PATTERNS OF

INHERITANCE
Mendelian Genetics
Learning intention
• To explore the patterns of inheritance shown in genetic crosses
Genetics

• The study of inheritance of traits and the patterns

that you see within groups of organisms
What is a genome?
• The genome is the sum total of the genes present
in a cell or organism
• Expressed as the base sequence of the haploid set
of chromosomes
• The field of study of genomes is genomics
Gene Function
• A gene is the inherited instruction carried
on a chromosome
• Most genes code for the production of
specific proteins (via transcription and
translation)
Alleles
• A gene that controls one function can exist in
different forms or variants called alleles
• One gene can have several alleles
• For example, the gene for eye colour has alleles that encode different
shades / pigments
• As alleles are alternative forms of the one gene, they possess very similar
gene sequences
• Alleles only differ from each other by one or a few bases
What controls traits?
•Traits (characteristics such as hair colour, height,
rolling your tongue, blood type, etc.) are controlled
by GENES.
•The set of genes that an organism inherits from its
parents is called the genotype. For each trait an
organism inherits two alleles, one from mum (the
maternal allele) and one from dad (the paternal
allele).
•How the trait is observed is known as the phenotype.
 Coat colour in mice
• Consider the two mice. Coat colour in mice is controlled by a single
gene. This gene has two forms (alleles) – black and brown. Letters
are used to represent the alleles for the gene. The allele for black fur
is represented by a B and the allele for brown fur is represented by b.
• For a trait the same letter is used – in this case b’s – but the B
represents the dominant allele and b represents the recessive allele.
The black allele is dominant and if it is present the mouse will be
black. A brown mouse has two bb so the brown is considered
recessive. bb
BB or Bb
Genotype
• This is the alleles that an individual has for a trait.
It is represented by two letters.
 Coat colour in mice

The trait that you see – coat colour is known as the

phenotype.
Phenotypes – how the environment can play a role
• The phenotype can be influenced by factors
other than the genotype such as the
environment.
• Himalayan Rabbits are a classic example of
this. All the cells of the rabbits have the same
genotype but the extremities of the animal
are dark as an enzyme is expressed differently
due to temperature.

• Sometimes the phenotype is written –

phenotype = genotype x environment
Complete dominance
• A genotype that has two letters the same is known as
homozygous (BB or bb) and one that has two different
letters is known as heterozygous.
Course book – p. 46 Q 1-4 – Genetics Practice Problems

• In a trait where there is only discrete phenotypes (e.g.

black or brown) and where one allele “covers up” the
effect of the other, it is known as COMPLETE
DOMINANCE. The heterozygote shows the dominant
allele.
 Punnett Squares
• These are an organised way of working out what the
possible offspring of a cross is.
• They show the probability of producing certain
genotypes and phenotypes in the offspring.

Genetics Practice Problems

P. 47-48. 53-55
 Test Cross
• The genotype of an organism
with a dominant phenotype may
be either homozygous or
heterozygous for the dominant
allele.

• To determine if the organism is

homozygous or heterozygous
we perform a test cross with a
homozygous recessive
organism
 Codominance
• Codominant traits are those that have a different pattern for

the heterozygote.

Blood typing in humans.

Fur colour in roan cows.
• These traits show co-dominance. The heterozygote shows a
different phenotype that is a combination of its parents. A
white cow (homozygous) crossed with a red bull
(homozygous) produces a ROAN (heterozygous) calf.
P. 56-57 – Blood typing
Incomplete dominance
• These traits show another pattern in the heterozygote.
The heterozygote is a blend of each homozygous
parent.
Autosomes and Sex
Chromosomes
• In humans, there are 23 pairs of
chromosomes, of which 22 are
named autosomal and have no
impact on sex determination.
One pair is named the sex
chromosome and depending on
what combination is present, it
will affect the sex of the
organism
Traits that are sex linked
• When a gene locus (a trait) is found on a X or Y
chromosome, the trait is said to be sex linked.
• Traits found on the X or Y chromosome include:
• Red – green Colour blindness
• Male pattern baldness
• Haemophilia
• Duchene Muscular Dystrophy
• P. 73 – Sex-linked
Which parent determines the gender of
offspring in humans?
• This is the most commonly accepted explanation.
Who determines the gender of offspring
in humans?

• In humans, as men have an x chromosome and a y

chromosome (females have two x chromosomes)
half their sperm have an X chromosome and half
have a Y.
All the eggs a woman produce have Xs in them –
therefore the male controls gender of offspring.