Elementary Topics In Animal Breeding
- Agricultural Sciences
- 300 level
- 2 credit units
- 77 pages
- 13 units
This course, Elementary Topics in Animal Breeding, introduces basic principles and concepts of animal breeding for livestock improvement. It covers the history of animal breeding, fundamental principles of inheritance, variations in animal populations, repeatability and heritability estimates, gene actions, and quantitative and qualitative characters. The course aims to provide a foundation for students interested in animal breeding and genetics, enhancing their understanding of genetic improvement for sustainable food production and security.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 208 hours
- Maths
- Intermediate
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Basic cell structures
- Genes
- Chromosome
- Probability theories
- Algebra
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Practical assignments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of ANP307, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
ANP307 · UNIT 2: HISTORY OF ANIMAL BREEDING
Long before the appearance of the science that is now called “Genetics”, animal breeding had been practiced by humans following intuitive criteria, although less efficient than the present scientific ones, but criteria that had provide success along many generations of selection. Under this unit we will examine a brief historical background of animal breeding.
What you should be able to do
- Define key concepts in animal breeding and genetics.
- Explain the principles of inheritance and gene action.
- Differentiate between quantitative and qualitative traits.
- Estimate heritability and repeatability.
- Apply genetic principles to improve livestock production.
What it prepares you for
- Animal Breeder
- Livestock Manager
- Geneticist
- Agricultural Consultant
- Farm Manager
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry
- Food Production
- Genetic Research
- Pharmaceuticals
- SAS
- SPSS
- Matlab
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Fundamental Principles of Inheritance
Unit 3: Types of Gene action and Exceptions to Mendelian Ratio
Understanding the different types of gene action (complete dominance, incomplete dominance, codominance) requires a solid grasp of Mendelian genetics and how alleles interact to produce various phenotypes.
- Module 5: Variation and Its Statistical Measurements
Unit 2: Measurements of Variation
Calculating variance, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation requires a strong foundation in statistical principles and formulas, which can be challenging for students with limited mathematical backgrounds.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 37 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Objectives and History of Animal Breeding
Unit 1: Definition of Terms and Objectives of Animal Breeding · 2 hours
Define key terms in animal breeding.. Understand the objectives of animal breeding.. Differentiate between genetics and animal breeding..
Unit 2: History of Animal Breeding · 2 hours
Review the historical development of animal breeding practices.. Identify the contributions of Robert Bakewell.. Discuss the significance of accurate breeding records..
- Week 2Module 2: Principles and Problems in Breeding Animals for Disease Resistance and Productivity
Unit 1: Principles and Problems in Breeding Animals for increased Productivity · 3 hours
Explain the principles involved in breeding for increased productivity.. Identify factors affecting genetic change.. Understand the importance of additive genetic variation..
- Week 3Module 2: Principles and Problems in Breeding Animals for Disease Resistance and Productivity
Unit 2: Principles and Problems in Breeding Animals for Disease Resistance · 3 hours
Discuss the principles of breeding for disease resistance.. Compare phenotypic and genomic selection approaches.. Understand the challenges in breeding for disease resistance..
- Week 4Module 3: Fundamental Principles of Inheritance
Unit 1: Historical Perspectives of Principles of Heredity · 2 hours
Review early theories about heredity.. Understand Mendel's contributions to genetics.. Discuss the implications of Mendel's work..
- Week 5Module 3: Fundamental Principles of Inheritance
Unit 2: Mendel's Laws and Principles of Inheritance · 3 hours
State and explain Mendel's laws of inheritance.. Perform monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.. Apply Mendelian genetics to animal improvement..
- Week 6Module 3: Fundamental Principles of Inheritance
Unit 3: Types of Gene action and Exceptions to Mendelian Ratio · 3 hours
Differentiate between complete dominance, incomplete dominance and co-dominance.. Explain epistasis and pleiotropy.. Understand sex-linked, sex-influenced and sex-limited genes..
- Week 7Module 3: Fundamental Principles of Inheritance
Unit 4: Sex Determination Mechanism · 2 hours
Explain sex determination mechanisms in different species.. Understand the role of the SRY gene in mammals.. Differentiate between homogametic and heterogametic sex..
- Week 8Module 4: Traits Characters and their Inheritance in Animals
Unit 1: Qualitative and Quantitative Characters and their Inheritance · 3 hours
Differentiate between quantitative and qualitative traits.. Explain the inheritance patterns of quantitative and qualitative traits.. List examples of quantitative and qualitative traits in animals..
- Week 9Module 4: Traits Characters and their Inheritance in Animals
Unit 2: Gene and Gene Types · 2 hours
Define a gene and its function.. Explain lethal and detrimental genes.. Understand dominant and recessive genes.. Discuss additive and complementary genes..
- Week 10Module 5: Variation and Its Statistical Measurements
Unit 1: Variations in Animal Population · 3 hours
Define variation in animal populations.. Differentiate between discrete and continuous variation.. Identify genetic and environmental sources of variation..
- Week 11Module 5: Variation and Its Statistical Measurements
Unit 2: Measurements of Variation · 3 hours
Calculate mean, variance, and standard deviation.. Understand the normal curve and its properties.. Use the coefficient of variation to compare variability..
- Week 12Module 6: Heritability and Repeatability
Unit 1: Heritability · 3 hours
Define heritability and its properties.. Explain methods of estimating heritability.. Understand the importance of heritability in breeding plans..
- Week 13Module 6: Heritability and Repeatability
Unit 2: Repeatability · 3 hours
Define repeatability and its importance.. Explain the estimation of repeatability.. Understand the use of repeatability in predicting future performance..
Preparing for the exam
- Review definitions of key terms in each unit to build a strong vocabulary base.
- Practice monohybrid and dihybrid cross problems from Unit 2 to master inheritance patterns.
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 genetic concepts (gene action, variation, heritability).
- Focus on understanding the formulas for calculating variance, standard deviation, and heritability.
- Review practical examples of applying breeding techniques to improve livestock traits.
- Allocate study time evenly across all modules, but prioritize areas of weakness identified in TMAs.
- Form study groups to discuss complex concepts and practice problem-solving together.
Questions students ask about this course
What is ANP307 about?
This course, Elementary Topics in Animal Breeding, introduces basic principles and concepts of animal breeding for livestock improvement. It covers the history of animal breeding, fundamental principles of inheritance, variations in animal populations, repeatability and heritability estimates, gene actions, and quantitative and qualitative characters. The course aims to provide a foundation for students interested in animal breeding and genetics, enhancing their understanding of genetic improvement for sustainable food production and security.
How many units does ANP307 have?
ANP307, Elementary Topics In Animal Breeding, has 13 units across 6 modules, over 77 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is ANP307?
ANP307 carries 2 credit units, at 300 level in Agricultural Sciences.
Is ANP307 hard?
ANP307 is rated intermediate level, with intermediate mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does ANP307 take to study?
About 208 hours of study, spread across its 13 units.
How is ANP307 assessed?
ANP307 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments, practical assignments and final examination.
What do I need before starting ANP307?
Basic cell structures Genes Chromosome Probability theories Algebra
What can I do with ANP307?
Animal Breeder, Livestock Manager, Geneticist, Agricultural Consultant and Farm Manager.