FORM 4

3.2
The Principles And
Mechanism Of Inheritance
 Dommant Genes And Recessive Genes

Chromosomes are made up of DNA molecules.

DNA consists of genes.

Genes carry genetic information which determine traits or characteristics.

 Example : One from father, another one from mother
Genes of a characteristics exist in pair
 Example : Tt T = Tall t = Short

Dominant genes are genes which show the characteristics that they control
when paired with a dommant gene or another recessive gene.
 Example : T : Tall gene which is dominant.
t : Short gene which is recessive.
‘TT’ and ‘Tt’ are the pair of genes which show tall characteristic.

Recessive genes are genes which only show the characteristics that they
control when paired with another recessive gene.
 Eg : ‘tt’ is the pair of genes which show short characteristics.
 Human Characteristic That Controlled By The Genes

Human Characteristic Controlled Human Characteristic Controlled

By Dominant Genes By Recessive Genes

Tall Dwarf

Curly hair Straight hair

Free ear lobe Attached ear lobe

Black hair Blond hair

Able to roll tongue Unable to roll tongue

Right-handed Left-handed

Black or brown iris Blue iris

Pigments in skin Albino

 Mechanism Of Trait Inheritance - cross bred
between tall pea plants (pure breed) with short
pea plants (pure breed)

Schematic diagram between two different characteristic of pure breed

Parental
phenotype Tall (pure breed) Dwarf (pure breed)

Parental
genotype

Meiosis

Gametes
Fertilisation

First filial generation,

F1 genotype
F1 phenotype Tall Tall Tall Tall

100% first filial generation plants are tall. This show that ‘T’ tall trait is controlled by
the dominant gene, and ‘t’ short trait is controlled by recessive gene.
 Mechanism Of Trait Inheritance - The cross-
bred between first filial generation F (hybrids)

Schematic diagram of mohobybrid cross.

Parental
phenotype Tall plant (hybrid) Tall plant (hybrid)

F 1 genotype

Meiosis

Gametes

Fertilisation
Second filial generation,
F2 genotype
F2 phenotype Tall Tall Tall Dwarf

Ratio of genotype : 1 TT : 2 Tt : 1 tt 25% of second filral generation plants

Ratio of phenotype : 3 Tall : 1 Dwarf are short.
 Mechanism Of Trait Inheritance - Human Begins
If a curly hair man (Cc) marries a straight hair woman (cc), determine the
probability of child being born curly.

[ C : dominant gene (curly hair) c : recessive gene (straight) ]

Parent
Meiosis

Gamates C
Fertilisation
Genotype of
offspring
Phenotype of Curly Curly Straight Straight
offspring hair hair hair hair
1
The probability of obtaining a curly hair child is 50% or
2