Austria, Ahriz Ace P.

Dentistry – D11F
Genetics M1-Activity1

I. Share your understanding to the following terms, give examples if possible.

1. Allele – At a certain genomic region, an allele is one of two or more variations of the DNA
sequence (a single base or a segment of nucleotides). For each genomic region with such
variation, an individual inherits two alleles, one from each parent.
2. Genes – The basic unit of heredity is presumed to be the gene. Parents pass on their genes
to their children, which include the data required to define physical and biological
features.
3. Dominant trait – For a dominant trait, just one copy of the dominant allele is necessary
for the characteristic to manifest. The dominant allele obscures the effects of the other
allele (the recessive allele).
4. Recessive trait – When a characteristic is recessive, both of the (recessive) alleles of the
gene that causes the trait must be present for the trait to manifest. When there is only
one copy of an allele, it has no effect at all.
5. Homozygous – In terms of genetics, being homozygous means having inherited the same
alleles (versions) of a genomic marker from both biological parents. A person who
possesses two identical copies of a genetic marker is said to be homozygous for that
marker.
 6. Heterozygous – In genetics, heterozygous means having inherited various forms (alleles)
of a genomic marker from each biological parent. As a result, a person who is
heterozygous for a genetic marker has two distinct forms of that marker.
7. Genotype – A genotype is a classification of the kind of variation found at a certain
position (i.e., a locus) in the genome.
8. Phenotype – The visible characteristics of an individual, such as height, eye color, and
blood type, are referred to as phenotypes. Both a person's genetic composition
(genotype) and environmental circumstances influence their phenotype.
9. Reproduction – It entails creating a replica or a lookalike in order to ensure the survival
of species.
10. Mendelian Inheritance – Mendelian inheritance refers to certain patterns of how traits
are passed down from parents to children. These broad patterns were created by Gregor
Mendel, an Austrian monk who conducted several pea plant studies in the nineteenth
century. Mendel's findings on how traits (such as color and shape) are handed down from
one generation to the next created the concept of dominant and recessive forms of
inheritance.

II. What is meant by genetic variation in relation to polymorphism and mutation? Explain and
give an example.

Genetic polymorphism is the inheritance of a characteristic regulated by a single genetic locus with two
alleles, with the least common allele having a frequency of 1% or higher. A genetic mutation is a change
in the DNA sequence of a gene that results in something different. It causes a permanent alteration in the
DNA sequence of that gene. A mutation is defined as any deviation from normal in a DNA sequence. This
means that there is a common allele in the population and that the mutation transforms it into a rare and
aberrant version. A polymorphism, on the other hand, is a frequent DNA sequence variation in the
population. A change in a person's DNA sequence, for example, that causes an illness such as cancer is
accurately referred to as a mutation, but a difference in DNA sequence that explains why a person has red
hair rather than brown or black hair is an example of polymorphism.