticide resistance in insects, and discuss the implications of the evolution of such resistance;
(h) use the knowledge gained in this section in new situations or to solve related problems.