Genetics

Mendel’s Law
of Inheritance
General Biology 2
Objectives:
Describe the Mendelian Laws of Inheritance;
Differentiate monohybrid cross from dihybrid cross; and
Perform monohybrid and dihybrid cross using Punnett
square.
Unlocking of terms
Genetics - branch of Biology that studies hereditary
information, where it deals with the mechanisms of
heredity
Heredity – refers to the passing of characteristics
(e.g., eye color, height, texture of hair etc.) from
parents to offspring
Genetics can be divided into 3 branches
Mendelian Genetics - reviews the basic laws of
inheritance that were described by Gregor Mendel
Molecular Genetics – deals with the chemical nature of
gene, the mechanisms of transmission and its varied
applications
Population Genetics – focuses on the behavior of
particular gene in the group of organisms and how gene
frequency is affected by environmental factors
• DNA is the genetic blueprint which codes for, and
determines, the characteristics of an organism.
• DNA is packaged and organized into discrete
structures called chromosomes.
• A gene is a sequence of DNA that encodes for a
specific trait.
• The position of a gene on a particular chromosome is
called the locus (plural = loci)
• Alleles are alternative forms of a gene that code for the
different variations of a specific trait
Mendel and the garden peas
The garden pea is an ideal subject for the study of genetics
because of the following:
1. presence of observable traits with contrasting forms
2. produces many offspring in one cross
3. short life cycle
4. ease in manipulating pollination(cross-pollination)
Observable traits were the following:
flower color (P&W), seed color (Y&G), seed shape (R&W),
height (L&S), shape of seed pods (Inflated&pinched ripe),
location of flower (axial&terminal)
Monohybrid Inheritance
Pure breeding plants produce only one form of a
particular trait when they self-fertilize.
These pure breeding plants served as parental generation
in Mendel’s experiments.
Genotype - is the gene that is responsible for the
observed trait;is the genetic make up of organism,
usually denoted with letters in crossing
Phenotype - observable expressions of the trait; external
look or physical appearance of the offspring
Dominant trait vs Recessive trait
Homozygous vs Heterozygous

examples
PP - homozygous dominant/dominant
pp - homozygous recessive/recessive
Pp - heterozygous
Legacy of Mendel
Mendel’s hypothesis are now referred to as the Law of
Heredity, his generalizations are often called as
Mendelian postulates
1. Rule of Unit Factors in Pairs
- it means that the rule of unit factors states that genetic
characters are controlled by unit factors (genes) that
exist in pairs in individual organisms
2. Principle of Dominance and Recessiveness
-states that one unit factor in a pair may mask the
expression of the other
3. Law of Segregation
- it states that the two alleles of one trait segregate from
each other during gamete formation; during gamete
formation, the alleles for each gene segregate from each
other so that each gamete carries only one allele for
each gene
4. Law of Independent Assortment
- states that the alleles of different genes separate
independently from each other; the allele a gamete
receives for one gene does not influence the allele
received for another gene.
Steps in Solving Cross Problem
1. Choose a letter to represent the genes in the cross
2. Write the genotype (in symbols) of the parents
involved in the cross (P1).
3. Determine the possible gametes that the parents can
reproduce.
4. Place the gametes at the top and side of a Punnett
square.
Sample Problem:
In pea plants, having
green pod (G) is dominant
over yellow pd (g). A G g
heterozygous green pod
in a pea plant is allowed G GG Gg
to pollinate by itself. Give
the genotypes and
phenotypes of the
g Gg gg
resulting F1.
1. In dogs, wire-haired (H) is dominant to smooth-haired
(h). In a cross of a homozygous wire-haired dog with
smooth-haired dog, what will be the phenotype of the F 1
generation? What would be the genotype? What would
be the ratio of the wire-haired dogs in the F 1 generation?

2. Hornless (H) in cattle is dominant over horned (h). A

homozygous hornless bull is mated with a homozygous
horned cow. What will be the genotype and phenotype of
the first generation?
3. In tomatoes, red fruit (R) is dominant over yellow
fruit (r). A plant that is homozygous for red fruit is
crossed with a plant that has yellow fruit. What would be
the genotypes and phenotypes of the F1 generation?

4. If two of the F1 generation from the above cross were

mated, what would be the genotypes and phenotypes of
the F2?
Sample Problem:
In pea plants, having a green pod (G) and tall stem (T)
is dominant over the yellow and short stem. Cross
heterozygous green and tall with another of the same
kind. Find the genotype, genotypic ratio, phenotype and
phenotypic ratio of offspring.
Rough coat guinea pig (R) is dominant over smooth
guinea pig (r). Black coat (B) is dominant over white
coat (b). Rough coat white guinea pig is crossed with
smooth coat black guinea pig. Find the genotype,
genotypic ratio, phenotype and the phenotypic ratio of
offspring.
Incomplete Dominance
Carl Correns (1864-1933)
A German botanist who continued research and
conducted an experiment on four o’ clock flowers. This
experiment leads to the discovery of incomplete
dominance.
This form of heritance in which one allele for specific
trait is not completely dominant over the other allele.
This results in a third phenotype in which the expressed
physical trait is combination or blending of the
phenotype of the parents.
Codominance
There are three common alleles of this gene in human
population. The IA and IB is dominant over IO or i
Phenotype Possible Genotype
A I I ;I I or I i
A A A O A

B I I ;I I or I i
B B B O B

AB II
A B

O I I ; ii
O O
 Phenotype Possible Genotype
A I I ;I I or I i
A A A O A

B I I ;I I or I i
B B B O B

AB II
A B

O I I ; ii
O O

Take note that heterozygous blood type A and B can

produce offspring with blood type O. But all blood type
O parents can only produce type O children.
A woman homozygous for type B blood marries a man
who is heterozygous type A. What will be the possible
genotypes and phenotypes of their children?

A man with type O blood marries a woman

heterozygous type B blood. What will be the possible
genotypes and phenotypes of their children?

What is the probability that a couple whose blood types

are AB and O will have a type A child? Type B? Type
AB? Type O?
Mr. Kim comes from an elite family who desperately wanted
to have a boy as his first child so that his father would hand
over the family business to him instead of his other brother.
There were rumors that Mr. Kim arranged for the exchange
of the babies in the hospital to secure his heir. Mr. and Mrs.
Lee received baby #1 and Mr. and Mrs. Kim received a baby
#2. Is this rumor true? Blood typing tests on the parents and
the babies showed the following:
Mr. Lee: Type A Mr. Kim: Type AB
Mrs. Lee: Type O Mrs. Kim: Type O
Baby #1(Girl): Type A Baby #2(Boy): Type O
1. In humans, being a tongue roller (R) is dominant over
non-roller (r). A man who is a non-roller marries a woman
who is heterozygous for tongue rolling.
A.Genotype of the parents C. Genotypic ratio
B.Punnet Square D. Phenotypic ratio
2. In flying reindeer, being able to fly (F) is dominant to not
able to flying (f). Black noses (B) are dominant to red noses
(b). Rudolph’s father is heterozygous for both traits; his
mother is homozygous recessive for both traits. What is the
chance of obtaining a special reindeer like Rudolph (can fly
with a red nose)? Find genotype, GR, phenotype and PR.
3. On a recent episode of KMJS,multiple people came forward
claiming to be the parents of the victim. For the first set of parents, the
man has type AB blood, the woman has type O blood and yet the
victim has type B blood. Use the punnett square in order to determine
if these people could possibly the parents of the victim.
A. Could these be the parents of the victim?
B. In the chart below, identify the other possible options for the parents
of the victim.
Couple Blood Types
Mr and Mrs Fajardo Type O and Type O
Mr and Mrs De Guzman Type AB and Type AB
Mr and Mrs Carlos Type A and Type A
Mr and Mrs De Leon Type A and Type B
4. A man with hemophilia(h) marries a woman who
does not manifest the disorder, but a carrier of
hemophilia. What is the probability that their daughter
will have hemophilia? That their son will be
hemophiliac?
3. In humans, normal skin color (A) is dominant over albino
(a). A diabetic albino man marries a normal woman whose
mother was an albino and non-diabetic and whose father has
normal skin and diabetic. What are the genotypes of the man
and the woman? What proportion of their children would be
expected to be both non-diabetic(d) and have normal color?
Show your work, provide the genotype, GR, phenotype and
PR.
X-linked dominant
If the father is affected, all of the females will be affected,
since they inherit father’s X-chromosomes and when the
mother is affected, then there is a 50% chance that the
son or daughter is affected.
X-linked Recessive
A female parent possessing one X-linked recessive
mutation is considered a carrier. This means that they will
not manifest clinical symptoms of the disorder but will
pass this trait to the next generation. All males possessing
an X-linked recessive mutation will be affected.
Sex Linked Trait
Female
XNXN = normal
XNXn = carrier
XnXn = affected

Male
XNY = normal
XnY = affected
What is the probability of son being colorblind if a
normal(N) visioned man marries a woman who is a
carrier for color blindness?
Key: XN = Normal, Xn = color-blind

If a colorblind woman marries a man with normal color vision

and had kids, what are the chances of their sons being
colorblind? What are the chances of their daughters being
carrier? Use the following symbols to represent the genotypes
Key: XB = Normal, Xb = color-blind
Sex-limited traits
are generally autosomal, which means that they are not
found on the X or Y chromosomes, only expressed in one
gender
example: milk production in mammals, horns in male sheep
Sex-influenced traits
also autosomal, means that their genes are not carried on to
the sex chromosomes, both expressed in sexes but more
frequently in one than in the other sex
example: pattern baldness in human