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Science
Quarter 4 – Module 3
Heredity: Inheritance and
Variation of Traits
(Mendelian Genetics)

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 Science: Grade 8
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 4 – Module 3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits (Mendelian
Genetics) First Edition, 2020

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 MELC: Predict phenotypic expressions of traits following simple
patterns of inheritance (S8LT-IVf-18)

What I Need to Know

OBJECTIVES:
• Knowledge : describe the principles of Mendelian genetics;
• Skill : predict the phenotypic expressions of traits following
simple patterns of inheritance;
• Attitude : compare the genotypic and phenotypic ratios for typical
Mendelian Trait; and
• Values : display love of truth in studying Mendelian Genetics.

This module will focus on Mendelian Genetics specifically on Mendel’s

Discovery of the Principles of Heredity. Gregor Mendel was an Augustinian
monk in a monastery in Brunn, Austria-Hungarian Empire (now Brno, Czech
Republic). He was interested in investigating how individual traits were
inherited. He wanted to find out whether both parents contributed equally to
the traits of the offspring. He also wanted to know if the traits present in the
offspring were produced by the blending of the traits of the parents.

Mendel chose the garden pea (Pisum sativum) for his experiments.
Before he started his experiments, Mendel first produced pure-breeding
plants. Mendel allowed his pea plants to self-pollinate for many generations
until all the offspring had the same features as the parents, generation after
generation.

When he has pure-breeding plants, Mendel began cross-pollinating

peas with contrasting traits. The pure breeding peas constituted the parental
or P1 generation. All offspring of these crosses resembled one another. For
example, when he crossed pea plants that produced wrinkled seeds, all the
offspring had round seeds.

The offspring of the parental cross are called the first filial (F1)
generation. In Mendel’s experiments, the F1 generation is called hybrids
because they resulted from a cross between two-breeding plants with
contrasting traits (for example pea plants with round seeds crossed with pea
plants with wrinkled seeds).

According to this Mendelian concept, inheritance of a trait depends on

the passing-on of these units. Mendelian inheritance refers to the manner by
which genes and traits are passed from parents to their offspring. The modes
of Mendelian inheritance are also known as classical or simple genetics.

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 Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics discovered the fundamental laws
of inheritance through his experiments on pea plants. He deduced that genes
come in pairs and are inherited as distinct units, one from each parent.
Offspring therefore inherit one genetic allele from each parent when sex cells
unite in fertilization.

This module will explain the principles of Mendelian Genetics. This will
answer the question: How are traits passed on to the next generation?

What I Know
Let us find out how much you already know about this module. Write the
letter that you think is the best answer to each question on a separate sheet
of paper. Answer all items. Take note of all the items that you were not able
to answer and look for the right answer as you go through this module.
1. What do you call the genes that come in different varieties?
a. phenotype
b. alleles
c. Somatic cells
d. Genotype

2. These contain two alleles for every gene, with one allele provided by each
parent of an organism.
a. phenotype
b. alleles
c. Somatic cells
d. Genotype
3. It refers to an organism’s “external resemblance”.
a. phenotype
b. alleles
c. Somatic cells
d. Genotype

4. In other cases, each parent provides a different allele of a given gene,

and the offspring is referred to as _________ for that allele.
a. dominant
b. heterozygous
c. homozygous
d. recessive

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 5. The Law which states that, "the pair of genes segregate or separate from
each other during gamete formation”.
a. Law of Dominance
b. Law of Segregation
c. Law of Independent Assortment
d. Law of Mendelian Genetics

6. The law which states that, "the distribution or assortment of one pair of
factors is independent of the distribution of the other pair”.
a. Law of Dominance
b. Law of Segregation
c. Law of Independent Assortment
d. Law of Mendelian Genetics

7. The law which states that, "the dominant trait that dominates or
prevents the expression of the recessive trait”.
a. Law of Dominance
b. Law of Segregation
c. Law of Independent Assortment
d. Law of Mendelian Genetics

8. It enables us to determine whether an individual is homozygous or

heterozygous for a given trait by observing the phenotype(s) of its
offspring.
a. Test cross
b. Self-fertilization
c. Dihybrid cross
d. Monohybrid cross
e. Monohybrid cross

9. How do you describe the Law of Segregation?

a. The pair of genes dominate over the recessive trait.
b. The pair of genes segregate or separate from each other during
gamete formation.
c. The genes move to the opposite poles in assortment basis.
d. The genes are moving toward the opposite genes in which
segregation and assortment happen.

10. When you test cross red rose with white rose, the resulting color is pink.
How do you justify this statement?
a. This is the product of genetically produced organisms.

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 b. This applies to the Law of Dominance in which red color is the
dominant trait over the white color.
c. This belongs to the Law of Independent Assortment because the
colors are assorted.
d. This belongs to the Law of Segregation in which the colors are
segregated due to different colors of parents.

What’s In
Last week, we tackled about the stages of mitosis and stages of meiosis
as well as the significance of meiosis in maintaining the number of
chromosomes. We know also that there are four stages of mitosis namely:
prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. Mitosis is a type of cell
division that produces two identical cells with the same number of
chromosomes.

Meiosis, is a special type of cell division where the cell undergoes two
rounds of cell division to produce four daughter cells. This kind of cell division
takes place in an individual. Meiosis takes place in both plants and animals.
Meiosis reduces the chromosome in half and takes place in both plants and
animals whenever gametes, or sex cells, are formed through gametogenesis.
The first round of meiotic division, also known as meiosis I, consists of four
stages which are needed in order to grasp the mechanisms of heredity. The
second meiotic division, also known as Meiosis II, is mitotic in nature. Meiosis
has a great role in gametogenesis and when something goes wrong during
meiosis, accidents may happen like abnormal conditions in the offspring.
There is a need to know on how traits are passed on to the next generation.
This can be done by studying Mendelian Genetics.

What’s New

GUESS WHAT
Study the figure below and answer these questions. Do you wonder why rose
plants have many colors? What is the resulting color if you crossed red rose
with white rose?

Figure 1. Red rose is testcrossed with white rose.

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 What is It

CONTENT DISCUSSION

Inheritance of Traits by Offspring Follows Predictable Rules

Alleles are genes coming from different varieties. Somatic cells contain
two alleles for every gene. Often, it is hard to determine which two alleles of a
gene are present within an organism's chromosomes based solely on the
physical appearance of that organism. However, an allele that is hidden, can
still be passed on to that organism's offspring and expressed in a later
generation.

Mendel's principles of inheritance

Today, scientists use the word "phenotype" to refer to what Mendel
termed an organism's "external resemblance," and the word "genotype" to refer
to what Mendel termed an organism's "internal nature." Thus, to restate
Mendel's conclusion, an organism's genotype cannot be inferred by simply
observing its phenotype. Mendel's experiments revealed that phenotypes
could be hidden in one generation, only to reemerge in the following
generations.

How do hidden genes pass from one generation to the next?

Although an individual gene may code for a specific physical trait, that
gene can exist in various forms. The gene is the most important factor that
controls the appearance of a trait. One allele for every gene in a specific
organism is inherited from each of that organism's parents. In some instances,
both parents provide the same allele for a specific gene. It is called
homozygous ("homo" meaning "same") for that allele. On the other hand, each
parent provides a different allele of that specific gene. It is called
heterozygous ("hetero" meaning "different") for that allele. Alleles produce
phenotypes (or physical versions of a trait) that are either dominant or
recessive. The dominance or recessivity associated with a particular allele is
the result of being in disguise, by which a dominant phenotype hides a
recessive phenotype. It is inferred that, in heterozygous offspring only the
dominant phenotype will be apparent.

Law of Dominance
The dominant trait that dominates or prevents the expression of the
recessive trait is known as the Law of Dominance. The dominant trait is
represented by capital R and the recessive trait is represented by small r.
Dominant and recessive traits in Pisum sativum (Garden Pea)

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 Characteristics Studied Dominant Trait Recessive Trait
Seed shape Round Wrinkled
Seed color Yellow Green
Pod shape Inflated Constricted
Pod color Green Yellow
Flower position Axial Terminal
Stem length Long Short

The Law of Segregation

Before Mendel’s time, it was believed that all traits become mixed when they
are transmitted from generation to generation. In Mendel’s experiments, the
pure-breeding parent plants had two identical genes for a trait: round seed =
RR, wrinkled seed = rr. Mendel hypothesized that: The pair of genes segregate
or separate from each other during gamete formation. This is known as the Law
of Segregation.

Genes and Gametes

Following Mendel’s reasoning, a pure-breed, round-seeded parent plant has
an allelic combination or genotype of RR while the pure-breed, wrinkledseeded
parent plant has a genotype of rr. Individuals that are pure-breeding for a
particular character, therefore have identical alleles. These individuals have a
homogeneous genotype. For seed-shape, a homozygous recessive Figure 2.
individual will produce wrinkled seeds while a homozygous recessive
individual will produce wrinkled seeds.

Knowing the Genotype

When you observe a pea plant, you can easily see the plant’s yellow pods or
its axial flower. By simply looking at the plant, you can immediately tell the
plant’s phenotype but you cannot always tell its genotype. However, there’s a
way of knowing whether the plant is homozygous or heterozygous for a given
character. Mendel applied two techniques in determining the genotype of a
pea plant. These are self-fertilization and testcross techniques.

1. Self-fertilization technique
When self-fertilized, homozygotes always produce pure-breeding plants.
Thus, round-seeded peas will only breed round-seeded peas. Heterozygous
round F1 peas produce round and wrinkled seeds in the ratio 3 round seeds
to one wrinkled seed. This ratio 3:1 is called phenotypic ratio.
Self-fertilization enables us to determine whether an individual is
homozygous or heterozygous for a given trait by observing the phenotype(s) of
its offspring. Homozygotes are pure-breeding. Heterozygotes produce two

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kinds of offspring: three out of four offspring show the dominant trait and one
out of four excessive the recessive trait.

2. Testcross technique involves a cross between the recessive parental type

(rr) and the individual with a dominant trait but with unknown genotype.
Homozygous dominants, when crossed with recessives, produced only one
type of offspring and all exhibit the dominant trait. Heterozygotes, on the
other hand, when crossed with recessives, produce two kinds of offspring.
About one-half of the offspring show the dominant trait while the other half
exhibit the recessive trait.
Round, yellow seeds

RrYy

Ry RY rY ry
¼ ¼ ¼ ¼

Figure 2. Gametes produced by a hybrid genotype

When conducting a cross, one way of showing the potential

combinations of parental alleles in the offspring is to align the alleles in a grid
called a Punnett square, which functions in a manner similar to a
multiplication table A Punnett square is a chart that allows you to easily
determine the expected percentage of different genotypes in the offspring of
two parents.

Law of Independent Assortment

From the results obtained from his hybrid crosses, Mendel formulated his last
hypothesis. The distribution or assortment of one pair of factors is independent
of the distribution of the other pair.
The law of independent assortment explains why traits are inherited
independent of each other. The law applies to factors (or genes) that are found
on the separate chromosomes. Since they are found on separate
chromosomes, the segragation of one pair of factors is not affected by the
segregation of the other pair. Therefore, their distribution in the resulting
gamets will be at random.
An important question still remains: Do all organisms pass on their
genes in this way? The answer to this question is no, but many organisms do
exhibit simple inheritance patterns similar to those of fruit flies and Mendel's
peas.

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 What’s More

Independent Activity 1: GUESS WHO AM I

1. ZALITIREFTION-FLES - it enables us to determine whether an individual

is homozygous or heterozygous for a given trait by observing the
phenotype(s) of its offspring.

2. ORZYSUOGTEHE – it is the offspring that each parent provides a different

allele of a given gene.

3. ONPHEPETY - it refers to an organism’s “external resemblance”.

4. ELLSLAE - the genes that come in different varieties.

5. TTENNPU REQUSA – when conducting a cross, it is one way of showing the

potential combinations of parental alleles in the offspring to align the
alleles.

6. ZYMOGOHOSU – it is the offspring that both parents provide the same

allele of a given gene.

7. NOPETYEG - it refers to an organism's "internal nature”.

8. ROSCSESST – involves a cross between the recessive parental type and the
individual with the dominant trait but with unknown genotype.

9. ENEG - a factor that controls the appearance of a trait.

10. DIRHYBDI SSRCO - a cross between individuals that involve two

heterozygous pairs of genes.

Independent Assessment 1

Arrange the jumbled letters above (1 – 10) to form a word. With the aid of each
corresponding description, identify the stages of mitosis and meiosis and other
related terms. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Independent Activity 2: PERFORM AN ACTIVITY

Comparing genotypic and phenotypic ratios for a typical Mendelian trait

Objective:
After performing the activity, you should be able to solve for the phenotypic and
genotypic ratios of any given cross.

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Procedure:
Let D = dominant allele and d = recessive allele, while DD, Dd, and dd represent the
homozygous dominant, heterozygous dominant, and homozygous recessive
genotypes, respectively. For each type of cross, determine the genotypic and
phenotypic ratios, respectively. The first cross was already done for you.

Cross Genotypic ratio Phenotypic ratio

1.DD x DD 100% DD 100% dominant
2.DD x Dd
3. DD x dd
4. Dd x Dd
5. Dd x dd
6. dd x dd

Independent Assessment 2
Directions: Copy and complete the table above. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

What I Have Learned

To check your understanding about this module, complete the following:

- I learned about _____________________________________________________.
- I need to learn this because _________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
- I can use this in my day by day activities by __________________________
____________________________________________________________________.

What I Can Do

Below is a list of traits inherited from father to child: In a piece of paper,

write down the traits that you inherited from any of your parents. Indicate if
it is from the father or from the mother.
 Eye Color. Dominant and recessive genes play a role in determining eye color
of the child.
 Height. If the father is tall, there is more chance for the child to also be tall.
 Dimples
 Ears
 Lips
 Nose
 Teeth structure

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 Assessment

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. The law which states that, “the distribution or assortment of one pair of factors
is independent of the distribution of the other pair”.
a. Law of Dominance
b. Law of Segregation
c. Law of Independent Assortment
d. Law of Mendelian Genetics

2. What do you call the genes that come in different varieties?

a. Alleles
b. Genotype
c. Phenotype
d. Somatic cells

3. In other cases, each parent provides a different allele of a given gene, and the
offspring is referred to as _________ for that allele.
a. dominant
b. heterozygous
c. homozygous
d. recessive

4. When conducting a cross, one way of showing the potential combinations of

parental alleles in the offspring is to align the alleles in a grid called a __________,
which functions in a manner similar to a multiplication table.
a. Dihybrid cross
b. Mendel’s genetics
c. Monohybrid cross
d. Punnett square

5. How do you describe the Law of Segregation?

a. The pair of genes dominate over the recessive trait.
b. The pair of genes segregate or separate from each other during
gamete formation.
c. The genes move to the opposite poles in assortment basis.
d. The genes are moving toward the opposite genes in which segregation
and assortment happen.

6. When you test cross red rose with white rose, the resulting color is pink. How
do you justify this statement?
a. This is the product of genetically produced organisms.

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 b. This applies to the Law of Dominance in which red color is the
dominant trait over the white color.
c. This belongs to the Law of Independent Assortment because the
colors are assorted.
d. This belongs to the Law of Segregation in which the colors are
segregated due to different colors of parents.

7. Predict the phenotypic and genotypic ratios of typical Mendelian traits.

a. Aa b. aa c. aA d. AA

8. How do you differentiate genotype and phenotype traits?

a. The “color of the person’s eye” is due to the genotypic influence.
b. A person who has “brown hair” but his cells contain “brown hair” and
one “blonde hair” allele is due to genotypic influence.
c. Genotype means everything that someone inherited from their
parents while phenotype can be influenced by the environment.
d. Genotype refers to the genetic code of the individual while phenotype
is the expression of the genotype that is visible to other people and
can be observed.

9. Compare the genotypic and phenotypic ratios of a typical Mendelian trait.

I. Genotypic ratio = ¼ RR : 1/4Rr : ¾ rR : ½ rr

Phenotypic ratio = ¾ wrinkled: ¼ round

II. Genotypic ratio = 1/2 RR : 1/2Rr : ¾ rR : Phenotypic ratio =

¾ wrinkled: ¼ round

III. Genotypic ratio = ¼ RR : ½ Rr : ¼ rr

Phenotypic ratio = ¾ round : ¼ wrinkled

IV. Genotypic ratio = 1/2 RR : 1/2Rr : ¾ rR : ½ rr Phenotypic

ratio = ¼ wrinkled: ¾ round

a. I only b. II only c. III only d. IV only

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 10. Self-fertilization of F1 produced four phenotypes. Predict the phenotypic
expressions of traits applying the Punnett square.

a. 9 (round yellow seed) : 3 (round pink seed) : 3 (wrinkled blue seed) : 1

(wrinkled yellow seed) or 9:3:3:1
b. 3 (round yellow seed) : 9 (round pink seed) : 3 (wrinkled blue seed) : 1
(wrinkled yellow seed) or 3:9:3:1
c. 3 (round yellow seed) : 9 (round pink seed) : 9 (wrinkled blue seed) : 1
(wrinkled yellow seed) or 3:9:9:1
d. 9 (round yellow seed) : 3 (round pink seed) : 3 (round blue seed) : 1
(wrinkled yellow seed) or 9:3:3:1

Additional Activities

Complete the Punnett square below and predict the phenotypic and
genotypic ratios of typical Mendelian traits.
1. 2.

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 Key to Corrections

Additional activity 1

References

Book References
Grade 8 Science Learner’s Material, pp. 329 – 343.
Grade 8 Science Teacher’s Guide, pp. 226-228.

Other References

https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/inheritance-of-traits-byoffspring-
follows-predictable-6524925/#

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