Name: _______________________________

Lab: Basic Genetics Traits

Scientific Problem: Are traits controlled by dominant alleles more common than traits controlled by recessive
alleles?
Background:
Pollination: ________________________________________________________________________________
Allele: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Purebred: _________________________________________________________________________________
Hybrid: ___________________________________________________________________________________
P1 generation: _____________________________________________________________________________
F1 generation: _____________________________________________________________________________
F2 generation: _____________________________________________________________________________
Dominant Allele: ___________________________________________________________________________
Recessive Allele: ___________________________________________________________________________
Homozygous: ______________________________________________________________________________
Heterozygous: _____________________________________________________________________________
Materials:
1. Lab Manual
Procedure:
1. Use the lab manual to determine your phenotype (physical appearance) for each trait listed. Record your
phenotypes in table 1.
2. As a class, determine the number of individuals with each phenotype and record this information in table
2.
3. Calculate the percentage of individuals with each phenotype and record this information in table 2.
4. Identify which phenotype is more common (dominant or recessive) and record this information in table
2.
Variables:

_____________________________________ : _____________________________________________

_____________________________________ : _____________________________________________

_____________________________________ : _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_

Hypothesis:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
____
Conclusion:
Conclusion statement (answer to scientific problem): ________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_

My conclusion (check one):

o Supports my hypothesis

o Does NOT support my hypothesis

Examples of data support:

o Example 1: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_
o Example 2: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_

Possible sources error (specific examples not just human or measurement error)?

o Possible Error 1: ________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
_
o Possible Error 2: ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_

Examples of possible future research:

o

Example 1:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_________

Example 2:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_________

Data:
Table 1:
Trait
1. Earlobes
2. Mid-Digital Hair
3. Hairline
4. Dimples
5. Freckles
6. Tongue Rolling
7. Thumb
8. Pinky Finger
9. Interlaced Fingers Thumb

Your Phenotype - Check One:

Dominant
Recessive

Free Earlobes
Present
Widows Peak
Present
Present
Able
Straight
Bent
Left over Right

Attached Earlobes
Absent
Straight
Absent
Absent
Not able
Hitch-hiker
Straight
Right over Left

Table 2:
Trait
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Dominant Showing
#
%
Students Students

Recessive Showing
#
%
Students Students

More Common
Trait?
(dominant or
recessive)

Earlobes
Mid-Digital Hair
Hairline
Dimples
Freckles
Tongue Rolling
Thumb
Pinky Finger
Interlaced Fingers Thumb

Discussion Questions:
1. Gregor Mendel chose to experiment on Pea plants, which luckily, was a good choice. What general
characteristics do you think would be important to consider when choosing an organism, such as a
plant for genetic studies (for example, elephants would probably have been a poor choice)?
________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________
2. Your data should show that the dominant trait is not always the most common. Explain how this is
possible:
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________
3. Why might the data we collected in this lab not necessarily reflect the percentages of the world
population?
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________

__________________________________________________________________________________
_________
4. Most traits in humans do not follow basic inheritance patterns (simple dominant / recessive). Based on
the traits used in this experiment, what types of traits are likely to follow basic inheritance patterns (for
example skin color does NOT follow basic inheritance patterns)?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________
5. How would your combination of traits observed in this lab likely compare / contrast with a strangers
combination of traits?
_________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________
a. Why would this be likely?
________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_________
b. How might the combination of traits compare / contrast for siblings?
____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_________
c. Why would this be likely?
________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_________