Genetics & Heredity

SB3a.
Use Mendel’s laws (segregation and independent assortment) to ask questions and
define problems that explain the role of meiosis in reproductive variability.
SB3b.
Use mathematical models to predict and explain patterns of inheritance.

EQ: What role does meiosis play in

reproductive variability?
Gregor Mendel
★Father of Genetics
★Austrian monk
★Studied pea plant
inheritance
★Traits: seed shape, plant
height, flower color, etc.
Mendel’s
Experiment
Mendel’s
Experiment
P Generation: purple flower x white flower
P=parent

What will the offspring

look like?
F=filial

F1 Generation
100% PURPLE!
F1 Cross: purple flower x purple flower

What will THESE offspring

look like?
F2 Generation
 F1 offspring:
100% purple

Mendel’s
Experiment F2 offspring:
75% purple, 25% white
 Dominant vs Recessive
Dominant Trait
❖ Observed in the first
generation
❖ “Covers over” the recessive
trait
Recessive Trait
❖ Disappears in first generation
❖ Reappears in second
generation
 Mendel’s Results

➢F2 generation: for every 3 dominant, 1 recessive

➢Ratio🡪 3:1
Genes & Alleles
★GENE: segment of DNA
that codes for a trait
○ Each parent gives one set of
genes to the offspring.
★The variations of genes are
called ALLELES.
○ i.e., brown eyes or blue eyes
○ Alleles are represented by
letters.
About alleles…
❖One from each parent; two per trait
❖Either dominant (capital letter) or recessive (lowercase
letter)

Brown Eyes Blue Eyes

Dominant 🡪 BB or Bb Recessive🡪 bb
About alleles…
Blue eyes are represented by bb
❖“bb” is the genotype (genetic makeup)
❖“blue” is the phenotype (physical appearance)

Brown eyes is shown as BB or Bb

❖“BB” or “Bb” are genotypes
❖“brown” is the phenotype
About alleles…
❖ If both letters of the genotype are the same, it is
called HOMOZYGOUS or PURE-BREEDING.

BB or bb
❖ If the letters of the genotype are different, it is called
HETEROZYGOUS or HYBRID.

Bb
Homozygous…
If the alleles are the same, the organism is called pure-
breeding.
Heterozygous…
If the alleles are different, the organism is a hybrid.
Punnett Squares
❖ Used to view the possible combination of offspring
from particular parents.
❖ Parents’ genes
go outside the box B B

❖ Offsprings’
genes go inside b

the box

b
VOCABULARY OF THE DAY
★F1 generation ★allele
★F2 generation ★genotype
★cross fertilization ★phenotype
★self fertilization ★homozygous
★ratio ★heterozygous
★dominant ★pure-breeding
★recessive ★hybrid
★gene ★Punnett square