Yr 10 Week 1-5 Revision

DNA - DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID

DNA IS THE BLUE PRINT OF THE CELL

IT IS MADE UP OF
• SUGARS
• NITROGEN BASES ( A T C G )
• PHOSPHATES
 GENE

DNA CHROMOSOME

SYSTEMS CELL

ORGANS
 Chromosomes

► Chromosomes are structures that are made of DNA

► All cells contain identical chromosomes
► Chromosomes have matching pairs (One from each
parent)
► Different organisms have different number of
chromosomes
Traits
 Alleal

► Alleals are versions of the same

gene
► There will always be 2 or more
Alleals for each gene
► Alleals will always be in the same
place on the chromosome
Homozygous

► Alleals
that
allele for match are
brown eyes homozygous
Heterozygous

► Allealsthat
allele for are different
brown eyes are
heterozygous
?
Dominant

► Is always expressed
► “Covers” over recessive
genes

B ► Represented by a capital
letter
Recessive

• Only expressed when a Dominant

gene is not present
• Is “Covered” over by recessive
genes

b • Represented by a lower case letter

Cell division

► All complex organisms originated from a

single fertilised egg.
► Every cell in your body started here, through
cell division the numbers are increased
► Cells then specialise and change into their
various roles
 Cell cycle
Growth Phase 1 • Cells go through this
Mitosis process to replicate
• The DNA duplicates itself

INTERPHASE • The cell then divides

through Mitosis

• The cells are used for

growth or to replace any
DNA
replication damaged or lost cells

Growth Phase
2
 MEIOSIS
This is the process by which sex cells (gametes) are
produced.

Therefore it ONLY occurs in the gonads

Instead of producing two identical daughter cells, meiosis

produces four non-identical daughter cells, each with only
half the numbe of chromosomes (23 instead of 23 pairs in
humans)
 Genotype

► The combination of alleals you get for each gene

BB Bb bb
Having 2 Having a Having 2
dominant genes dominant and a recessive genes
(brown hair) recessive gene (brown hair)
gives you a (brown hair) gives you a
heterozygous gives you a heterozygous
genotype homozygous genotype
genotype
Genotype vs Phenotype
 Punnett Square Maths

► You can calculate the chance of

receiving a certain result
Q q
► Add up the number of a result

►
(Purple) and divide it by the total
E.g. 3 Purple / 4 Total = A ¾ chance
Q QQ Qq
to get a purple result (75% chance) Purple Purple
► E.g. 1 Blue / 4 Total = A ¼ chance to
get a blue result (25% chance)

q Qq qq
Purple Blue
 Co-Dominance

► Both alleles are equally expressed – one is not more

dominant over the other
► Examples
► Blood - if you get A from mum and B from Dad, child will
be AB
► Red haired cow and white haired bull, calves will be
“Roan” which is a mixture of some white hairs and some
red hairs
 Incomplete Dominance

► Where neither trait masks that other, and the offspring

end up half way in between
► Examples:
► Snapdragon flowers
► Red flowers crossed with white flowers,
result in pink flowers
Pedigrees Shaded = Unattached

Unattached attached
earlobes earlobes
 Mutation!

DNA is able to copy itself very accurately – for every 1 billion

bases replicated, only 1 will be wrong!
Sometimes, however, mistakes do happen.
When this happens, it is called a mutation.
Most mutations are harmful and many
have no effect, but sometimes a mutation
results in a new, beneficial characteristic
for the individual.
How important are mutations in
natural selection and evolution?
Genetic Mutations – when the code goes
wrong

► There are many reasons for genetic mutations

► Some mutations can be only in one individual and are caused
by damage to their DNA
► Some can be inherited Eg color blindness
► Some can affect a particular section of DNA, altering the
function of one or more genes
► Some can affect entire chromosomes
► Some mutations happen spontaneously, and some are caused
by mutagens