GENETICS AND INHERITANCE 6.

Types of Dominance
1. Define the following terms:
Genetics: The study of heredity / study of inheritance of traits from one generation Distinguish between Complete dominance, co-dominance and incomplete
2. The diagram below shows alleles controlling skin colour dominance and give one example of each.
to another and hair shape. Complete dominance: one allele is dominant and the other is recessive,
Gene: A segment of DNA on a chromosome that contains the code for a certain
such that the effect of the recessive allele is masked by the dominant allele in
characteristic d D KEY the heterozygous condition
Allele: Two or more forms of a gene located at the same position on a chromosome B-- brown eye colour Example: eye-colour, tongue rolling, blood groups IA and IB over i
b-- blue eye colour
Dominant allele: An allele that masks or suppresses the expression of the allele D-- curly hair
Incomplete dominance: neither one of the two alleles of a gene is
partner on the chromosome pair in the phenotype b B dominant over the other, resulting in an intermediate phenotype in the
d – straight hair
Recessive allele: An allele only expressed in the phenotype when a dominant heterozygous condition
2.1 Write the genotype for an individual who is
allele is not present Example: Humans with wavy hair; pink roses bred from red and white roses
heterozygous for hair shape. Dd ✓ (1)
Genotype: The genetic composition of an organism Co- dominance: both alleles of a gene are equally dominant whereby both
2.2 Give the genotype of an individual with blue eye alleles express themselves in the phenotype in the heterozygous condition
Phenotype: The external physical appearance of an organism Colour. bb ✓ (1)
Homozygous: Two alleles for the same trait are the same Example: Roan coat cows; blood groups involving IA and IB
2.3 Explain why an individual with Dd has curly hair. (4)
Heterozygous: Two alleles for the same trait are different Individual is heterozygous ✓having two alleles D and d. D
for curly hair is dominant and masks d which is recessive✓. 6.1 Study the diagram below and answer the questions.
Monohybrid cross: A genetic cross involving one trait only
Curly hair is expressed /visible in the phenotype. ✓ 6.1.1 Identify the type of Dominance
Dihybrid cross: A genetic cross involving two different characteristics shown above. (1)
2.4 Why is an individual with genotype dd said to be White flower (W)
3.Gregor Mendel, an Austrian Monk, is regarded as the father of homozygous? (1) Red flower (R) Incomplete dominance ✓
The two alleles for hair structure are the same✓ 6.1.2 Explain your answer in
genetics for his work on garden pea plants that helped explain how R W
genes are passed from parents to offspring. QUESTION 6.1.1 (2)
Based on his experiments he formulated the following laws:
5. In rabbits the dominant allele (B) produces black fur and the A white flower crossed with a red flower
recessive allele (b) produces white fur. Study the table below yields a pink flower/an alternative
1. Mendel’s Law of Segregation states that An organism possesses two
showing the genotypes of four rabbits. phenotyp) . It indicates that neither
‘factors’ which separate or segregate so that each gamete contains only
one of these ‘factors’ Rabbit 1 2 3 4 white nor red is dominant 
2. Mendel’s Law of Dominance states: When two homozygous organisms Genotype BB Bb Bb bb 6.1.3 Complete the Punnet square:
with contrasting characteristics are crossed, all the individuals of the F1 5.1 What are the phenotypes for rabbits 2 and 4 respectively. (2) P1 genotype: R and R ✓ x W and W ✓
generation will display the dominant trait. An individual that is Gametes R R
heterozygous for a particular characteristic will have the dominant trait 2- black fur  4 - white fur 
W RW RW
as the phenotype. 5.2 State the genotypic ratio shown in the table.
3. Mendel’s principle of independent assortment states 1:2:1 (1) W RW RW
✓✓
The various ‘factors’ controlling the different characteristics are 5.2 Rabbit 2 was allowed to breed with rabbit 3. Use a genetic F1 genotype: RW ✓
separate entities, not influencing each other in any way, and sorting cross to show the possible phenotypes and genotypes of phenotype Pink ✓
themselves out independently during gamete formation. the F1 generation for fur colour. (6) 6.2 In certain marine invertebrates the colour of the shell is under the control of
P1 Phenotype Black fur X Black fur
one gene with three alleles. In different combinations, the three alleles produce
4. A Monohybrid cross is a cross between 2 individuals four phenotypes: orange, yellow, orange-yellow and black.
Genotype Bb X Bb ✓
that looks at ONE TRAIT The table below shows the results of the offspring produced from crosses involving
E.g.: Just looking at the height of a person Meiosis
Gametes B and b X B and b ✓ parents of different phenotypes.
TEMPLATE FOR A GENETIC CROSS – note the mark allocation ✓
Gametes PHENOTYPES OF SHELLS
B b CROSS
PARENTS OFFSPRING
Fertilisation B BB Bb 1 Yellow X Yellow 27 yellow:9 black
b Bb bb 2 Black X Black All Black
3 Orange X Orange 30 orange: 10 black
4 Orange X Yellow All orange-yellow
F1 Phenotype Black Black Black White 6.2.1 Name and describe the type of dominance shown by cross 4. (3)
✓ Incomplete dominance✓. Phenotypes of parents ( orange and yellow) are equally
P1 & F1 ✓ Genotype BB Bb Bb bb dominant ✓and are both expressed in the offspring 
✓ 6.2.2 Which shell colour is controlled by the recessive allele? Black (1)
Phenotypic ratio: Black:White = 3:1
6.2.3 Use the information in the table to support your answer to QUESTION 6.2.2. (2)
Genotypic ratio: 1:2:1
This was not asked, but it is
In cross 1 both parents are yellow /none of the parents are black
included in exam guidelines. But black appears in the phenotype of the offspring OR In cross 3 both parents are
orange but black appears in the phenotype of the offspring
MSED GENETICS ONE PAGER 1 OF 4 MEMO
- But black appears in the phenotype of the