Syllabus content and objectives
Official JAMB Biology outline · D: Heredity and Variations
Content
Inheritance of characters in organisms; heritable and non-heritable characters; chromosomes as the basis of heredity; chromosome structure; transmission of hereditary characters from parents to offspring.
Objective
Determine heritable and non-heritable characters with examples; illustrate the simple structure of DNA; explain how hereditary characters are transmitted from parents to offspring.
Content
Segregation of genes during meiosis and recombination of genes at fertilization; probability in genetics and sex determination; analysis of cross-breeding experiments.
Objective
Illustrate gene segregation during meiosis and gene recombination at fertilization; deduce that genes segregate during gamete formation and recombine randomly at fertilization; analyse data from cross-breeding experiments.
Content
Applications of heredity in agriculture and medicine; advantages and disadvantages of outbreeding and inbreeding; genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gene therapy and biosafety; marriage counselling with reference to blood grouping, sickle-cell anaemia and Rhesus factors.
Objective
Apply heredity principles to produce new crop varieties and livestock through crossbreeding; deduce advantages and disadvantages of outbreeding and inbreeding; analyse basic issues relating to GMOs, gene therapy and biosafety; apply heredity knowledge in marriage counselling, particularly regarding blood groups, sickle-cell anaemia and Rhesus factors.
Content
Sex-linked characters, including baldness, haemophilia and colour blindness; recombinant DNA materials used to produce medical products such as insulin, interferon and enzymes.
Objective
Identify sex-linked characters; describe the significance of recombinant DNA in producing important medical products such as insulin, interferon and enzymes.
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