CLASSICAL

GENETICS
Maryam Tahir
Roll No : 4
BS-4th-Biotechnology.
Contents.
 Key Points.
 Mendilian inheritance.
 The Chromosome Theory Of Inheritance.
 Sutton and Boveri’s arguments for his
chromosome theory.
KEY POINTS
 Homologous choromosome pairs are independent of
other chromosome pairs.
 Chromosomes from each homologous pair are stored
into pre-gametes.
 Parents synthesize gametes that contain only half of
their chromosomes,eggs n sperm have he same number
of chromosomes.
 Gametic chromosomes combine during fertilization and
give rise to an offspring,with the same chromosome
number as their parents.
After the discovery of Mendel’s laws of inheritance,
scientists turned naturally to the problems of
mechanics of the processes they observed.
MENDELIAN INHERITANCE
 Any heredity process which can be explained in
terms of mendilian genetics i.e :
 Segregation of chromosomes.
 Independent assortment.
 Homologous exchange.
CHROMOSOMAL THEORY OF
INHERITANCE
 The chromosomal theory of inheritance was
proposed independently by Sutton and Boveri in
1902.
 A pair of papers by Sutton clearly pointed the way
to a physical basis for the science of heredity.
Sutton is credited for demonstrating a parallel
between meotic behaviour of paired chromosomes
and the behaviour of pairs of Mendelian Factors.
He argued that these parallels are striking to be
accidental.
He also found that number of possible chromosome
combinations is just the same as the number of
combinations of factors Mendel postulated in
explaining the results of crosses with pea plants.
 The chromosomal theory of inheritance states
that :
 Genes are located on chromosomes.
 The two alleles of a genotype segregate during
anaphase-1 of meosis,when homologous
chromosomes segregate.
 The alleles may also segregate during anaphase-2
of meosis if cossin over has taken place.
ARGUMENTS
 All the heredity characters must be carried in sperm
and egg cells.
 The heredity factors must be carried in the nucleus.
 Chromosomes are found in pairs,so as the
Mendelian factors.
 The union of sperm and egg each with its single set
of chromosome re-establishes for the new oragnism
the two sets of chromosomes previously seen in the
body cells of parent organism.
 During cell division,chromosomes divide
accurately.This gives the idea that gnes are carried
on chromosomes.
 The chromosomes segregate at meosis.
 Medelian factors also segregate at the time of
formation of gametes.
CONCLUSION
 In other words :
 Chromosomes obey mendel’s laws of inheritance.
 Sutton concluded his 1902 paper with bold
prediction “ I may finally call attention to the
probability that (the behaviour of chromosomes)
may constitute the physical basis of the Mendelian
laws of heredity”.