Introduction to Biology I: Genetics and Evolution

Description

For a biologist, the alternative to thinking in evolutionary terms is not to think at all. — Peter B. Medawar (Nobel Laureate, 1960) This is a basic introductory course for students who want to learn how modern biology started its journey in the mid-19th century and continues to mature till date. I will begin by discussing the grandeur of evolution, arguably the greatest show of the living world, and how it is irreversibly intertwined with genetics. Using historical contexts, I will introduce key debates in Genetics and Evolution that shrugged the initial days of Modern Biological Synthesis and then gradually move into advanced concepts of Evolutionary theory and Mendelian Genetics that will lay the foundation of the Biology curriculum at Ashoka.