PATTERNS OF INHERITANCE

GENETICS
• The scientific study of genes, heredity, and the variation of traits in living organisms.
• Deals with the mechanisms of transmission of genes from parents to offspring.

• Dependent on :
- the behavior of chromosomes during the formation of sex cells (how
traits are passed & why offspring vary)
- the way in which sex cells are brought together in fertilization (how
genes are inherited from parents)
Gregor Mendel
• Austrian biologist and monk
• Discovered the basic rules of the
transmission of inherited traits
• First to work on Principles of Inheritance
using garden peas
• Bred garden peas Pisum sativum from 1858-
1866 using different traits (seed shape,
flower color, plant height, etc)
• Analyzed the offspring of different crosses
(cross pollination)
• Father of Genetics
 Genetic Symbols
Allele
✓One of the variant forms of a gene

✓Occupy a specific position (locus) on a chromosome

✓Genes that code for alternate expressions of a trait

✓Alleles are responsible for genetic diversity within a population

Ex. Genes responsible for eye color has multiple alleles (brown, blue, green)
Blood type has multiple alleles (A,B,O)
Dominant allele – represented by uppercase letter (e.g. T for tall)
Recessive allele- represented by lowercase letter (e.g. t for short)
* Any letter can be used for a certain trait
Heterozygous- two different alleles ( e.g. Aa)
Homozygous- two identical alleles (e.g. AA or aa)
Homologous chromosomes (pair)- contain genes that code for the same traits

Diploid- organisms with 2 sets of chromosomes (2n), 46 chromosomes (humans)

Haploid- organism that has a single set of unpaired chromosomes (n), 23 chromosomes
 MENDELIAN LAWS OF INHERITANCE
A) Law of Segregation
“Each organism carries two alleles for a trait, but only one allele is passed on to each
gamete. During fertilization, offspring inherit one allele from each parent.”
B B
B BB BB
b Bb Bb
A sample Punnett square

Example: Eye color trait

B- brown eyed allele b- blue eyed allele
Sample Problem 1:
• Suppose you have two heterozygous (Bb) parents, where "B"
represents the dominant allele for brown hair color, and "b"
represents the recessive allele for blond hair color. What is the
expected ratio (genotypic and phenotypic) of their offspring's hair
colors?
 • F1 Parents
B b
Genotypically:
B
Bb- 1 dominant, 1 recessive
b
Phenotypically:
Both parents are brown-haired
because a recessive trait is masked
when a dominant allele is present
Offspring • 1 out of 4 or 25% of the offspring will have the BB
genotype, resulting in brown hair.

B b • 2 out of 4 or 50% of the offspring will have the Bb

genotype, also resulting in brown hair.
B BB Bb
b Bb bb • 1 out of 4 or 25% of the offspring will have the bb
genotype, resulting in blond hair.

• So, the expected Genotypic ratio of the offspring's

hair color is 1 BB: 2 Bb: 1bb

• The Phenotypic ratio of the offspring’s hair color is

3 Brown-haired: 1 blond-haired
Sample Problem 2:
• Suppose a man with blood type A (genotype AA) has children
with a woman with blood type O (genotype OO). Use a Punnett
square to determine the possible blood types of their offspring.
Note: Blood type A is dominant over type O
 • Genotype of Offspring: AO (blood type A)
• So, the possible blood types or the Phenotype
O O of their offspring will all be blood type A even
though one parent has blood type A and the
A AO AO other has blood type O.
A AO AO • This is because the A allele is dominant, and
individuals with at least one A allele will express
the blood type A phenotype.
 MENDELIAN LAWS OF INHERITANCE
B) Law of Independent Assortment
” Alleles for different traits separate independently of each other during gamete
formation, so the inheritance of one trait does not influence the inheritance of
another.”

❖ A dihybrid cross is used to explain this law

❖ Uses two traits

Ex. Brown-eyed, tall male is crossed with a blue-eyed short female

❖ To solve for the resulting genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring, the Punnett
Square is used
BB = brown-eyed
bb = blue-eyed
TT = tall
F1 (First Filial Father Mother
tt = short
Generation
Phenotype of Parent Brown-eyed, Blue-eyed, short
tall
Genotype of Parent BBTT bbtt
BBTT x bbtt

Gametes for blue-eyed, short

bt bt bt bt
BT BbTt BbTt BbTt BbTt
Gametes for BT BbTt BbTt BbTt BbTt
Brown-
BT BbTt BbTt BbTt BbTt
eyed, tall
BT BbTt BbTt BbTt BbTt

Genotype of offspring: 100% BbTt

Phenotype of offspring: 100% Brown-eyed, tall
 MENDELIAN LAWS OF INHERITANCE
C) Law of Complete Dominance
“When two different alleles are present in an organism, one (the dominant allele)
masks the expression of the other (the recessive allele).

Parental Genotype: CC x cc
c c
C = curly hair; c = straight hair
Kind of Genes C Cc Cc
Genotype of offspring: curly; curly;curly;curly C Cc Cc
Ratio of genotype of offspring: 100% Cc
Ratio of phenotype of offspring: 100% curly
 NON-MENDELIAN LAWS OF INHERITANCE
• Non-Mendelian Laws refer to hereditary patterns that are not in accordance with
Mendel’s principles
• or those that are not attributable to single autosomal genes

Autosomal genes - the gene in question is located on one of the numbered, or

non-sex, chromosomes
Ex. Genes in Chromosomes 1 to 22 (humans)
22- autosomes
1- sex chromosomes
 Non-Mendelian Laws of Inheritance
A) Law of Incomplete Dominance
“When two different alleles are present in a heterozygote, neither allele is completely
dominant. The phenotype is an intermediate or blended form between the two
parental traits.
Parental Genotype: RR x rr
RR = red; rr = white petals of a Snapdragon flower
R R
Kinds of Genes
r Rr Rr
Genotype of offspring: Rr, Rr, Rr, Rr
r Rr Rr
Phenotype of offspring: pink, pink, pink, pink
Ratio of genotype of offspring: 100% Rr The phenotype that is expressed is the
intermediate trait (pink petals)
Ratio of phenotype of offspring: 100% pink
 Non-Mendelian Laws of Inheritance
B) Law of Co-Dominance
“When two different alleles for a trait are present in a heterozygote, both alleles
are expressed equally and simultaneously, without blending, so the offspring shows
both traits distinctly.
Parental Genotype: RR x WW
RR =red coat; WW = white color coat of cattle
R R
Kinds of Genes
W RW RW
Genotype of offspring: RW; RW; RW; RW
W RW RW
Phenotype of offspring: roan; roan; roan; roan
Ratio of genotype of offspring: 100% Rr
Ratio of phenotype of offspring: 100% Roan-colored
 ASSIGNMENT
1. In corn plants, the allele for purple kernels (P) is dominant over yellow
kernels (p), and the allele for smooth kernels (S) is dominant over wrinkled
kernels (s). A corn plant that is heterozygous for both traits (PpSs) is crossed
with another plant that is also heterozygous for both traits (PpSs). (Law of
Independent Assortment)
a. What are the possible genotypes of the offspring?
b. What is the expected phenotypic ratio of the offspring?
2. In guinea pigs, black fur (B) is completely dominant over brown fur (b). If
two heterozygous black-furred guinea pigs (Bb) are crossed,
a. What are the possible genotypes and phenotypes of their offspring?
b. What are the expected genotypic and phenotypic ratios?
Due on Wed (Stub 946) Thu (Stub 944), 1 whole Yellow pad
End of Lecture