Assignment #5Genetics and Punnett Squares

(Chapter 11)
Introduction:Thepurposeofthisactivityistoapplybasicprinciplesofgeneticstoa
morepersonalsituation.
Review
Fig.11.5(p.1965thEd.orp.1994thEd.)

Fig.11.6(p.1975thEdorp.2004thEd.)
Fig.11.10(p.2025thEd.orp.2054thEd.)
AndreadaboutPunnettSquares
onp.1965thEdorp.1984thEdandonp.1985thEd.orp.2014thEd.

Procedure:Completetheinformationbelowbymakingscientificobservationsaboutyour
family(orafriendsfamily,ifyourbiologicalparentsarenotimmediatelyavailable).Youwill
beobservingtwotraits:earlobeanatomyandabilitytorollthetongue.
EARLOBEANATOMY
1. Observeyourearlobes.Aretheyattached(i.e.,thelobeiscontinuouswiththeskinoftheside
ofthehead)orunattached(i.e.,atleasttosomedegree,thelobehangsdownseparatelyfrom
theskinoftheheadattheverybottom)?
Recordyourearlobephenotype:Unattachedearlobe.
2. Observeyourparents(orafriendsfamily)earlobes,andrecordtheirphenotypes:
Mother:Unattached.Father:Unattached
3. Alsorecordtheearlobephenotypeofyoursiblings,ifavailable:Brother#1:Unattached,#2
Unattached,#3Unattached,#4Unattached

(#13above=2Points)
4. Havingunattachedearlobesisdominant(U),andattachedearlobesisrecessive(u).So,you
knowthegenotypeofaparentwithattachedearlobes(uu).Whyisthiscase?(1point)
YES. Unattached earlobes is a dominant trait - U and attached earlobes is recessive (u).
So, parents could be heterozygous - Uu, and Uu x Uu could give offspring uu (attached
earlobes).
Page2
5. However,becauseapersonwouldonlyneedonedominantalleletohaveunattachedearlobes,
youwouldnotknowforcertain,justthroughobservation,whetherheorsheisgenotypeUU
orUuwithoutfurtherinformation.
So,foraparentwithunattachedearlobes,youwouldhavetoperformthePunnettsquareboth
waysassumingthepersoncanbeeitherUUorUu.PerformtheearlobePunnettsquare(s)
foryourfamilyinthespacebelow.Isthereatleastoneboxthatmatchesyourphenotype?
(5points)DrawmorePunnettsquaresifyouneedthemtoanalyzeyourpossiblefamily
genotypes.

Father
Mother
U

UU

Uu

Father
Mother
U

Uu

UU

U
Uu
u
Uu
uu
6. Ifachildina
hypotheticalfamilyhas
attachedearlobes,andoneparenthasunattachedearlobes,whatisthegenotypeofthat
parent?Explainyouranswer.(2points)
ifyougotadominant,freelobegenefromthefatherandadominantfreelobegenefromthe
motherthenyouhavetwodominantfreelobegenessothereforeyouhavefreelobe.

7A.Byobservingflowercolorinsnapdragons,isitpossibletounambiguouslydeterminethe
genotype?

7B.Isthesametrueforflowercolorinpeas?Whyorwhynot?(5points)

UU

Yesitistruebecauseinmendelexperimenthedidsomecrossfertilizefromaflowertoapea
anditissameallelesasknownashomozygous.

Page3
8. IttwoindividualswithABbloodtypemarry,whatproportionoftheirchildrenareexpectedto
haveABbloodtype?
b.0.25

DrawaPunnettSquaretoshowhowyougotyouranswerandexplaintheresults.(5points)

Father
Mother

AA

AB

AB

BB