3b - Inheritance Flashcards
What is a genome?
All genetic information (DNA) of an organism
What is a gene?
Small second of DNA that codes for a specific chromosome
What do gene code for?
Genes can code for Structural Proteins such as Collagen (skin), or Functional Proteins such as Haemoglobin
What does the nucleus contain?
Contains Chromosomes composed of Genes
What is a chromosome?
Carries genetic information (DNA) in a packaged and organised structure in functional pairs in Nucleus (The length of DNA supercoiled into a condensed mass.)
What are alleles?
They are a different version of gene. They code for the same characteristic but may give rise to a slight difference in that characteristic. E.g. there are 4 different allele of the hair colour gene (brown, black, blonde and red).
What does dominant mean?
Variant of a gene for particular characteristic that will always express itself whether it is partnered by Recessive Allele or by another like itself
What does recessive mean?
Variant of a gene for particular characteristic which will be masked or suppressed in presence of Dormant variant unless paired with another Recessive Gene
What does homozygous mean?
When an individual has two identical Alleles of a Gene
What does heterozygous mean?
When an individual has two different Alleles of a Gene
What does phenotype mean?
The characteristic that’s actually expressed
What does genotype mean?
The combination of alleles you actually have
What is polygenic inheritance?
Characteristics that are controlled by more than one gene are described as being polygenic.
Polygenic characteristics involves Phenotypes that can express a wide range of combinations in features
What is Monohybrid inheritance?
A monohybrid cross is the study of the inheritance of one characteristic.
- Recessive Allele is represented by a lowercase letter
- Dominant Allele is represented by an uppercase letter
What is a family pedigrees?
Chart of genetic history of a family over several generations
What are the rules for a family pedigree diagram?
- Males are represented as Squares, Females are represented as circles
- Shaded symbol indicates an individual is affected by stated condition, unshaded symbol indicates an individual is unaffected
My uncle has a square face
Girls have holes
Black people have black skin
White people don’t have black skin
What monohybrid crosses?
Determines the Allele combinations of offspring for one particular gene only
What is the method to do a monohyrbid cross?
STEP 1: Designate characters to represent Alleles
- Capital letter represents a Dominant Allele, lower case letter represents Recessive Allele
STEP 2: Write down the Genotype and Phenotype of the parents
- This is the Parental generation (P generation)
STEP 3: Write down the genotype of Parental Gametes
- This will be haploid as a result of Meiotic division
STEP 4: Use a Punnett grid to work out the potential gamete combinations
- As Fertilisation is random, all combinations have equal probability
STEP 5: Write out the Genotype and Phenotype ratios of potential offspring
- This is F1 generation (first filial generation)
Subsequent generations through interbreeding labelled F2, F3, etc
What is a diploid cell?
A diploid cell has two complete sets of chromosomes
What is a haploid cell?
A haploid cell has 23 chromosomes (sex cells)
What combinations of X and Y do females and males have?
Females possess two copies of the X Chromosome (XX)
Males possess one X and a shorter Y Chromosome (XY)
How is sex determined?
- Human sex determination occurs according to the X-Y system
- For Fertilised Embryo to develop into a Female, two copies of the X Chromosome are needed
- For Fertilised Embryo to develop into a Male, one copy of X and one copy of Y Chromosome is needed
- Hence, as all Female gametes (Egg cells) only carry copies of X Chromosomes, Male gametes (Sperm Cell) determines the sex of the offspring as they can carry either an X or Y Chromosome, therefore capable of producing a Male or a Female