Non-Mendelian

Genetics:
Genes that don’t
obey Mendel’s
laws
 Incomplete Dominance
- This is when neither form of the gene is able
to mask the other. Instead, they
phenotypically blend together.

- An example of this is snapdragon petal color:

- R1R1 – RED
- R2R2 - WHITE
- R1R2 – PINK
In a plant species, if the B1 allele (blue flowers)
and the B2 allele (white flowers) are incompletely
dominant (B1B2 is light blue), what offspring ratio
is expected in a cross between a blue-flowered
plant and a white-flowered plant?
Using the information from the previous
question, what would be the phenotypic ratio
of the flowers produced by a cross between
two light blue flowers?
Oompas can have red (H1H1), blue (H2H2), or purple
hair (H1H2). The allele that controls this is
incompletely dominant. A purple haired Oompa
marries a blue haired Oompa. What are the
phenotypic and genotypic ratios of their offspring?
 Codominance
• Neither allele is dominant and both alleles
show up individually in the phenotype.
• Ex. Cat color
• TT– Tan
• TB – Tabby (black and tan spotted)
• BB - Black
 Cattle can be red (RR = all red hairs), white
(WW = all white hairs), or roan (RW = red &
white hairs together.
a. Predict the phenotypic ratios of offspring when
a white cow is crossed with a roan bull.
b. What should the genotypes & phenotypes for
parent cattle be if a farmer wanted only cattle
with roan fur?
 A cross between a black cat & a tan cat produces
a tabby pattern (black & tan fur together).
a. What is the phenotypic ratio of kittens if a tabby
cat is crossed with a black cat?
 Multiple Alleles
• Some traits have more than 2 forms of the
gene.
• An example of this in humans is blood
type.

ABO blood groups

– Each individual is A, B, AB, or O phenotype
– A and B alleles are dominant to O.
– A and B alleles are codominant to each other.
 Blood Types
Blood Type: Genotype
• A • AA or AO
• B • BB or BO
• AB • AB
• O • OO
If a male is homozygous for blood type B
and a female is heterozygous for blood
type A, what are the possible blood types
of the offspring?
A child is type AB. His biological mother is
also type AB. What are the possible
phenotypes of his biological father?
 Rh Surface Protein
• In addition to the “A” and “B” proteins on the surface of red
blood cells, there is another protein called “Rh”. It is called
this because it was first discovered in the blood of the
rhesus monkey.
• If a person’s red cells have the Rh protein, then they are
typed “positive”.
• If a person’s red cells lack the Rh protein, then they are
typed “negative”.
• Having the Rh protein is dominant to lacking it.
– The genotype for Rh+ is either RR or Rr.
– The genotype for Rh- is rr.
How is a person’s blood type
determined?
• When an incompatible blood type enters a
person’s body, the immune system
produces antibodies to fight the blood cells.
Antibodies bind to the A, B and/or Rh
proteins on the surface and cause the blood
to clump. This clumping is called
agglutination.
• Blood types are determined by mixing a
blood sample with antibodies to see if
clumping occurs.
 A-Anti B-Anti Rh-Anti Blood Type?

Agglutination