Name of pair: ______________________________ gr.

& sec: ___________ Score: _____________

______________________________

Human Trait Inheritance

Directions:
What would your baby look like if both you and your classmate (who will simulate your spouse) have
one dominant gene and one recessive gene for each of the facial features illustrated in the following
pages? In other words, each of you will be heterozygous for each trait. To determine the facial
appearance of your child, you and your spouse will each flip a coin to determine what gene you will
contribute to your child.

Heads = Dominant (uppercase) Tails = Recessive (lowercase)

1. Determine the sex of the child. Which parent should flip a coin to determine the sex of the child?
Heads will be a boy (Y-bearing sperm) and tails will be a girl (X-bearing sperm)
2. Give your child a name and record the name on your data sheet.
4. Flip the coins to determine which gene of each pair you contribute to the traits of your child. Each
child will have two genes for each trait, one from each parent. You will supply one gene and your
spouse will supply one gene.
5. Record the genetic contributions of each parent on the data chart.
6. When you have determined the genotype of your baby, complete the data analysis.

Reference section: Summary of Laws of Inheritance

Law of Dominance (Dominate vs Recessive Law of Independent Assortment

Alleles)
In a cross of parents that are pure for contrasting
traits, only one form of the trait will appear in the
next generation. All offspring will be hybrid for a
trait and will have only the dominant trait express
the phenotype. The phenotype trait that is NOT
expressed in the hybrid is called recessive.
Law of Segregation (regarding ALLELES)
During the formation of gametes (eggs or sperm),
the two alleles responsible for a particular trait
separate from each other. Alleles for a particular
trait are then "recombined" at fertilization,
producing the genotype for the traits of the
offspring.
(regarding TRAITS)
Alleles for different traits are distributed to sex cells
(& offspring) independently of one another.
(Example: the trait for height and the trait for color
of peas do not depend on each other. These traits
are independent of each other and can
independently and randomly be distributed into the
sperm or egg cells.) (Note: as long as any 2 traits are
not on the same chromosomes then they can be
distributed randomly and independently from each
other into the sex cells.)

Analysis:
1. Draw the portrait of your child

2. Short description of your child: