HEREDITY…. Why do living things look and behave like their biological parents???

GENES… What color are yours? Genes help determine our eye color, hair color, the “color” of our personality, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and more!!

Where are genes found? Inside every cell of each living thing (plant or animal) are sets of instructions called genes. Genes are found in the DNA that you got from your biological mom and dad… What is biological? If your mom and didn’t adopt you and you were born out of your momma’s tummy, they are your biological parents!

The genes are strung together in long stands of material called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and these long strands are called chromosomes. Most living things have pairs of chromosomes (one from each parent) and humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes Many of the genes have a quality known as dominate or recessive. Dominant traits are more common than recessive traits.

Trait…a distinguishing feature in a person You are given 23 pairs of chromosomes, or 46 each. Mom gives you 23 and dad gives you 23. Each characteristic has 1 pair. Eye color: Mom gives you 1 chromosome for eye color, dad gives you 1 also. So you have 1 pair of chromosomes for eye color. Let’s say that mom has brown eyes, and dad has blue eyes. Brown eyes are dominant (B) and blue eyes are recessive (b). This is how all your traits are “put together”. Dominant and recessive genes are mixed to create a new YOU!!!!

If you were given the same gene from each, either both brown (BB) or both blue (bb), then you will have the same color as that gene pair. But if you were given a mix, you will have brown eyes, but carry a recessive blue gene (Bb, bB). Remember that brown is dominant. That means it is a more common, or stronger, gene.

Where do I get these “genes” (traits)??

They are a gift from… MOM AND DAD!!! You are an offspring of your biological parents. You act and look and have behaviors because of the gift of “genes”!!! “Innate behaviors” or “fixed action pattern behaviors” are things you do because we, as living things, are born doing them. You do them because you were born doing them! You can’t help it. You can’t practice it. Your brain just knows to do it!

Innate Behaviors (Fixed Action Pattern Behaviors) HibernationMigration Babies sucking their thumbs BlinkingSwallowing Babies’ toes spreading when foot is tickled Crying Rough play between wolf cubs

Inherited Traits…the stuff you get from mom and dad! Singing, dancing, and instrumental abilities Abilities in math Athletic talent Liking routines Drawing/artistic talent Faces you might make What else can you think of??? of???

Learned Behaviors…Stuff you do because of your environment…Stuff you do because you practice…Stuff that is taught! Teaching a dog to sit, roll over, give paw. A toddler throwing a tantrum. Getting dressed. Brushing teeth. Speaking a language. Learning to play an instrument or a sport. Manners. How to eat properly What else can you think of???

Activity: In partners, you will create a chart with three columns. On the left side, you will title it “inherited” On the right side, the title is “learned” In the middle, the title is “innate” You and your partner will brainstorm 5 inherited, 5 innate, and 5 learned behaviors. Think carefully before you list them…do you have to practice it or is it something you naturally liking or tendency for? Is it a reaction that you were born doing since birth? Only one item on each column may be the ones that we have discussed in class.

VocabularyCharacteristicsInheritedTraitOffspringInbornInnate Instinctive behaviors Learned behaviors Dominant traits Recessive traits GenesGenetic DNA: what it is, not what it stands for!

Punnent Square BB BB Bb Bb bB bB bb bb Black(B) Blonde (b) Brown (B) Blonde (b) Dad Mom

Punnent Square Brown (B) Blue (b) Green (G) Blue (b) Mom Dad GB: will have greenish/blue eyes, or HAZEL Gb; Will have green eyes, but carry a blue recessive bB: will have brown eyes, but carry a bluue recesive Bb: Will have blue eyes

Punnent Square Dad Beans Mom Beans

Activity Draw a Punnent Square on a piece of paper. Correctly label the dominant and recessive titles for “mom beans” and “dad beans” squares. Fill in each square with the correct chromosome combinations. Using the lab sheet from the bean experiment, add up the tallies in each column, and write that total in the appropriate place on the Punnent Square.