Final Exam Flashcards
Contrast the terms dominance and epistasis.
Both deal with alleles and loci
Dominance is alleles at one loci
Epistasis is the interaction of between alleles at multiple alleles
Define chromosome.
Mammal genome split in strands that holds genetic material and is diploid
Define Locus
Chromosome location
Define Gene
sequences in the genome that encode molecules and help the cells function
Define Allele
The different variants at a polymorphic loci
Define Mendel’s two laws.
Law of Segregation- animals ability to only pass on one set of chromosomes
Law of Independent Assortment- all loci and the alleles at the loci act independently of each other
Explain the differences between sex linked, sex influences and sex limited inheritance
Sex linked- XX and XY
Sex Influenced- Phenotype is affected by sex and genotype
Sex Limited- Milk for females or Semen for males
Names the four bases and if they are purine or pyrimidene.
Adnine and Guenine-Purines
Cytosine and Thymine- Pyrimidene
Is the double strand of a DNA helix bound in a parallel or antiparallel direction?
Antiparallel
What is the difference between an exon and an intron?
Both are transcribed
Introns are never translated into proteins
Exons are translated into proteins
What are the 3 steps during RNA processing before translation
1) Add 5’ Guanosine triphasphate cap
2) Add a 3’ poly A tail
3) Splice out introns and rebond exons
What is the function of the transcription factor?
Increase expression of a gene
Why are transcription factors necessary in cells?
Determine which genes will be expressed in each cell
What are the five forces that can change genotype frequencies in a population? Which cannot also change allele frequencies?
Mutation, Migration, Selection, Random Drift, Non Random Breeding
Explain why it is possible to completely eliminate a dominant allele from a population through selection but almost impossible to completely eliminate a recessive allele through selection?
1) You can’t differentiate between non carriers and recessive carriers
2) When the frequency of the recessive gets really low in a herd, most recessives are found in heterosous animals
Provide an example of how each of the five forces that can change genotype frequencies works in a population.
1) Mutation-Mistake in DNA replication
2) Migration-Purchase or sale of animals
3) Selection-choose animal for a trait
4) Random Drift-Small Random changes in allele frequencies
5) Non Random Breeding-crossbreeding or inbreeding
What is measured by a standard deviation?
The spread of the data but in units easier to interpet
Compare and contrast correlation of coefficients +0.89, +0.02 and -0.91.
1) Direction of correlation-positive or negative, +0.89 and +0.02 are positive, -0.91 is negative
2) Magnatude- Correlation is stronger closer to 1 and -1.
0. 02 is weak and -0.91 and 0.89 is strong
What is fitness?
Average number of offspring produced by a genotype
List a Polygenic Quantitative.
Ribeye Area
List a Qualitative Simply Inherited Trait.
Coat Color
List a Qualitative Polygenic.
Fertility
Why is selection for a simply inherited trait often easier than selection for a polygenic trait?
1) SI traits are only affected by several genes
2) Polygenic traits are more affected by the environment than SI traits
How is it possible for the true breeding value of an offspring to be greater than the average of the true breeding values of its parents?
Medallion Sampling.
Provide an example of a repeated trait. Why is it a repeated trait?
Litter size- It can be recorded more than once
What is the mathematical relationship between an animals BV and PD or TA?
PD=1/2 x BV
Write a definition of heritability.
Regression of BV on Phenotype
Why is heritability important?
Higher heritability makes genetic change faster
Name three ways you can increase trait heritability. Why would you want to increase it?
1) Treat all animals uniformly
2) Increase number of records
3) Be precise when measuring traits
Why?- Our phenotype becomes a more accurate selection tool for BV
What is contemporary grouping?
A group of animals of the same gender, age and managed the same.