ARS/ NET Exam Syllabus for Animal Genetics and Breeding

Nov 9, 2012, 12:31 IST

Here you find syllabus of Animal Genetics and Breeding for ARS and NET Examination which is conducted by Agriculture Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) for recruitment as Lecturers/ Assistant Professors/ Agricultural Scientists

From 2013, ARS Examination and NET Examination will be held separately once and twice a year respectively. Jagranjosh.com provides you the syllabus for Subject for the benefit of the aspirants preparing for ARS and NET Examination 2012. Candidates can go through the syllabus and prepare better for this exam.

Unit 1 : Overview of Genetics
History and development of genetics. Classic researches and pioneer scientists in genetics. Mendalism and its deviations. Chromosomes and heredity. Sex in relation to chromosomes and genes. Linkage and crossing over. Artificial transmutation of genes. Penetrance and expressivity. Multiple factor inheritance. Gene modifiers. Non-chromosomal genes and their inheritance, Chromosomal aberrations. Mosaicism and chimerism.

Unit 2 : Advanced Genetics

Fine structure of chromosomes and chromosomal banding. Gene and mechanism of gene action. DNA replication. Central dogma. Protein synthesis. Genetic code and DNA cloning. Recombinant DNA technology. PCR. Gene banks. Split gene. Genetic control of hormone coordination, metabolism and metabolic diseases. Use of biotechnological tools in improving animal productivity. Application of immunogenetics. Biochemical polymorphism. Chromosomal studies in livestock improvement programmes. Development of clones in relation to animal productivity and maintaining biodiversity. Production of transgenic animals. Gene mixing for useful functions.

Unit 3 : Overview of Breeding

Brief history of domestication of livestock. Important breeds of livestock & poultry with special reference to economic characters. Evolution of genetic systems. Isolating mechanisms and origin of species / sub-species, their adaptation. Mating systems for different livestock and poultry. Genetic and phenotypic consequences and applications of inbreeding and out-breeding. Genetic basis of heterosis and its use. Diallele and polyallele crossing. Reciprocal and reciprocal-recurrent-selection. Combining ability. Developments in population and production of livestock and poultry in India. Status of Animal Genetic Resources in India.

Unit 4 : Genetic Properties of Population

Population Vs individual. Inheritance and continuity of population. Effective population size. Biodiversity. Description of animal population. Value and means; Average effect of gene and gene substitution. Components of total phenotypic variance of a population. Resemblances between relatives. Concept of heritability, repeatability; & phenotypic, genetic and environmental correlations. Methods of estimation, uses, possible biases and precision of estimates.

Unit 5 : Population Genetics

Gene and genotypic frequencies and factors affecting them. Hardy Weinberg Law and consequences of it. Prediction of selection response by different methods. Selection for threshold characters. Indirect selection and correleated response. Theoretical basis of change of population mean and variance on inbreeding and cross breeding. Genotype – environment interaction. Metric characters under natural selection. Quantititive trait loci and their applications. Marker-assisted selection.

Unit 6 : Genetic Stretegies

Purpose-wise breeding strategies for livestock and poultry under different agro-climatic zones of India. Evaluation of past genetic improvement programmes for livestock and poultry in India. Bottlenecks in implementation of livestock breeding programmes in India. Evaluation and characterization of various indigenous breeds of livestock and poultry. Ex-situ and In-situ conservation of animal and poultry genetic resources. Development of new breeds / strains for better productivity in animals. Open nucleus breeding system in livestock improvement in India. Bio-technology and its role in improving animals and poultry production. Role of artificial insemination / frozen semen / embryo transfer / ONBS / MOET technology in animal breeding. Fromulation of breeding programmes : Purpose-wise, breed-wise, region-wise for different species of livestock and poultry. Programmes for genetic improvement of non-descript livestock population of different species. Evaluation and current recommendations of cross breeding programmes of cattle, sheep and goat in India.

Unit 7 : Selection & Selection Experiments

Basis and methods of selection. Construction of selection indices. Different methods of sire evaluation. Selection differential and intensity of selection. Prediction of response. Improvement of response. Effect of selection on variance. Realised heritability. Long-term and short-term objectives of selections. Selection experiments in livestock and poultry. Role of control population in selection experiments. Selection for disease resistance and development of general and specific disease resistant strains / breeds. Purpose based selection and breeding of domestic animals and poultry. Genetic-slippage. Estimation of genetic divergence and its implications in livestock improvement programmes. Selection for better feed conversion efficiency in meat animals and poultry.

Unit 8 : Genetic Laboratory Techniques

Culturing Drosophila stock. Study of Drosophila with markers. Gene sequencing. Blood group typing. Karyotyping and chromosomal mapping. Concept of recombinant DNA techniques cloning and gene mapping. Nuclic acid hybridization. Development of breed descriptors at molecular level for different livestock and poultry breeds. Biochemical polymorphism analyses – blood groups, transferrins, milk proteins. Collection and storage of samples for DNA fingerprinting; isolation and quantification of DNA from blood and semen; Restricted enzyme digestion of genome DNA, Analysis and transfer of DNA from agarose electrophoresis; Nucleic acid hybridization; Analysis of DNA fingerprinting, PCR-RFLP assay. Cryogenic preservation of animal germplasm.

Unit 9 : Research Techniques for Quantitative Animal Genetics

Use of computers in handling animal breeding data. Estimation of variances and covariances. Development of statistical models for analyses of breed data and to quantify environmental variance. Estimation of inbreeding and relationship. Estimation of inbreeding rate in a closed herd / flock. Estimation and interpretation of genetic and phenotypic parameters. Development of efficient selection programmes and procedures. Estimation of genetic gains. Designing and evaluation of breeding strategies like reciprocal recurrent selection, diallele and polyallele crossing. Designing field based progeny testing programmes. Development of efficient methods and traits for genetic evaluation of males under indigenous conditions. Data bank concept.

Unit 10 : Laboratory Animal Breeding

Laboratory animal species viz mice, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, dog and monkey – Their chromosome numbers – genome size – major genes. Physiological, nutritional, reproduction parameters, maintenance protocol – pedigree recording, planned mating. Selection and Mating methods /systems- monogamous, polygamous and others. Genetic control and monitoring-Record keeping-Ethics and legislation for management and use of laboratory animals. Nomenclature for different strains,inbred lines (SPF line, Knockout mice, etc.) – Animal model for human disease. Specific utility of different laboratory species for different requirements.

Jagran Josh
Jagran Josh

Education Desk

    Your career begins here! At Jagranjosh.com, our vision is to enable the youth to make informed life decisions, and our mission is to create credible and actionable content that answers questions or solves problems for India’s share of Next Billion Users. As India’s leading education and career guidance platform, we connect the dots for students, guiding them through every step of their journey—from excelling in school exams, board exams, and entrance tests to securing competitive jobs and building essential skills for their profession. With our deep expertise in exams and education, along with accurate information, expert insights, and interactive tools, we bridge the gap between education and opportunity, empowering students to confidently achieve their goals.

    ... Read More

    Get here latest School, CBSE and Govt Jobs notification and articles in English and Hindi for Sarkari Naukari, Sarkari Result and Exam Preparation. Empower your learning journey with Jagran Josh App - Your trusted guide for exams, career, and knowledge! Download Now

    Trending

    Latest Education News