SB3 Genetics Flashcards
What do offsprings normally look like?
A blend of their parents.
Who developed the modern ideas about genes?
Gregor Mendel.
What do genes control?
Inherited characteristics.
What did Gregor Mendel observe?
The characteristics in pea plants from parent pea plants which were either present or absent, never blended.
What did Mendel do to observe this?
Bred pea plants together using a paintbrush to move pollen from one plant to the flower of another. he planted the seeds that formed and observed the characteristics.
Why did he place a bag over the flower of the plant and seal it?
So the moved pollen doesn’t get blown away and so the pollen of a unwanted plant didn’t get on the plant.
What do inherited ‘factors’ control?
variation of characteristics.
What are different versions of genes called?
Alleles.
Plants with two of the same factors were called?
True - Breeding.
What are Mendel’s three laws of inheritance?
- each gamete receives only one factor for a characteristic.
- the version of a factor that a gamete receives is random.
- Some alleles are more dominant and always have an effect on the offspring.
Why were Mendel’s ideas ignored?
~couldn’t be seen
~couldn’t be linked to Darwin’s theory of Evolution.
If you cross breed a white sweet pea and purple sweet pea, what will the offspring look like?
Depends on the alleles. If white is dominant then all offspring will be white, if purple is dominant then all the offspring will be purple.
What is an example of a allele?
Hair colour - brunette, blonde
Eye colour - blue, brown, green
What does dominant and recessive mean?
~dominant - stronger allele, always expressed (B)
~recessive - weaker allele, only expressed if two copies are present (b)
What does homozygous and heterozygous mean?
~Homozygous - two of the same allele (BB, bb)
~Heterozygous - different alleles (Bb)
What is phenotype and genotype?
~Phenotype - physical appearance coded for by genotype.
~Genotype - combination of alleles the individual has.
How do most animals and plants reproduce sexually?
By fertilisation of gametes.
What are the two types of sex chromosones for male and female?
Male - XY
Female - XX
How do some organisms reproduce asexually?
By producing clones that are genetically identical to the parent.
Why are carriers of diseases not affected by them?
They have a copy of the dominant, healthy allele.
What is very rare in vertebrates?
Asexual reproduction.
What is common in invertebrates?
Asexual reproduction.
Explain how the sperm cell is responsible for the determination of sex in humans?
If a y sperm fertilises the egg a male will be born but if a X sperm feritilises a egg a female will be born.
In summer, why do female aphids produce offspring asexually via mitosis?
Because conditions are favourable.
What does someone need if the lose a lot of blood?
A blood transfusion of the same blood type.
Advantages of sexual reproduction? (3)
.Combines characteristics from both parents, producing offspring that are different from each other.
.This variation is advantageous if environmental conditions change.
.Variation means some offspring will be better suited to the new conditions so will be more likely to survive and reproduce.
What happens if someone gets given the wrong blood type in a blood transfusion?
The blood cells can clump together which can be fatal.
What are the three blood types?
A,B and O.
What are the 4 blood groups?
A, AB, B or O.
What are the alleles responsible for the ABO markers?
lA, lB, lO
How many copies of alleles do humans have, and why?
Two copies so could be homozygous or heterozygous.
What allele for blood groups is recessive?
lo
If someone has the alleles lA and lB what blood group will they be and why?
AB because the alleles are equally dominant, codominance.
What is the word for alleles being equally dominant to each other?
Codominance.
Which sex chromosome is missing genes?
Y chromosome.
Are men or women more likely to develop sex - linked genetic disorders and why?
Men because they only need one X chromosome to inherit the disease whilst women need two diseased X chromosomes to inherit it, meaning they can have one healthy and one diseased chromosomes and not be affected.
Explain why colour blindness tends to be more common in males than females?
Men only have one copy of the X chromosome so if they inherit the colour blind allele, they will develop the disorder. Women would need two copies of the recessive allele to be colour blind.
Why is it an advantage to have brown eyes in a hot country?
The colour brown is a result of high concentration of melanin in the iris causing more light to be absorbed then reflected, giving them more protection from the sun?
What are mutations caused by?
A mistake in copying DNA during cell division.
Why can mistakes in copying DNA during cell division occur?
By radiation or by exposure to toxic substances.
What can mutations cause? (3)
~Cause a protein to be made incorrectly.
~Have no effect.
~Can cause major changes in how the body functions.
What is all the DNA in a living organism called?
Genome.
What is the human genome project?
Project to map the human genome.
How can information about an individual’s human genome be useful in medicine? (3)
~Identification of new genes.
~Genes analysed for mutations causing disease. - predict diseases in humans.
~To target medicines for the diseases.
What are some human genomes negatives?
~People may be put under pressure to not have children or terminate the pregnancy.
~Embryo has no choice.
~May lead to ‘designer babies’ with selection for specific fashionable characteristics. e.g. Stormi baby
~May lead to discrimination with jobs.
Explain how mutation can lead to variation in the phenotype?
A mutation can change the DNA base sequence. this causes a change in the amino acid sequence which creates a different protein and this changes the phenotype.
What is the sickle cell allele an example of?
A genetic mutation.
What are people with the sickle cell allele more likely to survive?
Malaria.