Chromosomes and Heredity

Intr oduction

• A chromosome is a structure that exists within cells and which

possesses the cell's genetic material.

• In prokaryotes (cells without a nucleus) the chromosome is simply

a circle of DNA.

• In eukaryotes (cells with a separate nucleus) chromosomes are

much more composite in structure.

• Every chromosome is made up of DNA firmly coiled a lot of times

around proteins known as histones that support its structure.

• Every chromosome has a constriction point known as the

centromere, which divides the chromosome into two parts. 2
Chromosomes
• Chromosomes are thread-like structures made up of DNA and proteins that carry
genetic information.

• They are located within the nucleus of cells and play a fundamental role in transmitting
hereditary traits from one generation to the next during cell division and reproduction.

• Humans typically have 46 chromosomes organized into 23 pairs.

• Chromosomes play a crucial role in cell division, passing on genetic material during
reproduction.

heredity
• Heredity refers to the passing on of genetic information and traits from parents
to their offspring.
• The offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic information of their parents.
• Through heredity, variations between individuals can accumulate and cause
species to evolve by natural selection.
• Two organisms must combine their chromosome to create offspring, which can
increase their chances of success in a changing world.

3
Cell, Chr omosome, DNA and Gene

4
 Basic Function of a Chromosome

• Holds genetic code as well as many of the proteins responsible for

helping express it.

• Instruct how often genes can be translated into proteins and

which genes are translated (gene expression); responsible for
creating organisms.

• Less active genes will be more tightly packed than genes

undergoing active translation.

5
 Chromosomal Determination of Sex

• Sex determination is a biological system that determines the development of sexual

characteristics in an organism.
• Sex determination in honey bees is a fascinating process involving a complex interplay
of genetics, developmental pathways, and environmental cues.
• Unlike mammals, where sex is determined by the combination of sex chromosomes (XX
for females, XY for males), honey bees exhibit a unique system called haplodiploidy.
• In honey bees (Apis mellifera), there are three types of individuals within a colony: the
queen bee, worker bees, and male bees (drones).

1.Queen Bee (Diploid Female): The queen bee develops from a fertilized egg. She receives a
diploid set of chromosomes, with half of them coming from the mother and the other half
from the father. The queen plays a crucial role in reproduction, laying both fertilized eggs
(which develop into worker bees) and unfertilized eggs (which develop into male bees).

6
2.Worker Bees (Diploid Female): Worker bees also develop from fertilized eggs and are
diploid like the queen. However, worker bees are genetically more related to their
mother (the queen) than to their father (a drone), due to a phenomenon known as
"haplodiploidy.“
3.Male Bees (Haploid Male): Male bees, called drones, develop from unfertilized eggs.
They are haploid, meaning they only have one set of chromosomes from their mother.
Drones have no father in the genetic sense; their genetic material is solely inherited
from the queen.

• The haplodiploid system in honey bees is based on the fact that fertilized
eggs develop into females (queen and workers), while unfertilized eggs develop
into males (drones).
• This unique mechanism ensures that female workers and the queen share
75% of their genetic material, which is higher relatedness than in many other
species.

7
8
 Sex-linked Traits

• A sex-linked trait is a trait that is controlled by a gene or an allele located on the sex
chromosome.

• A trait that is determined by the allele on X chromosome is particularly described as

X-linked whereas that determined by the allele on Y chromosome is said to be Y-
linked.

• Some traits would therefore be linked to the sex or gender of an individual.

• Sex-linked genes follow a criss-cross or skip-generation inheritance where male

transmits his sex-linked genes to his grandsons through his daughters, never to or
through his sons.

9
10
11
 Chromosome Theory of Inheritance

• Fundamental unifying theory of genetics which identifies chromosomes as

the carriers of genetic material.
• Sutton (1902) and Boveri (1902) independently suggested that genes are the
actual physical hereditary units located in the chromosomes in a linear order.
• Since there are two chromosomes of each kind, there must be two genes of
each kind, one in each of the homologous chromosomes.
• Thus the genes, which actually determine the traits, are carried by
chromosomes from parents to offspring.
• The chromosome theory of inheritance states that chromosomes constitute
the physical basis of the inheritance and that the genes are located in the
chromosomes.

12
 Conclusion

• Cells are the basic unit of structure and function of all living things.
• Tiny biochemical structures inside each cell called genes carry traits from one
generation to the next.
•Genes are made of a chemical called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
• Genes are strung together to form long chains of DNA in structures known as
chromosomes.
• Through heredity, living things inherit traits from their parents.

13