Mendel and the Gene Idea

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Questions and Answers

One reason Mendel probably chose to work with peas is because they have many varieties. Which of the following are "varieties" of peas?

  • Purple flowers (correct)
  • Smooth seeds (correct)
  • White flowers (correct)
  • Yellow seeds (correct)

What is the term for a specific characteristic that can vary in an organism, like flower color?

Character

What is the term for a specific variation of a character, like purple flowers?

Trait

Each pea flower has both ______-producing organs and an egg-bearing organ.

<p>pollen</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the mating of two true-breeding varieties called?

<p>Hybridization</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following are fundamental principles of heredity?

<p>The Law of Independent Assortment (B), The Law of Segregation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The "heritable factor" for white flowers is destroyed in the F1 generation.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The "heritable factor" for white flowers is masked by the presence of the factor for purple flowers.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a gene according to modern terminology?

<p>Heritable factor (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A gene is the same as an allele.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Alternative versions of genes account for variations in inherited characters. These alternative versions of genes are called ______.

<p>alleles</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a diploid cell, a genetic locus is represented twice.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

An organism inherits two versions of a gene, both from the same parent.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If two alleles at a locus differ, then the dominant allele determines the organism's appearance.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The two alleles for a heritable character segregate during gamete formation

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The two alleles for heritable character separate and are not present in the same gamete.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The terms "gene" and "heritable factor" refer to the same thing.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does a Punnett square predict?

<p>The allele composition of offspring (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A homozygous recessive genotype is represented with two lowercase letters.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A heterozygous genotype is represented with two different case letters.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Law of Segregation originated from experiments following only a single character.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The F1 progeny produced in crosses of true-breeding parents are dihybrids.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The second law of inheritance is based on experiments with two characters at the same time.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The testcross hypothesis suggests that two pairs of alleles segregate independently of each other.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The law of independent assortment states that each pair of alleles segregates independently during gamete formation.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Character

A heritable feature that varies among individuals, such as flower color in pea plants.

Trait

A variant of a character, such as purple or white flower color.

True-breeding

A plant that produces offspring identical to itself when self-pollinated.

Hybridization

The mating of two true-breeding varieties.

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Law of Segregation

Mendel's law stating that the two alleles for a character separate during gamete formation, ending up in different gametes.

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Alleles

Alternative versions of a gene.

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Genetic Locus

The specific location of a gene on a chromosome.

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Dominant allele

An allele whose trait is expressed in a heterozygote.

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Recessive allele

An allele whose trait is not expressed in a heterozygote.

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Homozygote

An organism with two identical alleles for a specific gene.

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Heterozygote

An organism with two different alleles for a specific gene.

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Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an organism.

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Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

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Punnett Square

A diagram used to predict the possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring from a cross.

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Law of Independent Assortment

Mendel's law stating that each pair of alleles segregates independently during gamete formation.

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Monohybrid cross

A cross between individuals heterozygous for a single character.

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Dihybrid cross

A cross between individuals heterozygous for two characters.

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Testcross

A cross between an individual with an unknown genotype and a homozygous recessive individual.

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Incomplete dominance

The situation when the phenotype of the heterozygote is intermediate between the phenotypes of the two homozygotes.

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Codominance

The situation when both alleles are expressed equally in the phenotype of the heterozygote.

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Pleiotropy

The situation when a gene has multiple phenotypic effects.

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Epistasis

The phenotypic expression of one gene altering the phenotypic expression of a second gene at a different locus.

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Polygenic inheritance

The situation when a trait is determined by the combined effects of multiple genes.

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Environmental influence

The effect of environmental factors on the phenotype expression of a genotype.

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Genetic Testing

Testing individuals for the presence of specific genes or mutations.

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Genetic Counseling

Counseling individuals about the risk of inheriting genetic disorders.

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Carrier Testing

Tests used to identify individuals who carry a recessive allele for a genetic disorder.

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Fetal Testing

Tests performed on the developing fetus to detect genetic disorders.

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Newborn Screening

Tests performed on newborns to screen for genetic disorders.

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Study Notes

Mendel and the Gene Idea

  • Mendel used pea plants to study inheritance
  • Pea plants have many varieties, for example, purple flowers and white flowers
  • Flower color is a character; purple or white is a trait
  • Pea plants typically self-fertilize
  • Short generation time and many offspring facilitated breeding experiments
  • True-breeding plants produce only offspring with the same trait as the parent
  • Hybridization is crossing two true-breeding varieties
  • Mendel's experiments led to two fundamental laws of inheritance

The Law of Segregation

  • Heritable factors (genes) for a trait are not destroyed or blended; they remain distinct
  • Recessive traits are masked by dominant traits, but not lost
  • When crossing hybrid plants, a 3:1 ratio of offspring with different traits emerged in the F2 generation (second filial generation)
  • The two alleles for a character segregate during gamete formation
  • Each gamete receives one allele for each character trait

The Law of Independent Assortment

  • Two or more genes assort independently of one another during gamete formation
  • Different traits do not affect each other in inherited traits, they are independent
  • The inheritance of one trait does not influence the inheritance of another
  • This observation resulted in the 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio

Degrees of Dominance

  • Complete dominance: Heterozygotes look identical to homozygous dominant individuals.
  • Incomplete dominance: Heterozygotes display a phenotype that is an intermediate between homozygous phenotypes ex) Pink flowers from a red and white flower cross
  • Codominance: Heterozygotes display both homozygous expressions simultaneously
  • ex) A person with blood type AB

Multiple Alleles

  • Multiple alleles for some genes exist within a population
  • Multiple alleles for a gene are alleles encoding a variation of the same gene
  • ABO blood groups is an example of a multiple allele system in humans

Epistasis

  • Epistasis occurs when one gene alters the expression of another gene
  • Ex: Coat color in Labrador retrievers is controlled by more than one gene. In these breeds, one gene determines if pigment will be made at all.
  • If no pigment is made, the coat color will be yellow, regardless of which color gene is present.

Nature and Nurture

  • Environmental factors can influence the phenotype (observable characteristic) of an organism
  • Phenotype is affected by both genetics and the environment.
  • Ex: Human height affected by diet
  • Ex: Skin color affected by sun exposure.

Polygenic Inheritance

  • Multiple genes may affect a single characteristic
  • Ex: Human skin color depends on several genes, each contributing a small amount.

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