Heredity Flashcards
Gregor Mendel
● Father of modern genetics
● His theory of genetics is one of particulate inheritance
Particulate inheritance
● Inherited characteristics are carried by discrete unis that Mendel called elements
- These elements eventually became known as genes
Probability
● THe likelihood htat a particular event will happen
● If an event is an absolute certainty, its probability is 1
● If an event cannot happen, its probability is 0
● Probability cannot predict whether a particular event will actually occur
Law of dominance
● States that when two organisms,each homozygous (pure) for two opposing traits are crossed, the offspring will be hybrid but will exhibit only the dominant trait
Hybrid
Carry two differnet alleles
Dominant trait
The trait that is exhibit in the offspring
Recessive trait
THe trait that remains hidden in the offsprin
Law of segregation
● States that during the formation of gametes, the two traits carried by each parent separate
Monohybrid cross
● A cross between two organisms that are each hybrid fro one trait
● The phenotype ratio from this cross is 3 tall to 1 dwarf plant
● The gentotype ratio is 1 to 2 to 1, given as percentages: 25% homozygous dominant, 50% heterozygous, 25% homozygous recessive
Phenotype
Physical characteristics of a gene
Genotype
Genetic code that scientists assign to a given gene
Testcross / backcross
● A way to determine the genotype of an individual plant or animal showing only the dominant trait
● Involves a cross between real organisms
Law of independnet assortment
● Applies to dihybrid cross
● States that during gamete formation, the alleles of a gene for one trait, such as height (Tt), segregate independently from the allels of a gene for another trait such as seed colour (Yy)
Dihybrid cross
● when a cross is carried out between two individuals hybrid for two or more traits htat are not on the same chromosome
● Phenotype ratio is 9:3:3:1
Linked genes
● When two traits are linked, the genes will not assort independently
● Genes on the same chromosome
● Linked genes tend to be inherited together and do not assort independently unless they are separated by a cross-over event
Incomplete dominance
● Characterized by blending
● Ex) A black animal (BB) with a white (WW) animal roduces all grey (BW) animals
Codominance
● Both traits show in hybrid genes
Multiple alleles
● When there are more than two allelic forms of a gene
● In humans there are four different blood types: A, B, AB, and O
Pleiotropy
● Ability of one single gene to affect an organism in several or many ways
● Ex) Autosomal recessive disease cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
● Characterized by an abnormal thickening of mucus that coats certain cells
● Instead of protecting the body, thick mucus builds up in the pancreas, lungs, digestive tract, and other organs leading to multiple, pleiotropic effects, including poor absorption of nutrients in the intestine and chronic bronchitis
● Autosomal recessive disease
Epistasis
● Two separate genes control one trait, but one gene masks hte expression of the other gene
● The gene that masks hte expression of hte other gene is epistatic to the gene it masks
● Ex) Coat colour in mice is controled by two genes. If the dominant allele for one of the gene is absent, even if the other gene is present, the coat is colourless (albino)–we say the first gene is epistatic to the second gene
Polygenic inheritance
● Result from a blending of several separate genes that vary along a continuum
● Characteristics such as skin colour, hair colour, and height
● Two parents who are short carry more genes for shortness than for tallness
- However, they can have a child who inherits mostly genes for tallness from both parents and who will be taller than the parents