Heredity

Gregor Mendel Father of Genetics

1800s, monk in Austria
did genetic experiments with pea plants
1000s of crosses were done
studied traits like size, color, seed type

Some terms you need to know:

Alleles-gene pair that controls a particular trait
Chromosomes occur in pairs.
Segments of the chromosomes are
called genes. These genes occur in
pairs called alleles.
Pure (homozygous) traits- have identical alleles
Hybrid (heterozygous) traits- have 2 different
alleles

Pure (homozygous) Hybrid (heterozygous)

1
P generation- parental generation (1st cross)
F1 generation- first filial generation (2nd cross)
F2 generation- second filial generation (3rd
cross)

Dominant traits- when 2 different traits are

crossed, the dominant trait is the one that
shows up
Recessive traits- the hidden trait, that the
dominant trait covers up

Mendels experiments:
Crossed 2 pure lines
P: tall x short pea plants
F1: 100% tall hybrid
Crossed tall hybrid X tall hybrid
F2: 75% tall 25% short 3:1
In genetics we use symbols for the traits
T= tall
t = short
P: TT X tt
F1: 100% Tt or tall, hybrid
Punnett Square
2
F1: Tt X Tt

F2: 75% tall, 25% short

Notice that some of the
tall are pure and some
are hybrid

Law of Dominance:
In a cross between 2 pure contrasting traits
only one of these traits appears in the next
generation. This is the dominant trait and the
one that does not appear is recessive.
So T(tall) is dominant, t (short) is recessive

ex: Dominant Recessive

yellow seeds green seeds
smooth seeds wrinkled seeds

genotype-genetic make of an organism (looking

at the genes)
phenotype-appearance of an organism
genotype phenotype
TT (pure) tall
Tt (hybrid) tall
tt (pure) short
3
Gamete (sex cell) formation-
During meiosis the alleles (gene pair) split
up.
Ex: TT T or T Types
Tt T or t of
tt t or t gametes

Law of Segregation-
During gamete formation, the 2 genes
responsible for each trait separate from each
other so that each gamete contains only one
gene for each trait
Problem: Mendel found pure wrinkled seeds
crossed with pure round seeds resulted in
100% round seeds. So.what would a cross
between a pure wrinkled and hybrid round
yield?
Problem: Black coat in guinea pigs is dominant
over white coat. Parents: Black X Black
4Black
Are parents hybrid or pure?

Test Cross (Backcross)

-method for determining the genotype of an
organism by mating it with a pure recessive
4
So .Black guinea pig pure? Or hybrid? Do a
Testcross and mate black pig with white pig
BB X bb OR Bb X bb

No white offspring some white offspring

Incomplete Dominance
A type of heredity in which the hybrid is
noticeably different from both pure bred parents
Ex: Japanese Four OClock Flowers
red x red red white x white white
red x white pink
Key: R-red, W-white, RW-pink
Problem: Cross a red flower plant x white flower
plant
RR x WW

100% hybrid pink

5
Problem: Cross a pink flower with a pink flower
RW x RW

25% red 50% pink

25% white
1:2:1

Another example of incomplete dominance:

Andalusian Fowl (Spain)
Black (pure) X White (pure) Blue (hybrid)

Codominance ( not the same as incomplete)-

pattern of inheritance involves the expression
of 2 dominant alleles
Ex: red shorthorn cattle X white shorthorn cattle

roan shorthorn cattle

(roan have both red and white hairs)
Ex: A,B, O blood types

6
 Multiple Alleles
- a gene with more than 2 alleles, but only 2 can be
expressed at once
- exampleblood types
3 alleles A, B, and O
blood types: A, B, O, or AB
depends on proteins on outside of red blood cell,
protein A or B (protein called antigen)

Blood Type Antigen Antibody Can donate to Can receive from

O -- anti A &B all O
A A anti B A, AB A, O
B B anti A B, AB B, O
AB A, B -- AB all
Phenotypes Genotypes
O ii
A IAIA, IAi
B IB IB , IB i
AB IA IB

Cross: type A x B
AO or AA x BO or BB
Could type AxB have an O offspring?
AO x BO

OO
7
Problem: Mother is A, could type O be the father of a
baby with type AB?
Mom: AA or AO x Dad: AB, BO or BB

AB OO Dad not
possible
Rh factor:
- another type of protein (antigen) located on red
blood cells
+ dominant, have the protein, no antibodies
- recessive, dont have the protein, anti +
antibodies
possible genotypes: ++, +- , --

Sex determination
Somatic cells-body cells
Sex cells-gametes
- humans, 23 chromosomes in a sex cell
- #1-22 are autosomes
- #23, sex chromosomes
males XY females XX
all eggs contain the X chromosome
sperm: 50% have the X chromosome and 50%
have the Y chromosome
so during fertilization : X+Y male (XY) OR
8
 X+X female (XX)
Males determine the sex!
Y sperm slightly faster than X sperm
pH of vagina may affect the different sperm

Sex limited traits-

-expressed only if carried by an individual of a
particular sex
ex: heavy beard-phenotype only shows up in
men
if female has genes, she will not exhibit trait

Sex influenced traits-

-certain genes are dominant in one sex and
recessive in the other
ex: baldness-dominant in men, recessive in
women

Polygenic Inheritance when many genes affect

the phenotype of the organism
Ex: hair color, skin color, height, eye color