QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY

DIFFUN CAMPUS
Diffun 3401, Quirino
LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL

SELF - PACED
LEARNING MODULE
IN

GENERAL
BIOLOGY 2
NIMPHA B. AMTALAO
Instructor I

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QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
DIFFUN CAMPUS
Diffun 3401, Quirino
LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL

MODULE 3: Modification to Mendel’s Classic Ratios

COMPETENCIES
At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:
 distinguish Mendelian from non-Mendelian modes of inheritance and;
 describe some cases of non-Mendelian genetic traits

DISCUSSION

Co-dominance - When two contrasting alleles are present in the same locus or trait
(heterozygote genotype), then the phenotype expressed is a “blend” of the two extreme
phenotypes. The two genes interact and the offspring shows the effects of both alleles.
Closely related to incomplete dominance is codominance, in which both alleles are
simultaneously expressed in the heterozygote. We can see an example of codominance
in the MN blood groups of humans (less famous than the ABO blood groups, but still
important). A person's MN blood type is determined by his or her alleles of a certain
gene. An LM allele specifies production of an M marker displayed on the surface of red
blood cells, while an LN allele specifies production of a slighly different N marker.

Homozygotes (LMLM and LNLN) have only M or an N markers, respectively, on the surface

of their red blood cells. However, heterozygotes (L MLN) have both types of markers in
equal numbers on the cell surface.

As for incomplete dominance, we can still use Mendel's rules to predict inheritance of
codominant alleles. For example, if two people with LMLN genotypes had children, we
would expect to see M, MN, and N blood types and LMLM: LMLN: LNLN genotypes in their
children in a 1:2:1 ratio (if they had enough children for us to determine ratios
accurately)

Incomplete dominance - When two contrasting alleles are present in the same locus or
trait (heterozygote genotype), then both alleles are expressed in the same phenotype.
For example, in the snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus, a cross between a homozygous
white-flowered plant (CWCW) and a homozygous red-flowered plant (CRCR) will produce
offspring with pink flowers (CRCW). This type of relationship between alleles, with a
heterozygote phenotype intermediate between the two homozygote phenotypes, is
called incomplete dominance.

We can still use Mendel's model to predict the results of crosses for alleles that show
incomplete dominance. For example, self-fertilization of a pink plant would produce a
genotype ratio of (1 CRCR: 2CRCW: 1CWCW) and a phenotype ratio 1:2:1. Alleles are still
inherited according to Mendel's basic rules, even when they show incomplete
dominance.

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QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
DIFFUN CAMPUS
Diffun 3401, Quirino
LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL

Multiple alleles - When there are more than two types of alleles for a given locus or
trait, this will result in more than two kinds of phenotypes that may be expressed for
that trait
Mendel's work suggested that just two alleles existed for each gene. Today, we know
that's not always, or even usually, the case! Although individual humans (and all
diploid organisms) can only have two alleles for a given gene, multiple alleles may exist
in a population level, and different individuals in the population may have different
pairs of these alleles.

As an example, let’s consider a gene that specifies coat color in rabbits, called the C
gene. The C gene comes in four common alleles: C, cch, ch and c.
 CC – rabbit has black or brown fur
 cch cch - rabbit has chinchilla coloration (grayish fur)
 ch ch – rabbit has Himalayan (color-point) patterning, with a white body and dark
ears, face, feet, and tail
 cc - rabbit is albino, with a pure white coat

Image credit: "Characteristics and traits: Figure 5," by OpenStax College, Biology (CC BY 3.0).

Multiple alleles makes for many possible dominance relationships. In this case, the
black C allele is completely dominant to all the others; the chinchilla cch allele is
incompletely dominant to the Himalayan ch and albino c alleles; and the
Himalayan ch allele is completely dominant to the albino c allele.

Rabbit breeders figured out these relationships by crossing different rabbits of different
genotypes and observing the phenotypes of the heterozygous kits (baby bunnies).

The C gene in rabbits encodes an enzyme that’s needed to make a type of pigment called melanin in hairs

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QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
DIFFUN CAMPUS
Diffun 3401, Quirino
LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL

C allele of this gene encodes a fully functional enzyme that

makes lots of pigment and results in black fur.

cch allele encodes an enzyme that is less effective at making

pigment, resulting in lighter, more grayish fur

ch allele encodes a defective enzyme, where the defect makes

the enzyme very sensitive to temperature: it works fine at low
temperatures, but doesn’t work at all at higher temperatures.
The rabbit's extremities (paws, ears, etc.) are cooler, so the
enzyme functions there and makes pigment. The rabbit’s
main body is warmer, so the enzyme does not function and
no pigment is made

cc allele encodes a completely nonfunctional enzyme, leading

to an albino rabbit (one that does not produce any pigment in
its hairs)

In ABO system in human blood, there are 3 different types of alleles A(or I A), B(or IB) and
O(or i).

Note that in the ABO system, the O allele is recessive to both A and B alleles while the A
and B alleles are co-dominants of one another

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QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
DIFFUN CAMPUS
Diffun 3401, Quirino
LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
Direction: Answer the set of questions related to non-Mendelian modes of inheritance.
1. In cattle, coat color is inherited in a co-dominant fashion. Homozygous B 1B1
produces black coat, homozygous B2B2 produces white coat, and the
heterozygous B1B2 produces roan coat. Give the phenotypic ratio of the offspring
of the following crosses:
a. B1B1 X B1B1
b. B1B1 X B2B2
c. B1B2 X B1B2
d. B1B1 X B1B2
e. B1B2 X B2B2

COMPREHENSION CHECK
Direction: Study the case below and provide what is needed.

1. A local hospital has sent word to a family of a possible mix up of some of the
children with other families when they were born. To rule out any possible mix
up, the hospital obtained the blood types of every individual in the family,
including the surviving maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother. The
results were as follows:
Father: Type O
Mother: Type A
1st child: Type O
2nd child: Type A
3rd child: Type B
Maternal grandfather: Type AB
Paternal grandmother: Type B
Based on the results, is there a possibility that any one of the children is
not a biological offspring of the couple? Justify your answer.

2. A man who is blood type B is married to a woman who is blood type A. None of
the man’s parents is blood type O. This couple has 4 children with the following
blood types: B, AB, AB and O. Give the genotypes of the parents.

Reference

Reece, J.B. 2013). Campbell Biology, 10th Ed. Pearson Education, Inc. United States of America

Try to open the following link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqmrQQ4b7Kg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O5JQqlngFY

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