This unit is about how genetics is used to study development and evolution, and gives an overview of the genetic approaches and techniques that are now an essential part of almost every area of biology. The lecture component examines ways in which genes and genomes are studied and how this provides us with key information about what genes do, and how they work together to control the development and functioning of an organism. It also examines how genes and genomes change over time, and how this can be applied to understanding of genetic diversity and evolution at the level of populations, species and higher-order taxonomic groupings. Lectures will be illustrated by discussion of several key examples drawn from both plant and animal studies. This theoretical background will be complemented in the practical component, which will cover basic skills in analysis of gene sequences and genetic variation, through a series of computer-based exercises and a laboratory-based project. These activities will also emphasize interpretation and presentation of results.