Genetics

Genetics Quiz – Friday, 11/22

Genetics & Meiosis TEST – Friday, 12/6
What is Genetics?
The study of how traits are passed from parent to offspring

Examples of traits in humans: Dimples, cleft chin, hair color/texture,

ability to roll your tongue
The Father of
Genetics
Gregor Mendel
ent
sortm
A s
e nt
p e nd Prin
e
of Ind cipl
eo
c i p le f Se
n gre
Pri gat
ion
Principle of Independent Assortment
○ genes can separate independently during the formation of gametes

○ If there are 2 different alleles of one gene on one chromosome, then

each allele could end up in either daughter cell

○ the inheritance of one trait has no effect on the inheritance of

another

○ Example: Hair color and Eye color (i.e. not all people with blonde
hair will have blue eyes).
Gene Linkage
• Genes on the same chromosome, therefore they are passed on to
offspring together
• Genes are packaged together – if you want one, you have to take
them all!
• Linked genes (on the same chromosome) CANNNOT go through
independent assortment
Principle of Segregation
• States that 2 alleles coding for the same trait, separate or segregate
during gamete formation
• You don’t want to end up with conflicting information – you pass
down ONE allele of each gene so ONE allele of each gene should
end up in each gamete

Either or
Look at ALL the possibilities….
Alleles: different possibilities for the same trait

Gene for eye color

(blue eyes)

Homologous pair
of chromosomes

Gene for eye color (brown

eyes)
Example – Dominant & Recessive
• Brown eyes are dominant – B
• Blue eyes are recessive – b

BB = Brown eyes
Bb = Brown eyes
bb = Blue eyes
Genotype vs Phenotype
• Genotype: genetic makeup
• What do your genes look like?
• Do you have a lot of dominant alleles? AABBCCDDEEFFGG
• Or maybe a lot of recessive alleles? aabbccddeeffgg
• Or maybe a mix of the two? AaBbCCDdeeFfGg
• Phenotype: physical characteristics
• What do YOU look like because of those genes? (or the alleles of those genes)
• What trait do you express? Look at the genotype – it’ll tell you!
Describing Genotypes
• Homozygous (purebred) TT
• Homozygous dominant: both alleles for a given gene are UPPERCASE
• Homozygous recessive: both alleles for a given gene are lowercase
• Heterozygous (hybrid)
tt
• One dominant and one recessive allele for a given gene
Tt
Ways of representing genetic makeup
• Capital letter- dominant allele ( T )
• Lowercase letter- recessive allele ( t )
• If both alleles are the same – individual is homozygous
(pure) for the trait ( TT or tt)
• If different- heterozygous (hybrid)( Tt)
• Genotype- 2 alleles that individual has (TT,Tt, tt)
• Phenotype- physical characteristics (tall or short)
Genetics is all about Probability
We study various generations to determine the probability that
offspring will have specific traits

Generations:
Parental
F1– Offspring
F2– Offspring of the offspring (grandchildren)
Determining Probability
Purpose: to predict the possible genetic makeup of offspring
Monohybrid Crosses: a cross involving one trait (mono = one)
Probability
• Probability – the likelihood that a particular event
will occur
• If we flip a coin 100 times, what is the probability it
will be heads? Tails?
• What is the probability that a tossed coin will
come up tails twice in a row?
• ½ * ½ = 1/4 or 25%
The principle of probability can be used to
predict the outcomes of genetic crosses.
After determining the probability…
Write the ratios in the following orders:
Genotypic Ratio
homozygous : heterozygous : homozygous Ex. 1 AA : 2 Aa : 1 aa
dominant recessive

Phenotypic Ratio
dominant : recessive Ex. 3 Brown eyed: 1 blue eyed
 Male = Bb X Female = bb
Female gametes – N
(One gene in egg)
b b
Possible offspring – 2N
Male gametes - N B Bb Bb
(One gene in
sperm) b
bb bb

Write the ratios in the following orders:

Genotypic ratio = 2 Bb : 2 bb Genotypic ratio
50% Bb : 50% bb homozygous : heterozygous :
Phenotypic ratio = 2 black : 2 white homozygous
50% black : 50% white dominant recessive
Phenotypic ratio
dominant : recessive