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Basic Concepts of Genetics

Here are the steps to solve this problem: - The heterozygous dog contributes 1/2 dominant and 1/2 recessive alleles for each gene - For gene E, the other dog contributes only recessive alleles - For genes D and E to both be recessive in an offspring, the offspring must inherit the recessive allele for each from each parent - The probability of inheriting the recessive allele for D is 1/2 - The probability of inheriting the recessive allele for E is 1 - By the multiplication principle, the probability of both events occurring is 1/2 * 1 = 1/2 - Therefore, the fraction of offspring expected to show both recessive phenotypes is 1/2

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Nishant Upadhyay
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319 views

Basic Concepts of Genetics

Here are the steps to solve this problem: - The heterozygous dog contributes 1/2 dominant and 1/2 recessive alleles for each gene - For gene E, the other dog contributes only recessive alleles - For genes D and E to both be recessive in an offspring, the offspring must inherit the recessive allele for each from each parent - The probability of inheriting the recessive allele for D is 1/2 - The probability of inheriting the recessive allele for E is 1 - By the multiplication principle, the probability of both events occurring is 1/2 * 1 = 1/2 - Therefore, the fraction of offspring expected to show both recessive phenotypes is 1/2

Uploaded by

Nishant Upadhyay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic concepts in Genetics

By – Dr. Deepika Gupta


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Genetic Information
• Gene – basic unit of genetic
information. Genes determine the
inherited characters.

• Genome – the collection of


genetic information.

• Chromosomes – storage units of


genes.

• DNA - is a nucleic acid that


contains the genetic instructions
specifying the biological
development of all cellular forms
of life

3
Chromosome Logical Structure
• Locus – location of a gene/marker
on the chromosome.

• Allele – one variant form of a


gene/marker at a particular locus.

Locus1
Possible Alleles: A1,A2

Locus2
Possible Alleles: B1,B2,B3
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Genotypes Phenotypes
• At each locus there are 2 alleles. These
constitute the individual’s genotype at the
locus.

• The expression (visible or measurable) of a


genotype is termed a phenotype. For
example, hair color, weight, or the presence
or absence of a disease, blood type.
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Phenotype vs Genotype

• Genotype • Phenotype
The genetic makeup • Physical appearance of
Symbolized with letters the organism
Tt or TT • Expression of the trait
• Short, tall, yellow,
smooth, etc.
• Homozygous = when an organism possesses
two identical alleles. ex.
– YY or yy

• Heterozygous = when an organism possesses


different alleles. ex.
– Yy
Dominant vs. Recessive

A dominant allele is
expressed even if it is
paired with a recessive
allele.

A recessive allele is only


visible when paired with
another recessive allele.

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Probability
• The likelihood of a
particular event
occurring. Chance
• Can be expressed as a
fraction or a percent.
• Example: coin flip.
Punnett Square
• Developed by
Reginald Punnett.
• A diagram used to
show the probability
or chances of a certain
trait being passed
from one generation
to another.
Reading Punnett squares

• Gametes are placed above


and to the left of the square
• Offspring are placed in the
square.
• Capital letters (Y) represent
dominant alleles.
• Lower case letters (y)
represent recessive alleles.
MENDEL’s WORK

The garden pea plant, Pisum sativum.

Gregor Johann Mendel (1822–84).


Mendel’s Experiment
st
Mendel’s 1 Law of Segregation
In a heterozygote, dominant & recessive alleles remain together
throughout the life without mixing with each other and finally
segregate from each other during gamete formation so that each
gamete receives only one allele either dominant or recessive.

Y/y y/y Gamete


production

Gamete
all y
production y/y ½
y½

Y/y ½
Y½
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Testcross
A cross of any organism with a recessive homozygote.

Backcross
A cross of a progeny with an individual that has a
parental genotype. Hence, a testcross can often be a
backcross.
Mendel’s 2nd Law of Independent
assortment
• Different gene pairs assort independently
in gamete formation. OR
• alleles for one gene can segregate independently of
alleles for other genes.

.This “law” is true only in some cases

Gene pairs on SEPARATE CHROMOSOMES


assort independently at meiosis.

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In a self-fertilized
dihybrid

• phenotypic ratio in
F2 generation =
9:3:3:1

• genotypic ratio in
the F2 generation =
1:2:1:2:4:2:1:2:1
Some Definitions:
Heredity = The transmission of characteristics to offspring

Genetics = Study of heredity

Molecular Genetics = Study of the biochemistry of heredity

Gene = A discrete unit of hereditary information; a specific


nucleotide base sequence that encodes a characteristic (trait)

Chromosome = A length of nucleic acid that carries genes

Locus = The physical location of a gene on a chromosome

Genome = The complete set of genes for a cell &/or organism

Genotype = The genes an organism carries

Phenotype = The traits an organism exhibits


Gene Expression = The process by which genetic information flows
from genotype (DNA base sequences) to phenotype (traits)
Practice Questions
1. Two true breeding parents are crossed similar to
Mendel's P generation. A tall plant is crossed with a short
plant. What is the expected outcome for the F1
generation?
2. If the cross from #1 is continued, what would be the
expected outcome in the F2 generation?
3. If a plant that has round seeds has a parent that has
wrinkled seeds, what is its genotype? (Assume that round
is dominant.)
4. This principle states that alleles separate during gamete
formation:
5. If you crossed two heterozygous plants, how many of
the offspring will also be heterozygous?
Practice Questions
6. A plant that has purple flowers is crossed with one that
has white flowers. The offspring were half white and half
purple. What were the genotypes of the parents?
7. A dihybrid cross (AaBb x AaBb) will result in what
offspring ratio?
8. In each case where Mendel crossed true breeding plants
as parents, the offspring displayed only one of the two
traits seen in the parents. This observation supports which
principle of genetics?
9. Which of the following outcomes would you expect from
the following cross: tall, round (TTRR) x short, wrinkled (ttrr)
Practice Questions
10. In cattle, hornless (called "polled," represented by P) is
dominant over horned (p). A polled bull is bred to three
cows, A, B and C. Which cow A, which is horned, a polled
calf is produced. With cow B, also horned, a horned calf is
produced. Wich cow C, which is polled, a horned calf is
produced.
a. What are the genotypes of the four parents (cows A, B, C
and the bull)?
b. If a large number of offspring could be obtained from
each mating, what would you expect the phenotypes of the
offspring to be, and in what ratios?
Practice Questions
11. Two black female mice are crossed with a brown male.
In several litters, female #1 produced 9 black offspring and
7 browns. Female #2 produced 57 blacks.

a. What can you determine about the inheritance of black


and brown coat color from these data?
b. What are the genotypes of the parents?

12.In humans, spotted skin (S) is dominant to non-spotted


(s), and woolly hair (W) is dominant to non-woolly (w). List
the genotypes and phenotypes of children to be expected
from a marriage of a man whose genotype is Ssww and a
woman whose genotype is ssWw.
Practice Questions
13. Suppose you have a dog that you know is heterozygous
for seven different genes, which we’ll just call genes A, B, C,
D, E, F and G. You mate this dog with one that is
heterozygous for all of the genes except gene E: for this
gene, the dog is homozygous recessive. What fraction of
the offspring would you expect to show both the recessive
phenotype for gene D and the recessive phenotype for gene
E?

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