Genetics:

The Scientific Study of Heredity

Mendelian Genetics Unit
Union High School

Fact or Fiction
1. Fiction
Humans only have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs)
Apes 48 chromosomes
Sheep 54 chromosomes
Cow 60 chromosomes
Horse 64 chromosomes
Dog 78 chromosomes
Shrimp 92 chromosomes
Mulberry (plant) 308 chromosomes
Platypus 52 chromosomes with 10 sex
chromosomes.
Kangaroo 16 chromosomes
Mosquito 6 chromosomes

Fact or fiction
2. Fictiontattoos will not be inherited neither will
injuries
3. Fiction (however probability is on your side)
4. Factsome you can see now, some you will see
later, but some you will never see!
5. Fiction DNA.red blood cells do not have DNA
6. Fact now go and thank your parents
7. Fiction.your dad gave you a girl gene, however
if youre a boyThank your dad!
8. Fact
9. Fiction
10.Fact.like it or not.

Variation in Color in the Domestic Horse

Describe what all

of these horses
have in common
with each other

Describe all of the

ways these horses
are different from
one another

DNA Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVk0twJYL6Y

Inheritance Lab
Inheritance: The traits (sometimes seen) that
you inherit from your own parents.

You inherited two eyes but

what color are your eyes?

You inherited a nose, BUT

do you have an aquiline (hooked) nose with a prominent bridge?

You were born with a chin BUT

Do you have a dimple on your chin?

You were born with two thumbs BUT.

do you have hitchhikers thumbs?

You were born with a tongue BUT.

Do you have the ability to Roll your tongue?

Mini Lab
1. Determine how many students can:
1. Roll their tongues Rollers (R)
2. Non-Rollers (r)

2. Create a data table

3. Graph the results

Digit Ratio
Is your right finger longer than your index finger?

Widows Peak vs Straight Hairline

Free vs Attached Earlobes

Bent Pinky

Thumb crossing

... the outward

physical
manifestation
of
internally
coded,
inheritable,
information

Genetics with Bill Nye

Full Genetics video 44 min

 Photograph taken by Annie

Leibovitz in 1987.
Certain traits in humans are
variable

Hand Span
Height
Foot Size

However, studies show that

many proportions in all
human bodies are similar
(with rare exceptions).
Examples in males or
females

Ratio of upper arm to

forearm,
Ratio of foot to thigh

Vocabulary
Gene: A unit of
Heredity
Information. A
segment of DNA
that contains coding
for protein.

Vocabulary
Allele: Alternate
forms of a
gene/factor.

Vocabulary
Dominant: An allele
which is expressed
(masks the other)
I can see it.

Vocabulary
Recessive: An
allele which is
present but remains
unexpressed
(masked)
I cant see it.
Submissive to
dominant trait

Vocabulary
Genotype the genetic makeup of
an organism. What
the genes say.
The is the "internally
coded, inheritable
information" carried
by all living organisms

Vocabulary
Phenotype - the
physical
characteristics of an
organism. What the
organism LOOKS
like.
This is the "outward,
physical
manifestation" of the
organism

The relationship between the genotype

and phenotype is a simple one
The Genotype codes for the Phenotype

Vocabulary-Lets talk about sex!

Mitosis
Asexual

Meiosis
Sexual
Produces Gametes
Sperm
Egg

Cells are haploid

No longer paired
Only 23 chromosomes
in humans

Vocabulary
Homozygous: Both
alleles for a trait are
the same. Also known
as Pure Bred

Vocabulary

Heterozygous: The
organism's alleles for a
trait are different. Also
known as Hybrid
Aa
Bb
Cc
Dd
Gg

Vocabulary
Homozygous
Dominant: Both alleles
for a trait are the same.

AA
BB
CC
DD
GG

Vocabulary
Homozygous
Recessive: Both
alleles for a trait are
the same recessive
Allele.
aa
bb
cc
dd
gg

Vocabulary
Gene: A unit of Heredity Information. A
segment of DNA that contains coding for
protein.
Allele: Alternate forms of a gene/factor.
Dominant: An allele which is expressed
(masks the other) I can see it.
Recessive: An allele which is present but
remains unexpressed (masked), I cant see
it.

Vocabulary
Genetics: The scientific study of heredity
Phenotype - the physical characteristics of an
organism. What the organism LOOKS like.
This is the "outward, physical manifestation" of the
organism

Genotype - the genetic makeup of an organism.

What the genes say.
The is the "internally coded, inheritable information"
carried by all living organisms

Vocabulary
Homozygous: Both alleles for a trait are the same.
Also known as Pure Bred

Heterozygous: The organism's alleles for a trait are

different. Also known as Hybrid

Genetics Using
Punnett Squares

Genetics Using
Punnett Squares

A few things to
remember
Homozygous Dominant
Example: RR

Homozygous Recessive
Example: rr

Heterozygous
Example: Rr

Early Genetics
The study of genetics
began with
observations made by
Gregor Mendel.
After noticing that the
flowers his pea plants Between 1856 and
1863 he cultivated
were either violet or
and tested at least
white, Mendel began
28,000 pea plants.
to study the
Remember
that Mendel
segregation
of worked almost 150 years ago when
nobody knew about genes or even the structures
heritable traits.
(chromosomes)
that carry genes.

Punnett Squares

The Punnett square

is the standard way
of working out what
the possible
offspring of two
parents will be.
It is a helpful tool to
show allelic
combinations and
predict offspring
ratios.

Before we go further lets review how

to set up a Punnett Square
We begin by constructing a grid of two
perpendicular lines.

Next, put the genotype of one parent

across
the top and the other along the left side.
For this example lets consider a genotype of BB crossed
with bb.

b
b

Notice only one

letter goes
above each box
It does not
matter which
parents
genotype goes
on either side.

Next, fill in the boxes by copying the

column and row head-letters down
and across into
the empty spaces.

Bb

Bb

Bb

Bb

Punnett Squares
Now

that we have learned the

basics of genetics lets walk
through some examples using
Punnett Squares.

R r
R RR Rr
r Rr

rr

Usually write the

capital letter first
Lets say:
R- dominant white
r - recessive violet

Parents in this cross are heterozygous (Rr).

Note: Make sure I can tell your capital letters
from lowercase letters.
What percentage of the offspring will have
violet flowers?
ANSWER: 25% (homozygous recessive)

Red hair (R) is dominant over blond hair (r).

Make a cross between a heterozygous red
head and a blond.

R
r
r

Rr

rr

Rr

rr

What percentage of the offspring will have red hair?

50%

Lets try some more

In pea plants, tall pea plants (T) are
dominant
over short pea plants (t). Construct a
Punnett
Square for a heterozygous tall pea plant
and a short pea plant.
What are the
percentage of
phenotypes?

T
Tt

Tt

tt

tt

50% tall
50% short

Black eyes (R) is dominant over red eyes

(r)
in rats. Make a cross between a
homozygous rat with black eyes and a
rat with red eyes.

r
r

R
Rr
Rr

Rr
Rr

What is the possibility

of a red eye off
springs?

0%

DNA
Genetic Diversity
Gene
Chromosome
Nucleotide
Karyotype
Mitosis
Meiosis
Allele
Dominance
Recessive
Heterozygous
Homozygous

Gregor Mendel Questions

1. What did Mendel contribute to the study of
genetics?

2. What organism did Mendel use for most of

his research?

Meiosis

Gamete
Somatic Cell
Haploid
Diploid
Cross over
Meiosis Video - Bozeman Biology