Course Description:

Welcome to our Biology Cambridge IGCSE course, meticulously tailored to help you conquer the intricacies of Topic 17: Inheritance. This comprehensive course is specifically designed for both Code 0610 and Code 0970 syllabi, ensuring you’re well-prepared for the IGCSE Biology examination.

Course Highlights:

• Comprehensive Core and Supplement Objectives: Master all core and supplement objectives as outlined in the syllabus for theory (papers 1, 2, 3, 4). These objectives provide a solid foundation for exam success.

Note: There are no practical experiments associated with this topic as per the syllabus.

Course Outline & Objectives (Core and Supplement):

1. Chromosomes, Genes and Proteins (Lesson 1): Key objectives include:

• State that chromosomes are made of DNA, which contains genetic information in the form of genes.
• Define a gene as the length of DNA that codes for a protein.
• Define an allele as an alternative form of a gene.
• Describe the inheritance of sex in humans with reference to X and Y chromosomes.
• State that the sequence of bases in a gene determines the sequence of amino acids used to make a specific protein (knowledge of the details of nucleotide structure is not required)
• Explain that different sequences of amino acids give different shapes to protein molecules.
• Explain that DNA controls cell function by controlling the production of proteins, including enzymes, membrane carriers, and receptors for neurotransmitters.
• Explain how a protein is made, limited to: the gene coding for the protein remains in the nucleus, messenger RNA (mRNA) is a copy of a gene, mRNA molecules are made in the nucleus and move to the cytoplasm, the mRNA passes through ribosomes, the ribosome assembles amino acids into protein molecules, the specific sequence of amino acids is determined by the sequence of bases in the mRNA (knowledge of the details of transcription or translation is not required)
• Explain that most body cells in an organism contain the same genes, but many genes in a particular cell are not expressed because the cell only makes the specific proteins it needs.
• Describe a haploid nucleus as a nucleus containing a single set of chromosomes.
• Describe a diploid nucleus as a nucleus containing two sets of chromosomes.
• State that in a diploid cell, there is a pair of each type of chromosome, and in a human diploid cell there are 23 pairs.

2. Mitosis (Lesson 2): Key objectives include:

• Describe mitosis as nuclear division giving rise to genetically identical cells (details of the stages of mitosis are not required)
• State the role of mitosis in growth, repair of damaged tissues, replacement of cells, and asexual reproduction.
• State that the exact replication of chromosomes occurs before mitosis.
• State that during mitosis, the copies of chromosomes separate, maintaining the chromosome number in each daughter cell.
• Describe stem cells as unspecialized cells that divide by mitosis to produce daughter cells that can become specialized for specific functions.

3. Meiosis (Lesson 3): Key objectives include:

• State that meiosis is involved in the production of gametes.
• Describe meiosis as a reduction division in which the chromosome number is halved from diploid to haploid resulting in genetically different cells (details of the stages of meiosis are not required)

4. Monohybrid Inheritance (Lesson 4): Key objectives include:

• Describe inheritance as the transmission of genetic information from generation to generation.
• Describe genotype as the genetic make-up of an organism and in terms of the alleles present.
• Describe phenotypes as the observable features of an organism.
• Describe homozygous as having two identical alleles of a particular gene.
• State that two identical homozygous individuals that breed together will be pure breeding.
• Describe heterozygous as having two different alleles of a particular gene.
• State that a heterozygous individual will not be pure breeding.
• Describe a dominant allele as an allele that is expressed if it is present in the genotype.
• Describe a recessive allele as an allele that is only expressed when there is no dominant allele of the gene present in the genotype.
• Interpret pedigree diagrams for the inheritance of a given characteristic.
• Use genetic diagrams to predict the results of monohybrid crosses and calculate phenotypic ratios, limited to 1: 1 and 3: 1 ratios.
• Use Punnett squares in crosses which result in more than one genotype to work out and show the possible different genotypes.
• Explain how to use a test cross to identify an unknown genotype.
• Describe codominance as a situation in which both alleles in heterozygous organisms contribute to the phenotype.
• Explain the inheritance of ABO blood groups: phenotypes are A, B, AB, and O blood groups and alleles are IA, IB, and Io
• Describe a sex-linked characteristic as a feature in which the gene responsible is located on a sex chromosome and that this makes the characteristic more common in one sex than in the other.
• Describe red-green color blindness as an example of sex linkage.
• Use genetic diagrams to predict the results of monohybrid crosses involving codominance or sex linkage and calculate phenotypic ratios.

Course Benefits:

• Engage with meticulously crafted video lessons, providing comprehensive explanations of each lesson and experiment.
• Access downloadable summary study sheets that condense essential information, aiding your pursuit of an A* grade.
• Enhance your preparation with quizzes and assignments based on past papers to boost your confidence for the exam.
• Become part of a dynamic student group community, where you can interact with fellow learners and the course instructor, asking questions and sharing updates.

Unlock the captivating world of biology and prepare to excel in the IGCSE Biology examination through our “Biology Cambridge IGCSE Course – Code 0610 and 0970: “Inheritance” course.