Heredity

Genetics Scientific study of heredity- study of how traits are passed on from the parents to their offspring Mendels experiment Monohybrid inheritance Inheritance involving one pair of contrasting traits Mendels first law of segregation 2 factors in each pair of separate (segregate) during gamete formations Each gamete will contain only 1 factors Chromosomes Is a rod like structure visible in the nucleus during cell division Made up of the molecule, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) Carry information for making new animal or plant bodies This information is carried in DNA Each chromosomes may carry many genes along its length Genes Unit of inheritance Small segment of DNA in a chromosome where specific genetics information is stored Each gene has specific functions Place on the chromosome where the gene is located is called the gene locus

Allele Alleles are different form of gene. They occupy the same relative positions on a pair of homologous chromosomes Each gene have different forms Different forms of genes are called the alleles Letters are used to represent them Example: Gene for height of pea plant has 2 alleles, purple and white Homologous chromosomes Exist in pairs One chromosome in the pair comes from the male parent and the other comes from the other comes from the female parent Are similar in shape and size Have exactly the same sequence of gene loci Phenotype Refers to a trait that can be seen Outward expression or visible trait of an organism

Genotype Genetic makeup of an organism Combination of genes in an organism An organism is said to be homozygous for a trait if the alleles controlling the trait are the same e.g TT or tt An organism is said to be heterozygous for a trait if the alleles controlling the trait are the different e.g Tt Dominant allele Expresses itself and gives the same phenotype in the both homozygous and heterozygous conditions Tall plants have Tt or TT genotype Recessive allele Does not express itself in the heterozygous condition. It expresses itself only in the homozygous condition Modeling genetic crosses 1. An organism that is pure bred for a trait is homozygous for that trait Mendels tall parent plants is homozygous dominant TT Dwarf plant is homozygous recessive tt 2. Meiosis separates a pair of alleles by splitting each pair of homologous chromosomes so that each gamete only receives one copy of each allele 3. The F1 generation of hybrids all have the Tt genotype 4. All the F1 generation also produce gametes by meiosis Each gamete either contain allele T or t Random fertilisation give rise to F2 generation of offspring 5. When F1 hybrids are self crossed, ratio of dominant to recessive phenotype is usually close to the expected ratio of 3:1

Co dominance Neither allele is dominant over thw other Sex determination Sex chromosomes that determine the sex of the organisms may be different in the males and females Female has the xx genotype, male have xy genotype Autosomes are chromosomes in a cell other than the sex chromosomes Cells that produce gametes by meiosis are called sex cells Other cells in the body are called somatic cells Contain 22 autosomal chromosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes Mutations Heredity depends upon this accurate gene copying or replication Error that occur during he replication of the gene or the chromosome The gene becomes modified or chromosome altered- mutation! If mutation occurs during gamete production, the resulting gene change can be inherited by the offspring Mutations can also occur in the body cells Somatic mutations Responsible for some kinds of cancer Cannot be passed on from parents to their offsprings

1. Albinism Caused by a mutation in a recessive allele Characterized by absence of pigments in the skin, hair and eyes of animals and humans An albino individual has reddish-white skin and white hair Iris does not contain any pigment Will appear red because of the because of the colour of blood vessels in it Sensitive to sunlight and skin is easily sin burnt Rate of mutation for albinism 28 per million gametes produced 2. Sickle-cell anaemia Codominance Gene controlling haemoglobin production is involved in sickle cell anaemia Mutated gene produces haemoglobin S (HbS) which is almost the same as normal haemoglobin A (HbA) except in 1 amino acid Cause a change in the 3D shape of the haemoglobin molecule HbS molecule clump together, making the cell sickle shape Mutated gene is recessive Expressive itself only in the homozygous recessive condition People who are recessive homozygous condition have abnormal haemoglobin in their red blood cell When oxygen concentration in blood decreases, RBC becomes sickle shaped

Interferes with oxygen-carrying property of the RBC and also make them fragile Fatal and die at young age