Module 5: Heredity

Question 1

Heredity

Answer 1

Reproduction
Cell replication
DNA and polypeptide synthesis
Genetic variation
Inheritance patterns in a population

Question 2

How does reproduction ensure the continuity of a species?

Answer 2

Sexual and asexual methods of reproduction in a variety of organisms
- animals: advantages of external and internal fertilisation
- plants: asexual and sexual reproduction
- fungi: budding, spores
- bacteria: binary fission
- protists: binary fission, budding
Features of fertilisation, implantation and hormonal control of pregnancy and birth in mammals
Impact of scientific knowledge on the manipulation of plant and animal reproduction in agriculture

Question 3

How important is it for genetic material to be replicated exactly?

Answer 3

Processes involved in cell replication
- mitosis and meiosis
- DNA replication using the Watson and Crick DNA model, including nucleotide composition, pairing and bonding
Effect of the cell replication processes on the continuity of species

Question 4

Why is polypeptide synthesis important?

Answer 4

Forms in which DNA exists in eukaryotes and prokaryotes
Process of polypeptide synthesis
- transcription and translation
- assessing the importance of mRNA and tRNA in transcription and translation
- analysing the function and importance of polypeptide synthesis
- assessing how genes and environment affect phenotypic expression
Structure and function of proteins in living things

Question 5

How can the genetic similarities and differences within and between species be compared?

Answer 5

Predict variations in the genotype of offspring by modelling meiosis, including the crossing over of homologous chromosomes, fertilisation and mutations
Formation of new combinations of genotypes produced during meiosis
- interpreting examples of autosomal, sex-linkage, co-dominance, incomplete dominance and
multiple alleles
- constructing and interpreting information and data from pedigrees and Punnett squares
Collect, record and present data to represent frequencies of characteristics in a population, in
order to identify trends, patterns, relationships and limitations in data
- examining frequency data
- analysing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)

Question 6

Can population genetic patterns be predicted with any accuracy?

Answer 6

Use of technologies to determine inheritance patterns in a population using
- DNA sequencing and profiling
● investigate the use of data analysis from a large-scale collaborative project to identify trends,
patterns and relationships, for example: (ACSBL064, ACSBL073)
 the use of population genetics data in conservation management
 population genetics studies used to determine the inheritance of a disease or disorder
 population genetics relating to human evolution