Inheritance

• What are mutations?

  Changes in genetic material of a cell
• What is a silent mutation?

  A mutation that does not change the amino acid sequence
• What is a missense mutation?

  A mutation that changes one amino acid to another
• What is a nonsense mutation?

  A mutation that introduces a premature stop codon
• How can mutations affect protein structure and function?

  Mutations can lead to changes in the amino acid sequence, altering protein structure and function
• How do you read amino acids off of mRNA using the genetic code?

  By using codons to match with the corresponding amino acids
• What is the procedure for identifying phenotypes in C. elegans during lab time?

  1. Use a wild-type plate to observe movement patterns.
  2. Use a mixed plate to identify each phenotype.
  3. Use a mutant plate to confirm the phenotype.
• Who is Gregor Mendel and what did he contribute to genetics?

  Gregor Mendel is known as the father of genetics for his work on inheritance patterns in pea plants
• What did Gregor Mendel disprove with his experiments?

  He disproved the blending theory of inheritance
• In what year did Gregor Mendel publish his findings?

  1866
• What are homologous chromosomes?

  Chromosomes that have the same genes at the same loci but may have different alleles
• What is the difference between phenotype and genotype?

  Phenotype is the observable traits, while genotype is the genetic makeup
• What is a monohybrid cross?

  A cross between true-breeding parents that differ in one trait
• What is the expected phenotypic ratio in the F2 generation of a monohybrid cross?

  1. 1 ratio of dominant to recessive traits
• What is a test cross used for?

  To determine the genotype of an individual with a dominant phenotype
• What is incomplete dominance?

  A genetic situation where neither allele is completely dominant, resulting in a blend of traits
• What are multiple alleles and how do they relate to blood types?

  Multiple alleles refer to the presence of more than two alleles for a genetic trait, as seen in human blood types
• What is the procedure for the lab activity involving homologous chromosomes and alleles?

  1. M group: Take out a green pair of homologous chromosomes and place 2 orange alleles (O) on one and 2 pink alleles (o) on the other.
  2. F group: Take out a yellow pair of homologous chromosomes and place 2 orange alleles (O) on one and 2 pink alleles (o) on the other.
  3. Go through meiosis.
• What should you do with your chromatids during the lab time?

  Randomly take 1 of your 4 chromatids for breeding
• What is the due date for the homework in sections I-V?

  October 31 at 1:00 p.m.
• What are Mendel's principles regarding gene assortment in a dihybrid cross?

  • Two hypotheses exist for gene assortment.
  • Each pair of alleles segregates independently during gamete formation.
• What happens if alleles are on the same chromosome?

  They may not assort independently.
• What is the commonality of most human genetic disorders?

  Most human genetic disorders are recessive.
• How can individuals be carriers of recessive disorders?

  They can have one normal allele and one recessive allele.
• What are the possible genotypes of offspring from two normal Dd parents?

  • DD: Normal
  • Dd: Normal (carrier)
  • dd: Deaf
• Who are the individuals listed in the study material with the genotype Dd?

  Joshua Lambert, Abigail Linnell, Elizabeth Eddy.
• How do Mendel's principles apply to the inheritance of human traits?

  • Family pedigrees allow tracking of traits.
  • Traits can be analyzed for inheritance patterns.
• What type of inheritance patterns do many human traits show?

  Simple inheritance patterns controlled by genes on autosomes.
• What happens to red blood cells in individuals homozygous for the sickle-cell allele?

  They become sickle-shaped due to abnormal hemoglobin.
• What are the consequences of sickle-cell disease?

  • Physical weakness
  • Anemia
  • Heart failure
  • Pain and fever
  • Brain damage
  • Organ damage
  • Clumping of cells
• What is pleiotropy in genetics?


  The impact of one gene on more than one characteristic.
• What type of traits can be found in a population?

  Traits can be either/or or continuous traits (polygenic).
• How does inheritance of sex differ between animals?

  It varies; for example, mammals have XY sex chromosomes.
• What are the sex chromosomes for male and female birds?

  Male: ZZ, Female: ZW.
• What is unique about the sex chromosomes in bees, wasps, and ants?

  Females are diploid and males are haploid.
• Who rediscovered Mendel's work in the 1900s?

  Carl Correns.
• Why are fruit flies commonly used in genetic studies?

  They have a short life cycle of two weeks.
• What is a common sex-linked disorder in humans?

  Red-green color blindness.
• In which gender is red-green color blindness more common?

  It is 8 times more common in males.
• What is hemophilia associated with in history?

  Queen Victoria's descendants.