LESSON 2: History of Genetics

Intended Learning Outcomes

At end of the lesson, you must have:

 Construct a timeline chart for the history of genetics; 

Appreciate the importance of genetics in humans. .

Acquire New Knowledge:

Historical Background of Genetics

Prehistory
Evidences of manipulation of
genetic composition of species.

 Domestication of animals and plants-

Selective breeding.
 Cultivation of plants- selection of genetic variants from the wild.  Hindu
sacred writings about sibling differences.
Golden Age of Greek Culture

 Humans – traits of offspring came from their parents and it is called “heredity”.
 Hippocratic School of Medicine [500- 400 BC].
There are HUMORS that:

1. Male body is the bearer of hereditary traits.

2. Traits can be found all over the body.
3. Healthy of diseased
4. Traits could be altered before they were pass into their offspring.

 Aristotle [ 384-322 BC]

 Believed that the male semen contained
“vital heat”.
1. Produce offspring of the same
form (structure and capacities)
as the parents.
 2. Cooked the menstrual blood – the physical substance that gives
rise to the offspring.

Prior to 1800s

 Sperm & egg hadn’t been observed in animals.

Dawn of Modern biology (1600- 1850)

 William Harvey (1578- 1657) -introduced the theory of epigenesis

“Organism is derived from substances present in the egg that differentiate into
adult structures during embryonic development”. Epigenesis holds that structures
such as body organs are not initially present in the early embryo but instead are
formed de novo (anew).

 Swammerdam and Bonnet (1720- 1793)- introduced the theory of

preformation
“Sex cells contain a complete, miniature adult, perfect in every form
(homunculus)”.
 Spontaneous Generation
“The creation of living matter from non-living components.
 Schleiden & Schwann [1830]
Proposed cell theory - All organisms are composed of basic units called cells,
which are derived from pre-existing cells
“Disproved by Louis Pasteur such that living organisms were derived from
preexisting organisms and to consist of cells (1859).

 Mid-1800s
Works of Darwin & Mendel set for the stage of the rapid development of genetics
in 20th and 21st centuries.

Mid-late19th Century

 Charles Darwin -proposed Natural Selection

Darwin’s process of natural selection has four components.

1. Variation. Organisms (within populations) exhibit individual variation in

appearance and behavior. These variations may involve body size, hair color,
facial markings, voice properties, or number of offspring. On the other hand,
some traits show little to no variation among individuals—for example, number
of eyes in vertebrates.
 2. Inheritance. Some traits are consistently passed on from parent to offspring.
Such traits are heritable, whereas other traits are strongly influenced by
environmental conditions and show weak heritability.
3. High rate of population growth. Most populations have more offspring each year
than local resources can support leading to a struggle for resources. Each
generation experiences substantial mortality.
4. Differential survival and reproduction. Individuals possessing traits well suited
for the struggle for local resources will contribute more offspring to the next
generation.

 Alfred Wallace- Father of Biogeography

“Independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection.”

In collaboration with Charles Darwin.

“One population tend to produce more offspring greater than what the environment has
to offer. Hence, organisms with favorable and heritable traits can survive the
environment better than the rest, reproducing better than those with less adaptable
traits”.

-Gene pool and variations

-if isolation occurs, new species emerges
-Darwin lacked the knowledge regarding heredity and variation

 Gregor Mendel- Father of Genetics

“Conducted decade-long series of experiments using pea plants”

-established classical genetics and the concepts of Mendelian Inheritance. 
Classical genetics is the concept of a gene, the hereditary factor tied to a
particular simple feature (or character).
• Mendelian genetics- heredity is the result of discrete units of
inheritance, and every single unit (or gene) was independent in its actions
in an individual’s genome. According to this Mendelian concept,
inheritance of a trait depends on the passing-on of these units. For any
given trait, an individual inherits one gene from each parent so that the
individual has a
pairing of two genes.
• Law of Segregation- each trait in the plant is controlled by a pair of genes
and during gamete formation, members of the gene pair separate from
each other

20th century

 Chromosomal theory of inheritance

 Sutton & Boveri- Heredity
& development dependent
on genetic
information
residing in
genes contained
in
chromosomes

 Gap in Darwin’s theory

Closed
 Mendel’s research
• Became the foundation of genetics
• Study of heredity & variation

 Genetics progressed from Mendel to DNA

Starting point of Genetics:

monastery garden in Czech
Republic

 Genetics progressed from Mendel to DNA Structure

Period of Mendel’s 20 years after

Experiments

Advances in Microscopy
Identification of
Chromosomes
Structure & role of

chromosome:
 UNKNOWN

 What has been established?

1. Diploid (2n) number of chromosomes in most of eukaryotes cells. -

-E.g. humans (46)
- Homologous chromosomes
- Pairs of chromosomes in diploid cells

19th century

 Description of chromosome behavior during two forms of cell division.

• Mitosis- chromosomes are copied & distributed so that each daughter cell
receives identical set of chromosomes as that of the parental cell
• Meiosis
1. Gamete formation
2. Daughter cells produced receive only one chromosome from each
chromosome pair Haploid (n) number
3. Resulting number of chromosomes

20th century
 Genetic Variation
• Inheritance of traits in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster 
Discovered early:
White eyed fly (mutant)- caused by mutation
Normal (wild-type) red eyed flies
• Mutation - Any heritable change in the DNA sequence and are the source
of all genetic variation

• Phenotype- Physical expression of a genotype.

 •Genotype- Specific alleles contained in an individual at all loci that affect
the trait in question.
Example:

Trait- influenced by two genes with two alleles each

 9 possible genotypes
AA BB; Aa BB; aa BB; AA Bb; Aa Bb; aa Bb; AA bb; Aa bb;
aa bb

 Chemical Nature of Genes

 Genes are carried on chromosomes!
1920s

 Major chemical components of chromosomes were known: proteins & dna 

For many researchers, proteins were the carriers of genetic information.
1944

 Avery et al. showed that DNA was the carrier of genetic information in bacteria 
Addn’l evidences: Work from viruses
1953

 Discovery of Double Helix

 Watson & Crick described the structure of the DNA
4 nitrogenous bases
2 DNA strands are exact complements to one another [A=T; G=C]
 RNA
Single stranded nucleic acid
Contains a diff. sugar, ribose

PRODUCTS OF GENETICS
 Dolly (5 July 1996 – 14 February 2003) was
a female domestic sheep, and the
first mammal cloned from an adult somatic
cell, using the process of nuclear transfer.

1996


1999

 Glofish- green fluorescent protein (GFP),

originally extracted from a jellyfish, that
naturally produced bright green fluorescence.
They inserted the gene into a zebrafish
embryo, allowing it to integrate into the
zebrafish's genome, which caused the fish to
be brightly fluorescent under both natural
white light and ultraviolet light.
2002

 Meet CC, Carbon copy also

known as Copycat, was
produced by cloning. Her
surrogate mother is Allie.
 Activity:
Describe the history of genetics using a timeline chart. Use the rubrics as a guide in
constructing the chart.
Points
Guidelines
3 2 1
Creativity Creatively and Creatively and Designed using
neatly designed neatly designed colors.
using colors and using color.
other resources.
Information There are 10 or There are 7 events There are 3 events
more events listed listed. listed.
Organization All events are Most events are Many events are
labeled neatly and labeled neatly and not labeled nor in
in chronological in chronological chronological
order. order. order.
Final Points

Assessment

1. If genetics was never been discovered, what do you think will happen to humans
and other living organisms? (5 pts)
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2. Write a reflection on what you have learned in this lesson. (5 points)

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