6.1.2 Patterns of Inheritance Flashcards
what are the two types of variation
continuous and discontinuous
what is continuous variation
when individuals in a population vary within a range, there are no distinct categories
what are examples of continuous variation
- height
- waist circumference
- fur length
- leaf surface area
what is discontinuous variation
when there are two or more distinct categories, and each individual falls into only one of these categories, with no intermediates
what are examples of discontinuous variation
- blood group
- violet flower colour
what two things can influence variation
genetics
environment
or both
what makes up the different genotypes of organisms
- different species have different genes
- individuals of the same species have the same genes, but different versions of them (alleles)
- the genes and alleles make up genotype
how does sexual reproduction lead to variation in a species
- meiosis makes gametes with a unique assortment of alleles
- due to crossing over
- and independent assortment of alleles
- random fusion of gametes during fertilisation
- increases genetic variation in the offspring
what is phenotypic variation, and give a human example
- the variation in phenotypes of organisms
- caused by the difference in genotypes
- e.g. human blood groups, which have 3 different blood group alleles, and 4 different blood groups
how many genes code for inherited characteristics that show continuous variation
- many genes
- said to be polygenic
- e.g. human skin colour is said to be polygenic, as comes in loads of different shades
how many genes code for inherited characteristics that show discontinuous characteristics
- usually influenced by only one, or a small number of genes
- said to be monogenic
- e.g. violet flower colour, either purple or white
how does the environment influence variation
- caused by differences in the environment
- e.g. climate, food lifestyle
- characteristics controlled by the environment CHANGE over an organism’s life
what are examples of environmental factors affecting variation
- etiolation: when plants grow abnormally long and spindly because they’re not getting enough light
- chlorosis: when plants don’t produce enough chlorophyll and turn yellow, caused by several environmental factors, e.g. lack of magnesium in the soil
- diet: in animals
what are the differences in genetic and environmental factors
genetic: determine the genotype and characteristics the organism is BORN with
environmental: influence how some of these characteristics develop
what is most phenotypic variation influenced by
- combination of BOTH factors
- usually showing continuous variation
what are examples of variation being caused by both environmental and genetic factors
1) height of pea plants: pea plants come in tall and dwarf forms (discontinuous variation) but the exact height of tall and dwarf varieties varies (continuous variation) due to environmental factors (e.g. light intensity and water availability affecting how tall plant grows)
2) body mass in animals: partly genetic, but strongly influenced by environmental factors, such as diet. e.g. if your diet doesn’t include right nutrients, body mass is likely to be lower than determined by genes. continuous variation
what is a gene
a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a protein, which results in a characteristic
what is an allele
a different version of a gene
- most plants and animals have 2 versions of each gene, one from mom and one from dad
- represented using letters, e.g. B and b
- order of bases in each allele is slightly different, coding for different versions of the same characteristic
what is genotype
the alleles an organism has, e.g. Bb
what is phenotype
the characteristics alleles produce, e.g. brown eyes
what is dominant
what is recessive
what is codominant
what is locus
the fixed position of a gene on a chromosome
- alleles of a gene are found at the same locus on each chromosome in a pair
what is homozygote
an organism that carries two copies of the same allele
what is heterozygote
an organism that carries two different alleles, Bb
what is a carrier
a person carrying an allele that is not expressed in the phenotype but that can be passed on to offspring
for each gene, how many alleles does a person have
2
what contains only one allele for each gene
gammetes
what are genetic diagrams used for
predicting the phenotypes and genotypes of offspring if two parents are crossed
what is monogenic inheritance
inheritance of a characteristic controlled by a single gene