Ashley

Jordan
Biology Lab 103
Professor Steven Ellison
October 15, 2013

Mendelian Genetics

Introduction: The purpose of this lab is to study Mendelian genetics and to construct
a pedigree based on a family who has sickle cell anemia. Mendelian genetics is based
around the science of heredity and heredity is the study of passing on traits to
offspring. A pedigree is an illustration that shows generations of a family. In this lab,
the pedigree we construct will be able to show us the rules by which sickle cell
anemia is passed along from generation to generation. We will also be able to
observe blood samples taken from each individual and note whether they have the
disease or not.

Methods: The first step to this lab is to construct the pedigree. The basic rules for
this construction are as follows:
1. Males are represented by squares and circles represent females.
2. Individuals who have sickle cell anemia will have colored in squares or
circles. (Those who have empty squares or circles are normal)
To construct the actual pedigree, you start by drawing a square and circle and
connect them with a line. These shapes represent the mother and father. From that
line, underneath the parents, the connection is made to the next generation (their
children.) In this case, the parents, Alice and Louis, had six children. Their names
were Victoria, Elizabeth, Irene, Susan, Sarah, and Fred. Next you connect the
children to their spouses and draw a line connecting them together. Underneath the
parents, the connection is made to the next generation and so forth. In this pedigree,
Irene married Henry and had three boys (Victor, Samuel, and Anthony.) Susan
married Nikolas and had five children (Rachel, Emily, Mary, April, and William.

After the pedigree is completed, observe the blood samples of each individual and
note whether they have sickle cell anemia or not. If their blood cells appear to have
sickle shapes, they have the disease and you will color in their shape.

Data:

Results: The pedigree above shows that children in the second and third generation
have the disease. It appears that sickle cell anemia, as seen in this pedigree, is a sex
linked inherited disease since only males have the condition. We can conclude that
both Louis and Alice had recessive traits of the sickle cell anemia and both recessive
traits were then passed on to Fred. The daughters appear to be carriers of the
disease. It is possible that both couples in the second generation had recessive traits
of the disease and the recessive traits paired up in the male offspring in both
couples.

Discussion: The study of Mendelian genetics and the construction of pedigrees are
important because it helps us trace traits that can be inherited through generations.