Concept 14.1
In 1857, Gregor Mendel began breeding peas to study inheritance
Geneticists use the term character to describe a heritable feature- ex. flower color
Each variant for a character is called a trait- ex purple flowers or white flowers
Concept 14.1
Mendel began his experiment using true-breeding plants- when the plants self-pollinate, all offspring are of the same variety
Mendel would cross 2 true-breeding plants. This crossing is called hybridization.
Concept 14.1
- the true-breeding parents are the P generation (parental generation) and their hybrid offspring are referred to as the F1 generation (First filial).
- when the F1 generation is allowed to self-pollinate, their offspring become the F2 generation (second filial).
Concept 14.1
By the law of segregation, the two alleles for a character are packaged into separate gametes.- P generation: purple x white- F1 generation: all purple
- F2 generation: ¾ purple, ¼ white
Mendel saw this in 6 other varieties
Gregor Mendel’s Discoveries
1. Alternative versions of genes (different alleles) account for variations in inherited characters.- the alternative forms of a gene are called alleles.ex. gene: flower color
alleles: white, purple
Concept 14.1
2. For each character, an organism inherits two alleles, one from each parent.
3. If the two alleles differ, than one, the dominant allele, is fully expressed in the organisms appearance; the other, the recessive allele, has no noticeable effect on the organism’s appearance.
Concept 14.1
4. The two alleles segregate (separate) during gamete production
Punnett squares are used to predict the results of a genetic cross between individuals of known genotypes.
Concept 14.1
Homozygous: when the alleles for a gene are identical
Heterozygous: when the alleles for a gene are different
Phenotype: physical appearanceGenotype: genetic makeup
Concept 14.1
A testcross can be used to determine the genotype of an organism that displays a dominant trait.- ex. Is the purple flower homozygous or heterozygous?
Cross it with a recessive (white) flower. The results will tell the genotype.
Concept 14.1
A cross in which only one character is discussed is a monohybrid cross.ex. flower color
If two characters are discussed, the cross is a dihybrid crossex. flower color, seed color
Concept 14.1
Independent law of assortment: each pair of alleles will segregate independently during gamete formation.
Concept 14.3
Incomplete dominance- when the F1 hybrids have an appearance somewhere in between the phenotypes of the parents.- white + red = pink
Concept 14.3
Codominance/Multiple Alleles - the two alleles affect the phenotype in separate distinguishable ways. - ex. A, B, AB, and O blood types
Concept 14.3
Pleiotropy- the ability of a gene to affect an organism in many ways- ex. the alleles for sickle-cell disease cause multiple symptoms
Concept 14.3
Epistasis- a gene at one locus alters the phenotypic expression of a gene at a second locus- ex. coat color in mice
Concept 14.3
Polygenic inheritance- the additive effect of two or more genes on a single character; not an “either or” situation- converse of pleiotropy where a single gene affects several phenotypic characters- skin color
Extending Mendelian Genetics
Nature vs. Nurture: The environmental Impact on Phenotype- the environment plays an important role on one’s phenotype
- ex. nutrition influences height, sun- tanning darkens the skin
Concept 14.3
Norm of reaction: the product of a genotype is not generally a rigidly defined phenotype, but a range of phenotypic possibilities which may be due to environmental influences.
Characters are multifactorial when both genetic and environmental factors influence phenotype
Concept 14.4
Pedigree: a family tree that describes the relationships between generations for a particular trait- pedigrees are used to map out specific phenotypic traits
Many human disorders follow Mendelian patterns of inheritance
Recessively Inherited Diseases- if someone is heterozygous for a trait they are termed a carrier. Carriers do not display the trait but can pass on the allele to offspring
Concept 14.4
Common recessive genetic disorders- Cystic fibrosis: 1/2500 people of European decent; 1/25(4%) are carriers- Tay-Sachs disease: - sickle-cell disease: 1/400 African-Americans
Concept 14.4