1. Simple Medelian Genetics
Competency 12.00

2. Genetic Terminology

3. DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid The major nucleic acid in organisms
Carries genetic information and is responsible for the transmission of traits.

4. Gene
A segment of DNA that codes for a specific trait in an organism.

5. Allele An alternative form of a gene/trait.
Example: Eye color alleles are blue, green, hazel, brown
Can be homozygous or heterozygous

6. Homozygous Allele Organism with identical alleles for a given trait
Can be dominant or recessive
Example: TT or tt

7. Phenotype The physical appearance of a trait in an organism
Determined but not always indicative of the genetic makeup of the organism
Example: tall or short

8. Genotype The genetic composition of an organism for a given trait
Often cannot be determined by looking at an organism
Example: Tt or TT, both are tall

9. Recessive Gene/Allele
Variation of a trait that can only be expressed in the absence of a dominant allele
Heterozygous individuals are carriers for recessive alleles.

10. Dominant Gene/Allele
Variation of a trait that is expressed over other variations of the same trait
Most common forms in natural populations
Some traits can be co-dominant or exhibit incomplete dominance

11. Chromosome
Long condensed strand of DNA forming in the nucleus of a cell prior to cell division
Form cells that when split, create an exact copy of DNA in the daughter cell

12. Chromatid Pairs
X-shaped structures that serve as the mechanism for the transmission of genetic material during cell division.
They are pulled apart in the process of mitosis and meiosis.

13. Heterozygous Allele Organism with different alleles for a given trait
Example: Tt

14. Heredity

15. Gregor Mendel
1863
Austrian monk who conducted the first genetics experiments using pea plants in the mid 1800s.
Often considered the founder of genetics and heredity.

16. What is Heredity?
Heredity is best described as the manner in which inheritable characteristics (traits) are passed from parents to offspring.

17. Heredity
A direct outcome of the RANDOM genetic recombination resulting during reproduction
Ensures genetic diversity

18. Heredity Determines the genetic potential of an animal, but . . .
Heredity and environmental influences determine the overall quality of the animal.
Nature versus Nurture

19. Types of Heredity Simple Heredity Complex Heredity
Polygenic Inheritance
Incomplete Dominance
Codominance

20. Simple Heredity
One gene controls one trait—alleles are either dominant or recessive.
Example: height and color in pea plants

22. Complex Heredity Polygenic Inheritance
One trait is controlled by several genes and possibly environmental factors
Genes may even be located on different chromosomes

23. Complex Heredity Polygenic Inheritance
This is a slow process requiring many generations to achieve desired results.
Example: Height in humans

24. Complex Heredity Incomplete Dominance =
Multiple alleles for a given trait are not expressed over one another, but in combination.
Example: RR (Red Flower) x WW (White Flower) = RW (Red and White Striped Flower) X =

25. Codominance
Similar to incomplete dominance, except characteristics of alleles blend instead of remaining distinct
Example: RR (Red Flower) x WW (White Flower) = RW (Pink Flower) X =

26. Heredity in Agriscience
Heredity is a huge factor in successful agricultural selective breeding programs.
Heredity is manipulated to create high quality HYBRID offspring.

27. Heredity in Agriscience
Plants and animals are inbred through several generations to isolate a specific trait or traits.
No more than 7 generations are inbred to prevent genetic disorders.

28. Heredity in Agriscience
The final generation of two different lines inbred for different traits are crossed producing offspring with the beneficial traits of both lines.
Resulting offspring possesses hybrid vigor

29. Hybrid Vigor

30. Heredity in Agriscience
Hybrid vigor usually lasts only one generation, as hybrid organisms rarely express traits true to type in offspring.
Alternative forms of the gene resurface in the new cross.

31. Heredity in Agriscience
Punnett Squares, Pedigree Charts, Genetic Mapping and DNA analysis can be used to predict heredity.

32. Punnett Squares

33. What is a Punnett Square?
A method utilizing the known genotypes of parent offsprings to predict the expression of a given trait or traits in offspring.
Must know the genotype of parents and the inheritance pattern of the trait.

34. Using Punnett Squares
When using Punnett Squares the Dominant Trait is always represented by an uppercase letter
Recessive is lowercase
Example: T=Tall, t=short

35. Using Punnett Squares
A box should be drawn with one space for each allele expressed by both parents.
In simple heredity boxes are 2x2.

36. Using Punnett Squares
The alleles for one parent should be placed above each column at the top, with the alleles for the other placed beside each row on one side. T T T t

37. Using Punnett Squares
The alleles of each parent should be distributed across and down the box. T T TT TT T t Tt Tt

38. Using Punnett Squares TT-Homozyous Dominant Tt-Heterozygous
Genotype Ratio:
3:1:0
Phenotype Ratio:
4:0 T T TT TT T t Tt Tt

39. Using Punnett Squares
When crossing using complex heredity boxes are 4x4 and two different traits are being crossed.

40. Using Punnett Squares TG Tg tG tg Genotype Ratio-0:4:4:4:4:0
Phenotype Ratio- 0:8:8:0 Tg
TTGg
TTgg
TtGg
Ttgg
TTGg
TTgg
TtGg
Ttgg Tg Tg
TTGg
TTgg
TtGg
Ttgg Tg
TTGg
TTgg
TtGg
Ttgg

41. Assignment
Go to the career center and look up the following website. Complete the assignments listed on the corresponding worksheet.