Mendelian Inheritance Quiz

Mendelian Inheritance

Key Principles

• Based on the work of Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk and botanist
• Describes the inheritance of traits in a predictable manner
• Focuses on the transmission of single genes from one generation to the next

Mendel's Laws

1. The Law of Segregation
   • Each pair of alleles separates during gamete formation
   • Each allele has an equal chance of being inherited
2. The Law of Independent Assortment
   • Alleles of different genes are sorted independently during gamete formation
   • The combination of alleles from different genes is random
3. The Law of Dominance
   • One allele can be dominant over another allele
   • The dominant allele will be expressed in the phenotype

Types of Inheritance

• Autosomal Dominant: A dominant allele will always be expressed if an individual has one copy of the allele
• Autosomal Recessive: A recessive allele will only be expressed if an individual has two copies of the allele
• X-Linked: Traits linked to the X chromosome, which can affect the expression of the trait

Punnett Squares

• A graphical representation of the possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring
• Used to predict the probability of different genotypes and phenotypes
• Can be used to determine the likelihood of certain traits being inherited

Genotype vs. Phenotype

• Genotype: The genetic makeup of an individual (e.g., BB, Bb, or bb)
• Phenotype: The physical expression of a trait (e.g., blue eyes or brown eyes)

Terminology

• Allele: A variant of a gene
• Homozygous: Having two copies of the same allele (e.g., BB or bb)
• Heterozygous: Having one copy of each of two different alleles (e.g., Bb)
• Genotype frequency: The proportion of individuals in a population with a specific genotype
• Phenotype frequency: The proportion of individuals in a population with a specific phenotype

Mendelian Inheritance

• Based on the work of Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk and botanist
• Describes the inheritance of traits in a predictable manner
• Focuses on the transmission of single genes from one generation to the next

Mendel's Laws

• The Law of Segregation: Each pair of alleles separates during gamete formation, and each allele has an equal chance of being inherited
• The Law of Independent Assortment: Alleles of different genes are sorted independently during gamete formation, and the combination of alleles from different genes is random
• The Law of Dominance: One allele can be dominant over another allele, and the dominant allele will be expressed in the phenotype

Types of Inheritance

• Autosomal Dominant: A dominant allele will always be expressed if an individual has one copy of the allele
• Autosomal Recessive: A recessive allele will only be expressed if an individual has two copies of the allele
• X-Linked: Traits linked to the X chromosome, which can affect the expression of the trait

Punnett Squares

• A graphical representation of the possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring
• Used to predict the probability of different genotypes and phenotypes
• Can be used to determine the likelihood of certain traits being inherited

Genotype vs. Phenotype

• Genotype: The genetic makeup of an individual (e.g., BB, Bb, or bb)
• Phenotype: The physical expression of a trait (e.g., blue eyes or brown eyes)

Terminology

• Allele: A variant of a gene
• Homozygous: Having two copies of the same allele (e.g., BB or bb)
• Heterozygous: Having one copy of each of two different alleles (e.g., Bb)
• Genotype frequency: The proportion of individuals in a population with a specific genotype
• Phenotype frequency: The proportion of individuals in a population with a specific phenotype