BIOLOGY: GRADED WORK #2

1. PTC is a chemical that tastes bitter to some people and is tasteless to others. The
allele for tasting PTC, T, is dominant. Draw a Punnett square to show how a couple
who can both taste PTC could produce a child who is unable to taste PTC (5 mks)

Gametes T t
T TT Tt
t Tt tt

75% tasting PTC

25% do not taste PTC

2. What is the chance that a couple who both have sickle cell trait will have a child who
suffers from neither the trait nor sickle cell anaemia? Use a genetic diagram to explain
your answer. (5 mks)

3. Albinism is a condition in which the external pigmentation fails to develop. It is

caused by a recessive allele and is not sex-linked. The family tree in Figure 2 below
shows the inheritance of albinism in a family.
a) i) Using appropriate symbols, give the genotypes of persons 1 and 2. (2 marks)
 Person 1- female Nn
 Person2- male nn
ii) If persons 11 and 15 were to marry, what is the chance that any of their offspring would
have albinism? Using a genetic-cross diagram, explain your answer. (3 marks)

iii) If the albinism was sex-liked, give the possible phenotypes of the children of persons 5
and 6. Use a genetic-cross diagram to explain your answer. (4 marks)
Gametes Xn Xn
XN XN Xn XN Xn
Y Xn Y Xn Y

2 XN Xn : 2 Xn Y
2 females- normal pigment
2 males- albinism

XN Xn – normal pigment of the eyes, skin and hair

Xn Y- pale skin, white or light blond hair and very pale blue eyes.

b) i) What type of variation is shown in Figure 2? Discontinuous variation

(1 mark)
ii) Identify TWO other human characteristics that show the same type of variation as that
shown in Figure 2. (2 marks)
 ABO blood group
 Tongue rolling
iii) Give TWO reasons why variation among living organisms is important. (2 marks)
 It enables species to adapt to changing environmental conditions, improving their
chances of survival.
  It provides the raw material on which natural selection can work, and is therefore
essential for species to remain well adapted to their environment or to gradually
change and improve by becoming better adapted to their evirnoment.
iv) How is it possible for organisms that have the identical genetic make-up to show
variation? By their phenotype.
(1 mark)
Total 15 marks