Dominant and Recessive Traits

Definitions:
Chromosome: Stored DNA. When first made, your DNA is a long string (about 6 feet long). This
doesn't fit in a cell, so your body winds it around a protein called a histone. This is
EXACTLY like thread being wound around a spool. You have 23 chromosomes. Each
chromosome contains many genes.
Gene: Part of a chromosome that carries information for a trait (like height).
Allele: A specific gene. The difference between an allele and a gene is a gene means a trait, like height,
and an allele means the specific trait, like tall or short.
Dominant Trait: A trait that is expressed whenever a single allele is present
Recessive Trait: A trait that is expressed only when a dominant trait is not present
Genotype: The two genes you have. For example a tall pea plant can have genotype Tt or TT. Meaning
one tall gene and one short gene or two tall genes.
Phenotype: Which trait is expressed. An example is tall or short. In pea plants there are 3 genotypes
for height: TT, Tt, or tt. There are only two phenotypes: Tall or short. Which trait is expressed is
the phenotype.
Homozygote: An animal or plant that has two of the same allele. In pea plants homozygotes for height
would be TT or tt
Heterozygote: An animal or plant that has two different alleles. In pea plants heterozygotes for height
are Tt.

Introduction:

1) For the following pea plants draw a Punnet square and write down all the possible combinations
of genes their offspring could have (You may have to draw them on another piece of paper).
A) TT x tt

B) Tt x tt

C) tt x tt

D) Tt x Tt

2) For each cross indicate what percentage of their offspring would have each of the following
genotypes

TT
A
B
C
D

Tt

tt