EXPERIMENT-7

AIM
8t udy of prepared Pedigree charts of genetic traits such as rolling of tongue, blood groups, earlobes .
peak and colour blindness. ' llitd%,
8

MATERIALS REQUIRED
Prepared Pedigree chart of the genetic traits.

1,
 (

Advantages of Pedigree Analysis:

genetics with some modification.
1. It indicates Mendel's principles are also applicable to huma n
2. It helps to find wheth er the trait is domin ant or recessive.
s about the possibility of havin g childr en
3. It helps the genetic counsellors to advice the intending couple
haemophilia, pheny lketon uria, etc.
with genetic disorders like sickle cell anaemia, colour blindness,
relate d individuals or those with a family
4. It helps in the prediction regard ing a chara cter in children if
history for such traits are marri ed.
ts are closely relate d.
5. Recessive traits are expre ssed in cases where both the paren
to the carrie r indivi dual or witho ut
6. Carriers cannot be identified unless an affected child is borne
studying the pedigree.

PROCEDURE
blood groups, earlob es, widow's peak and
1. Select a family with a monogenic trait such as rolling tongue,
colour blindness.
en, the
2- Ask persons exhibiting the trait to tell in which of his/he r paren ts, grand paren ts, grand childr
trait is present.
3· The information made available is the basis for the prepa ration of pedigree chart using appro priate
symbols.
4· The careful examination of chart suggest wheth er the gene for the chara cter is
I
(a) Autosomal linked domin ant or recessive. I
(b) X-chromosome linked domin ant or recessive. I

(c) Y-chromosome linked or not. I

EXPERIMENT 7 107
 Explanation:
[ The Rolling of Tongue ]
S ome person · U-sh
s are able to roll their tongue m ape. The inability
t 0 roll · e a11e1 'r' Thus
the tongue is caused by an autosomal recessiv e ·
both homozygous domina nt (RR) and · diV1·d als are
heterozygous (Rr) 1D u
a ble to roll the tongue . White homozygous recessiv
· e (rr) · di 'duals are
1D V1
unable to roll their tongue in this way.

rr Ar
-I Tongue roller
Non-roller
Tongue rolling trait

-III
Ar TT TT TT
1. The given pedigree chart shows that a male parent as tongue roller marrie s
a female who is not a
tongue roller.
2. The tongue roller daught er marries a non roller male and out of two childre
n one daughter is tongue
roller.
3. Following conclusions can be drawn:
(a) This rolling tongue trait is not related to sex.
(b) Male parent as tongue roller is heterozygous (Rr).
(c) Female parent is non-roller (rr).

I Blood Group
1. Blood group inheritance was first studied by Karl Landsteiner.
2. Blood group inheritance is dependent of sex of the organisms.
3. The ABO blood groups are controlled by gene 1 which have three alleles i.e.,
JA, 18 and i.
8
4. IA and 1 are completely dominant over i while JA and 18 are codominant.

-I

- II
A AB A B 0 A

ii -III
0

I I 5. The given pedigree chart shows that male parent with blood group 'A' marries
a female with blood
group 'B'. They have four children of all possible blood groups -A, B, AB and O.
6. A son with blood group AB marries to a female with blood group 'A'. They have
two children with blood
group A and B.
7. A daught er with blood group 'O' marries to a man with blood group A and get
a child with blood group
'O'.

108 BOOK OF EXPERIMENTS IN BIOLOGY-XII

 sio n can be drawn:
0J1CIU
~~ c of blood group is not related to sex.
o~o _J,Britallce heterozygous condit·100. Male JAi and femal e 1a,i .
f l !JJV ts are in (
ta r - - -- -.
p!l!e0 [ Earlobes ]
tbl
f earlobe, dom inant allelealin homozygo us dom·mant or heterozygous results in free earlobe
O • • di .d
the case attached earlobes .
!Jl Jl)ozygous recessive m VI u s have
1- \\'}lile bO
Aa aa
-I

Aa aa
6 06
Aa Aa Aa
-II I

attached earlobe
igre e ch ~ sho ws tha t_fem ale par ent with free earlobe tra it marries on
The given ped earlobe .
2· roale. They have four children of which one daughter is with free
is with attached
rries to free earlob e ma le whi ch have two children out of which one child
When she ma
3.
earlobe.
:
Following conclusions can be drawn
(a) Earlobe is not related to sex.
(b) Male parent with fused earl
obe is homozygous.
(c) Female parent with free earl
obe is heterozygous.
J Widow's Pea k
e homozygous
dis tinc t pea k as it cro sses the forehead is said to have widow's peak. Th
Ahairline that fonns ive individuals
us ind ivid uals hav e V-shap ed fron t hair line whereas homozygous recess
dominant or heterozygo
have straight hair lines.

Straight hair line

Widow's peak
Widow's peak trait

aa Aa
- I

Aa aa

- III

Aa aa Aa aa
aa

109
EXPERIMENT 7
.......___
 The given pedigree cha rt shows that a
female pare nt wi th str 111·ght hair
The y hav e four children, all with window h · l'
pea k rur me.
. lin ~
e mar ries to a Widow
Pea~
Fol low ing conclusions can be drawn: l'tla\~
(a) Widow pea k line is not rela ted to sex. ·
(b) Mal e par ent with widow pea k
hair line is heterozygous.
(c) Fem ale par ent with stra ight hair
line is homozygous.

\ Colour Blindness
Colour blin dne ss is a sex linked recessiv
. e disorder of hum ans . In this genetic dise
is una ble to diff eren tiate between red ase, the affect d .
and gree n colours. e ~~ -
\tidlla\
-I
XY x<=x

-II
xcx >rY XY xx XY

-III

-III
XY >rY XX XX XY >rY XY XX
Inheritance pattern of X-llnked recessiv
e traits
1. The give n pedigree cha rt shows tha
t a norm al pare nt male mar ries a nor mal
2. The colour blin dne ss occurs due to the par ent female but cam
presence ofa recessive sex link ed gene C, er.
3. A fem ale becomes colour blind only whe carr ied by X-chromosom
n both its X-chromosomes carr y the gen es.
4. A fem ale hav ing only one allele for e xcxc.
colour blind (XXc) app ear normal.
Fol low ing con clu sion s can be drawn:
(a) Col our blin dne ss is rela ted to
sex.
(b) The gen etic dise ase is rela ted with X-c
hromosomes and is homozygous recessiv
(c) The refo re female is eith er norm e trai t.
al (XX), carr ier (XXc) or colour blin d (Xcx
nor mal (XY ) or suff erer (XcY). c) whe reas male is either
(d) Fem ale par ent in this pedigre
e cha rt is a carrier.

OBSERVATION
The inte rrog ated families showed the
characteristic symptoms of the genetic
disorders inferred .
RESULT
The ped igre e cha rt showed the tran smi
ssio n of trai ts responsible for genetic dise
in eac h cate gor y. ase in the successive generation

PR EC AU TIO NS
1. Fam ily hist ory of at leas t 3-4 gen
erat
ions mus t be known.
2. The kno wle dge of genetic disorder
is mus t to identify the presence of a part
ana lysi s. icul ar disorder in pedigree

110 BOOK OF EXPERIMENTS IN BIOLOGY-XII