The

Genetics Gregor Mendel

Slide Show

GHB 2004
 Gene:
The unit of inheritance
 Genes A

B
Chromosome: C
Chromosome
A bundle of DNA
containing many
genes
 B b

Alleles:
Different versions of
the same gene
 A cassette is a
large bundle of
tape containing
many tracks.
It is like a… chromosome

Tape: One song or

- it is used to
track on the
record tape is like a… gene
information
- it is like…DNA

B b
Different versions of the
same song are like… alleles
 Phenotype:
Physical appearance

Red flowers

Brown eyes
White flowers

Blue eyes
 Genotype:
The combination of alleles
which you carry for a
particular gene

B B B b b b

Genotype: BB Genotype: Bb Genotype: bb

Dominant allele: B b

An allele which is
always expressed
when it is present…
… it cannot be
masked by another
allele.
Recessive allele: b b

An allele which can be

masked by another
allele…
… it is only expressed
when two copies are
present.
If an individual has If an individual has
two copies of same two different alleles
allele of a gene on a of a gene on a pair
pair of chromosomes of chromosomes the
the individual is… individual is…
…homozygous …heterozygous
B b
B B b b

The prefix homo- The prefix hetero-

means… ‘same’ means… ‘other’
A cell which contains
two copies of each
chromosome is… diploid

Normal body cells

are diploid
A cell which contains
one copy of each
chromosome is… haploid

Gametes (sex cells) are

haploid
Sperm Plant egg
cell

Pollen

Ovum
 Sperm cells are produced by … meiosis
Diploid parent
cell The
chromosomes in
the nucleus are
copied

Four haploid
daughter cells
are produced Each haploid
daughter cell
contains only one
of the two alleles
from the diploid
parent cell
Diploid Ova are also produced by
parent cell meiosis

Haploid
 Fertilization:
An ova and a sperm fuse to form a diploid zygote

Ova
Zygote

Sperm The zygote contains one

allele from each parent

This process is random

 Inheritance of eye color

b
b

Genotype is: bb

Phenotype is:

Blue
B

Genotype is: BB

Phenotype is:

Brown
B

Genotype is: Bb

Phenotype is:

Brown
b

Genotype is: Bb

Phenotype is:

Brown
The same rules apply to inheritance in plants as apply to
inheritance in animals.

The male gamete The female

or sex cell is … gamete is…

… pollen … the egg cell

 Plant genes can have dominant and recessive alleles

Example:
The dominant allele
R R produces …

… a red flower

r
The recessive
allele r produces …

… a white flower
 A genetic cross in plants: Rr x Rr

There is only one way to make a homozygous plant with

two dominant genes…

R R RR

… and only one way to make a homozygous plant with

two recessive genes

r r rr
 In the genetic cross Rr x Rr there are two ways of
making a heterozygous plant…

R r Rr

OR
r R Rr

… so, heterozygous offspring are twice as likely as either

homozygous dominant or homozygous recessive offspring
We can show the likeliness or probability of different
genotypes in different ways:

1. As a percentage - Probability of RR is… 25%

Probability of Rr is… 50%
Probability of rr is… 25%

2. As a fraction - Probability of RR is… ¼

Probability of Rr is… ½
Probability of rr is… ¼

3. As a ratio - RR : Rr : rr = 1 : 2 : 1
There are three ways to make a plant with red flowers…

… one produces a homozygous plant…

R R RR

… and two produce heterozygous plants…

R r Rr

r R Rr
…but, there is only one way to produce a plant with white
flowers…

r r rr

So, in the genetic cross, Rr x Rr…

…red flowers are three

times more likely than
white flowers!!!
We can show the likeliness or probability of different
phenotypes in different ways:

1. As a percentage - Probability of red is… 75%

Probability of white is… 25%

2. As a fraction - Probability of red is… ¾

Probability of white is… ¼

3. As a ratio - red : white = 3:1

 The Punnett Square
We can use the Punnett Square to work out the probability of
the different genotypes and phenotypes in a genetic cross
Step 1: Write down the genotypes of the parents.

x = Rr x Rr

Step 2: Write down the genotypes of the gametes that

each parent produces.
pollen Egg
cells

= R+r = R+r
Step 3: Draw your Punnett Square Egg cells

Step 4: Write the genotype R r

of the different gametes
into your Punnett Square
R RR R r

Pollen
Step 5: Write in the
different ways in which the r rR rr
gametes can be combined…

…this shows you the

possible genotypes of the
Genotypes of
offspring offspring
Probability of Genotypes
Egg cells
There are four possible ways to
combine egg cells and pollen R r
Count up how many times
each genotype appears in R RR R r

Pollen
the Punnet Square – this
gives you its probability: r rR rr
Probability of RR is… ¼ = 25 %
Probability of Rr is…
2
4 = ½ = 50 % The ratio of
Probability of rr is… ¼ = 25 % RR : Rr : rr is…
1:2:1
Probability of Phenotypes
Egg cells
Look at the genotypes of the
offspring in your Punett Square… R r
…decide which phenotype
each one should produce. R RR R r

Pollen
Count up how many times
each phenotype appears in r rR rr
the Punnet Square – this
gives you its probability:

Probability of red is… ¾ = 75 % The ratio of

red : white is…
Probability of white is… ¼ = 25 % 3:1