Veterinary Genetics

Students should acquire knowledge about the principles of hereditary material (nature, expression, transmission, variation, manipulation and evolution) and they can apply them in animal production and conservation of diversity.

Lessons

Introduction: Genetics and the fundamentals of Biology. Application of Genetics principles to production, health and pharmaceutics. Areas of Genetics. History of Genetics. (1h)

PART I: Transmission of genetic material

Lesson 1: Chromosome Basis of Inheritance: The eukaryotic chromosome. Mitosis. Meiosis. Karyotype. Haploid and diploid. (3h)

Lesson 2: Mendelian Genetics: Study of the inheritance of a single trait. Backcross. Inheritance of several traits. Chromosome theory of inheritance. Analysis of pedigree. (4h)

Lesson 3: Mendelian Extensions: Changes in dominance degree: phenotypic scale. Multiple allelism. Lethal alleles. Diseases due to a single gene. Pleiotropy. Gene interaction. Penetrance and expressivity. (4h)

Lesson 4: Sex and Inheritance: Sex determination. Inheritance of genes located on sex chromosomes. Sex influenced inheritance. Sex-limited inheritance. (3h)

PART II: Variation of genetic material

Lesson 5: Linkage and genetic maps: Inheritance of genes located on the same chromosome. Linkage groups. Genetic crossing-over. Recombination frequency. Genetic maps. Coincidence and interference coefficients. (5h)

Lesson 6: Mutation: Types of mutations. Mutation rate. Mutagens. The Ames test. Chromosome mutations: Variation in chromosome number and in chromosome structure. Applications of mutation to animal production. (5h)

PART III: Genes in populations

Lesson 7: Quantitative Genetics: Continuous variation. Phenotypic variance. Polygenic inheritance. Partition of the genetic variance. Broad- and strict-sense heritability. Methods for estimating heritability. Response to selection. (5h)

Lesson 8: Population Genetics: Mendelian populations. Gene and genotype frequencies. Estimators of population genetic diversity. The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium. Inbreeding. Evolutionary agents. (5h)

Laboratory practice

There are three practices to be done in this subject:

LB1. Genetic study of qualitative traits. The pattern of inheritance of different traits will be determined using corn ears.

LB2. Freemartinism diagnosis in cattle by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). Specific sequences of the chromosome Y will be amplified to make an identification of intersex calves (freemartins).

LB3. Karyotype analysis. This practice deepens into the meaning of homologous chromosomes and diploid karyotype.

The first two will be done in the Genetics Department lab, Pavillón IV of the Faculty and the third in the informatics room of the Faculty. Each practice has a specific script that the teacher in charge will submit to students.

Basic bibliography
- Benito Jiménez, C. 2012. "Genética: conceptos esenciales". Editorial Médica Panamericana. On-line on the Biblioteca Universitaria web (https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/area/biblioteca-universitaria).
- Brooker, RJ. “Genetics Analysis and principles”. 2018. McGraw Hill Education.
- Griffiths, AJF; Wessler, SR; Lewontin, RC; Carroll, SB. 2008. “Genética”. McGraw-Hill.
- Griffiths, AJF; Wessler, SR; Carroll, SB; Doebley, J. 2015. “Introduction to Genetic Analysis”. W.H. Freeman and Company.
- Klug, WS; Cummings, MR; Spencer, CA; Palladino, MA. 2013. “Conceptos de Genética”. Pearson Educación. On-line on the Biblioteca Universitaria web (https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/area/biblioteca-universitaria).
- Pierce, BA. 2015. “Genética : un enfoque conceptual ”. Médica Panamericana. On-line on the Biblioteca Universitaria web (https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/area/biblioteca-universitaria).
- Pierce, BA. 2022. "Fundamentos de genética: conceptos y relaciones". Médica Panamericana.


Complementary bibliography
- Benito Jiménez, C. 2002. “360 problemas de Genética: resueltos paso a paso”. Síntesis. On-line on the Biblioteca Universitaria web "141 problemas de genética Resueltos paso a paso"
- Falconer, DS; Mackay, T. 2006. “ Introducción a la genética cuantitativa”. Acribia.
- Hartl DL; Jones, EW. 2002. “Essential Genetics. A genomics perspective”. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
- Hartl DL; Jones, EW. 2009. "Genetics: analysis of genes and genomes". Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
- Hartwell, LH; Goldberg, ML; Fischer, J; Hood, L. 2017. “Genetics: from genes to genomes” McGraw-Hill.
- Mensua Fernández JL. 2003. “Genética: problemas y ejercicios resueltos”. Prentice Hall. On-line on the Biblioteca Universitaria web (https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/area/biblioteca-universitaria).
- Nicholas, FW. 2010. “Introduction to veterinary genetics”. Wiley-Blackwell.


Internet Resources
- Biotecnology and Genetic Engineering News: http://www.genengnews.com
- DNA Learning Center: biology animation library: https://dnalc.cshl.edu/resources/animations/
- MendelWeb: Introduction to Mendelian Genetics: http://www.mendelweb.org/
- Pea Soup (virtual cross between varieties of pea and analysis of the progeny): http://www.sonic.net/~nbs/projects/anthro201/exper/
- Problems of mendelism: http://www.biologia.arizona.edu/mendel/mendel.html
- Nature Resources of the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick manuscript on the structure of DNA:
http://www.nature.com/nature/dna50/index.html
- The Cytogenetics Gallery (Chromosomes and structural mutations): www.pathology.washington.edu/Cytogallery/

Generic competences
- GVUSC01. Ability to learn and adapt.
- GVUSC02. Capacity for analysis and synthesis.
- GVUSC05. Ability to apply knowledge in practice
- GVUSC06. Ability to work independently and within teams.

Disciplinary competences
- CEDVUSC 03. Breeding, improvement, management and animal welfare.
- CEDVUSC 16. Know the basic analytical techniques and their interpretation.

Professional competences
- D1VUSC 03. Perform basic analytical techniques and interpret clinical biological, and chemical outcomes
- D1VUSC 16. Apply the methods for identifying individual animals.

Academic competences
- CEAVUSC 01. Analyze, synthesize, solve problems and take decisions in the areas of veterinary professionals.
- CEAVUSC 05. Know and apply the scientific method in professional practice including evidence-based medicine.

Transversal competences
- CTVUSC 01. Capacity for reasoning and argumentation.
- CTVUSC 06. Use information in a foreign language.
- CTVUSC 07. Ability to solve problems through the integrated application of their knowledge

In the lectures the specific contents of the program will be dealt with and any material that helps and facilitates the understanding of the conceptswill be used (PowerPoint presentations, transparencies, videos, animations, blackboard,…). The application of these contents will be done in interactive classes through problems, computer simulations or practical cases.

Problem bulletins
For the different topics, the students will have bulletins of problems of increasing complexity and related to the concepts covered, some of them will be solved in the seminar classes.

As the other subjects of the Degree in Veterinary Medicine, the evaluation system of Veterinary Genetics not only aims to determine the level of knowledge of students on the specific contents of the discipline. The evaluation method is also designed to find out if they have acquired some of the skills listed in the memory of the Degree in Veterinary. The evaluation system will be the same for both the ordinary and recovery opportunities.

Continuous assessment (20% of the grade) and a final exam or test (remaining 80%) are combined. To be able to sum the qualification of both evaluation modalities, the student must have passed the exam or final test. The continuous evaluation of each student will be based equally on the results obtained in the controls, questionnaires of the Virtual Campus, the resolution of problems and practical cases that must be answered, their attendance and participation in the classes. Only students present in the classroom will be allowed to carry out online questionnaires or tests.

Attendance exemption to practical classes is not contemplated. Those students who meet the exemption requirements for the other activities will be evaluated through a final exam that will account for 90% of the final grade, the remaining 10% being the grade in the LB1 practice report.

REPEATER STUDENT
Continuous assessment and a final exam are also combined for their qualification. If the student do not attend the classes, the 20% of the final grade will correspond to the same score in the continuous assessment that the student obtained in the course in which he / she enrolled for the first time. The remaining 80% will correspond to the final test grade. The methodology used will be the same as that applied to first-time students.


Students are reminded that, as stated in Article 16 of the Normativa de Avaliación do Rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións, approved by Consello de Goberno on June 15, 2011, "fraudulent completion of any exercise or test required in the evaluation of a subject it will imply the qualification of fail...” and that “... it is considered fraudulent to carry out plagiarized works or those obtained from sources accessible to the public without re-elaboration or re-interpretation...”

Veterinary Genetics matter is scheduled considering a total of 150 hours of student work (6 ECTS credits) distributed over:

- Student's work in classroom: 60 hours
Lecture classes: 35 hours
Interactive classes: 24 hours: 14 hours of Problem seminars and 10 hours of Practices (8 hours of laboratory practices + 2 hours of computer practices)
Tutorials: 1 hour

- Student's personal work: 90hours
Individual study: 55 hours
Case studies and problems: 32 hours
Exam: 3 hours

• Ask any questions that may arise during the course of the exhibition or interactive classes.

• Monitor regularly the Subject in the Campus Virtual-USC.

• The labs are a great time to refresh ideas or concepts, and to raise questions that may still remain.

• Make problem bulletins while advancing in the development of concepts.

• Use the tutorials to solve doubts or questions.

• Read and consult scientific information sources (databases, books, magazines, web pages, ...) that will enrich your perspective, since they embrace a broader information than that treated during the classes.

It is recalled that all material left by teachers in the virtual classroom of the subject is subject to copyright, therefore, its distribution outside this space is considered fraudulent.