week 1

Page 1: Agriculture

• Definition: Agriculture refers to the practice of cultivating domestic plants and animals.

Page 2: Domestication

• Definition: Domestication is the process through which wild plants and animals are adapted for human use.

Page 3: Animal Domestication Timeline

• 10,000 BCE: Dogs are domesticated.

• 8,500 BCE: Sheep, pigs, and goats are domesticated in Eurasia.

• 6,000 BCE: Cattle are domesticated in Southwest Asia, North Africa, and India.

• 5,500 BCE: Horses are domesticated in Ukraine.

• 4,000 BCE: Donkeys are domesticated in Southwest Asia; pigs also domesticated in Egypt.

• Arabian camels are domesticated around this time.

• 3,500 BCE: Llamas and alpacas are domesticated in the Andes Mountains.

Page 4: Plant Domestication Timeline

• 8,500 BCE: African yams are domesticated in West Africa.

• 7,000 BCE: Wheat, peas, and olives are domesticated in Southwest Asia.

• 5,000 BCE: Sesame, sorghum, and banana crops are domesticated in New Guinea.

• 3,500 BCE: Coffee and teff are introduced in Ethiopia; rice and millet in China.

• 2,500 BCE: Potatoes in the Andes and poppy in Western Europe are domesticated.

Page 5: Centers of Origin of Selected Crops

• Indicates the regions where specific crops were likely first domesticated.

• Notable crops include:

  • Apple, Almond, Rice, Corn, Potato, Tobacco, and Cotton.

• Important for understanding genetic diversity of these crops.

Page 7: Robert Bakewell

• Title: Father of Animal Husbandry

• Contributions:

  • Transformed quality of British livestock.

  • Focused on different livestock types: Leicester sheep, English Longhorn cattle, and various horse and pig breeds.

Page 8: Robert Bakewell's Methods

• Took measurements of his animals for selective breeding.

• Mated superior animals to enhance traits.

Page 9: Types of Genetics

• Molecular Genetics: Study of the structure and function of genes at a molecular level.

• Classical Genetics: Focus on inheritance patterns observed through breeding.

• Quantitative Genetics: Study of traits that vary continuously (e.g., height).

• Population Genetics: Examines the genetic composition of populations.

Page 10: Agricultural Genetics Overview

• Speaker: Dr. Jenny Koebernick

• Overview of agricultural genetics and crop improvement.

Page 12: Agricultural Genetics Defined

• Genetics: Study of inheritance of traits from one generation to the next.

• Agricultural Genetics: Focused on traits in crops and livestock.

Page 16: Farmer's Goals

• Goals:

  • Environmental sustainability

  • Social responsibility

  • Economic viability

Page 18: Environmental Pressures on Agriculture

• Climate change affecting temperature and precipitation patterns.

• Soil deficiencies and erosion.

• Pests and diseases pose threats to crops.

Page 19: Financial Realities Facing Farmers

• Costs of seeds, regulations, harvesting, and transportation impact profitability.

• Market values can fluctuate, affecting income stability.

Page 20: Social Factors Affecting Agriculture

• Demand for products, especially regarding origin and modifications.

• Nutritional profiles and quality of crops can influence consumer choices.

Page 23: Tomato as a Case Study

• Importance: World's most popular fruit with high demand for superior genotypes.

• Methods to achieve this:

  • Transgenics and gene editing techniques to enhance traits such as flavor and health benefits.

Page 25: Agricultural Genetics Lab Focus

• Key topic: Cell Division

Page 26: Overview of Plant Cell Anatomy

• Eukaryotic Cells: Focus on plant cells; includes components like the nucleus, chloroplasts, and cell wall.

• Functions of various parts:

  • Nucleus: Control center, houses DNA.

  • Mitochondria: Energy production.

  • Ribosomes: Protein synthesis.

Page 27: Key Genetic Terms

• Gene: DNA segment coding for proteins.

• Alleles: Variants of the same gene.

• Chromosome: DNA structure in eukaryotic cells' nucleus.

• Genome: Complete set of DNA including all chromosomes.

Page 33: Polyploidy Defined

• Polyploidy: Organisms with more than two sets of chromosomes, common in plants and some species of animals.

• Alloploidy: Organisms with different genome sets.

• Autoploidy: Organisms with multiple sets of a single genome.

Page 45: Meiosis Overview

• Definition: Two successive cell divisions, reducing chromosome number by half.

• Importance: Creates genetic diversity through recombination.

Page 51: Importance of Recombination

• Enhances genetic diversity, adaptability, and trait improvement in organisms.