HEREDITY

STANDARD: - X
BIOLOGY

1. What is heredity?
The transmission of characters from parents to their offsprings is called heredity.
2. Where is hereditary information present?
Hereditary information is present in the sex cells or gametes of the parents. Thus, gametes
constitute the link between one generation and the next and pass on the paternal and maternal
characters to the offspring.
3. What is meant by variation?
The differences in the characters (or traits) among the individuals of a species is called variation.
For example, human height is a trait that shows variation. This is because some people are very
tall, some are less tall, some have medium height and some have short height whereas others are
very short.
4. What is the significance of variation?
The great advantage of variation to a species is that it increases the chances of its survival in a
changing environment.
5. “The significance of variations shows up only if it continues to be inherited by offspring for
several generations”. Comment on the statement.
The statement can be explained by following example: -
Suppose a bacterium produces two bacteria by asexual reproduction. Again suppose that one of
the offspring bacterium has a variation due to which it can tolerate a little higher temperature than
the other one. Now this variation of little more heat resistance will go on accumulating in the
offsprings of successive generations of this bacterium. And this will ultimately give rise to a
variant of bacteria which will be highly heat resistant and able to survive even at very high
temperatures.
In this way accumulation of heat resistant variation in some bacteria will ensure their survival
even when the temperature in environment rises too much due to heat or some other reasons. On
the other hand, the bacteria which did not have this variation to withstand heat would not survive
under these circumstances and die.
6. What is chromosome?
Chromosome is a thread like structure in the nucleus of a cell formed of DNA which carries the
genes.
7. What is a gene?
A gene is a unit of DNA on a chromosome which governs synthesis of one protein that controls a
specific characteristic (or trait) of an organism.
Genes are responsible for transferring traits from parents to their offsprings.
8. What is a dominant gene?
The gene which decides the appearance of an organism even in presence of an alternative gene is
called a dominant gene. In pea plants, dominant gene for tallness is ‘T’.
9. What is a recessive gene?
The gene which decides the appearance of an organism only in the presence of another identical
gene is called recessive gene. In pea plants, recessive gene for dwarfness is ‘t’.
10. What is genotype?
Genotype is the description of genes present in an organism. It is always a pair of letters such as
‘TT’, Tt, or ‘tt’.
11. What is phenotype?
The characteristic which is visible in an organism is called its phenotype. It is actually the
physical characteristic which is determined by its genotype. For example, genotype TT or Tt
results in a tall phenotype and the genotype tt results in a dwarf phenotype.

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12. What is F1 generation or first filial generation?
When two parents cross or breed to produce progeny (or offsprings), then their progeny is called
first filial generation or F1 generation.
13. What is F2 generation or second filial generation?
When the first generation progeny cross or breed among themselves to produce second generation
progeny, then this progeny is called second filial generation or F2 generation.
14. Name the first scientist to make a systematic study of patterns of inheritance which involved
the transfer of characteristics from parents to progeny.
Gregor Mendel.
15. Why did Gregor Mendel chose pea plants for studying inheritance?
Gregor Mendel chose pea plants for studying inheritance because
• Pea plants had a number of clear cut differences which were easy to tell apart. For example,
some pea plants were tall whereas others were dwarf. Some pea plants produced round-
yellow seeds whereas others produced wrinkled-green seeds.
• Another reason for choosing pea plants was that they were self-pollinating which enabled
them to produce next generation of plants easily.
• Many generations of pea plants can be produced in a comparatively short time span and their
study is much simpler than that of animals.
16. What is meant by monohybrid inheritance and law of segregation?
In monohybrid inheritance, inheritance of one pair of contrasting characteristics ‘tallness’ and
‘dwarfness’ of the pea plants is studied.
According to Mendel’s first law of inheritance, that is law of segregation the characteristics of an
organism are determined by internal factors which occurs in pairs. Only one of the pair of such
factors can be present in a single gamete.

In F1 generation shown above, all the progeny plants have factors Tt in which T is the factor for
tallness which is a dominant trait. Since all the plants in the F1 generation have factors Tt, so all of
them are tall. The small letter ‘t’ represents the recessive trait of dwarfness which doesn’t show
up in first generation in the presence of dominant trait T.

Now tall pea plants produced in the first generation are cross-bred with each other, they will
produce second generation F2 pea plants. That is shown on next page.

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 We can see from the above chart that in the F2 generation, the pea plants produced have genotype
or inheritance factors TT, Tt, Tt, and tt. Now plants having genotype TT, Tt and Tt all contain
factor ‘T’ for dominant trait ‘Tallness’, so all three plants (TT, Tt and Tt) are tall. The plant
containing genotype tt has both factors ‘t’ for the recessive trait ‘dwarfness’, therefore tt is a
dwarf plant.
In F2 generation we get 1 plant having genotype TT, 2 plants having genotype Tt and only one
plant having genotype tt. Therefore Genotype ratio in monohybrid cross is 1:2:1
Again in F2 generation we get 3 tall plants and 1 dwarf plants. Therefore phenotype ratio in
monohybrid cross is 3:1.
17. What is meant by dihybrid inheritance? Explain Mendel’s law of independent assortment.
Dihybrid inheritance involves the inheritance of two pairs of contrasting characteristics at the
same time. The two pairs of contrasting characteristics chosen by Mendel were shape and colour
of seeds: round yellow seeds and wrinkled green seeds.
According to Mendel’s law of independent assortment, in the inheritance of more than one pair of
traits in a cross simultaneously, the factors responsible for each pair of traits are distributed
independently to the gametes.

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 Therefore F2 ratio is: -
Round-yellow = 9
Round-green = 3
Wrinkled-yellow = 3
Wrinkled-green = 1
Hence the phenotype ratio is 9:3:3:1
18.
(i) What do the progeny of a tall plant with round seeds and a short plant with
wrinkled seeds look like? Why?
(ii) What happens when the F1 progeny obtained above are used to produce F 2 progeny
by self pollination?
(i) The progeny of a tall plant having round seeds crossed with short plants having
wrinkled seeds are all tall plants having round seeds. This is because ‘tallness’
and ‘round shape’ of seeds are dominant traits. On the other hand ‘shortness’ and
‘wrinkled shape’ of seeds are recessive traits.
(ii) When F1 progeny are cross bred by self-pollination, then we will get four types of
progeny in the generation. Of these four types of progeny, two types will have
traits like parents and other two will have new combination of traits. Thus,

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 a) Some F2 progeny will be tall plants with round seeds (9).
b) Some F2 progeny will be tall plants with wrinkled seeds (3).
c) Some F2 progeny will be short plants with round seeds (3).
d) Some F2 progeny will be short plants with wrinkled seeds (1).
19. How are characteristics transmitted to progeny?
Characteristics are transmitted through genes present on the chromosomes during the process of
sexual reproduction. Genes works in pairs. There is a pair of genes for each characteristic of an
organism (one is dominant gene and other is recessive gene). Each parent possesses a pair of
genes for each characteristic on a pair of chromosomes. However, each parent passes only one of
the two genes of the pair for each characteristic to its progeny through gametes. Thus the male
gamete and female gamete carry one gene for each characteristic from the gene pairs of parents.
20. How do genes control the characteristics?
A gene is the section of DNA on a chromosome which codes for the formation of a protein
controlling a specific characteristic of the organism. Suppose a plant progeny has gene for the
characteristic called ‘tallness’. Now the gene for tallness will give instructions to the plant cells to
make a lot of plant growth hormone. Due to this, a lot of growth hormone starts forming and
plants grow tall. On the other hand, if the plant has the gene set for dwarfness then less growth
hormone will be produced due to which the plant will grow less, remain short and hence become
a dwarf plant.
21. What are different types of blood group? How are blood groups inherited?
A person has four blood groups: - A, B, AB or O. This blood group system is controlled by a
gene which has three different forms denoted by symbols IA, IB and IO. Genes IA and IB show no
dominance over each other and that is why they are codominant. However genes IA and IB are
dominant over IO. In other words IO is recessive in relation to genes IA and IB.
Although there are three gene forms for blood, but any one person can have only two of them. So
blood group depends on the two form of gene an individual possesses.
(i) If the genotype is IAIA, then the blood group of the person is A. And if the genotype is
IAIO, even then the blood group is A.
(ii) If the genotype is IBIB, then the blood group is B. And if the genotype is IBIO, then even
the blood group is B.
(iii) If the genotype is IAIB, then the blood group is AB.
(iv) If the genotype is IOIO, then the blood group of the person is O.
22. A man having blood group A marries a woman having blood group O and they have a
child. What will be the blood group of their child?
(i) When blood group A has genotype IAIA and it combines with blood group O that has
genotype IOIO then child will have blood group A because gene IA shows dominance over
IO.

(ii) When blood group A has genotype IAIO and it combines with blood group O that has
genotype IOIO then there is an equal chance that genotype of child’s blood can be either
IAIO or IOIO. Child may have blood group A or O.

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23. A man having blood group B marries a woman having blood group O and they have a child.
What will be the blood group of their child?
(i) When blood group B has genotype IBIB and it combines with blood group O that has
genotype IOIO then child will have blood group B because gene IB shows dominance over
IO.

(ii) When blood group B has genotype IBIO and it combines with blood group O that has
genotype IOIO then there is an equal chance that genotype of child’s blood can be either
IBIO or IOIO. So child may have blood group B or O.

24. What are acquired and inherited traits? Explain with help of an example.
Acquired Traits
• A trait or characteristic of an organism that is not inherited but develops in response to the
environment is called an acquired trait. For example, if beetle doesn’t get sufficient food for a
considerable period of time, its weight will be reduced due to starvation. The low weight of
this beetle is hence an acquired trait.
• Acquired traits of an organism cannot be passed to their future generations.
Inherited Traits
• A trait of an organism that is caused by change in its genes or DNA is called an inherited
trait. For example, let us consider there is a population of red beetles in the green bushes.

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 Again suppose that a colour variation arises during reproduction so that there is one beetle
which is green in colour instead of red. This change of green colour in the beetle has been
brought about by a change in the genes or DNA of the reproductive cells. The green colour of
this beetle is an example of inherited trait.
• Inherited trait can be easily passed on to the future generations.
25. Why acquired traits cannot be passed on to the future generations?
Acquired traits cannot be passed on to the future generations because for the trait of an organism
to be passed on, it must have been caused by a change in the genes or DNA present in the
reproductive cells of the organism. Reduction in weight of beetle is a trait which has not been
caused by changes in the reproductive cells of the organism and hence this trait cannot be
inherited.
26. Why inherited traits can easily be passed on to future generations?
Inherited trait can easily be passed on to future generations because these traits are caused by a
change in the reproductive cells of the organism.