5.3 Mendelian Genetics
Modern genetics began during the mid-1800s with a monk named Gregor Mendel, who discovered the basic principles of heredity by breeding garden peas in carefully planned experiments.
To Think About:
How do conserved processes support the concept of common ancestry? Why are these processes considered fundamental for continuity of life? What is Mendel’s law of segregation? What is Mendel’s law of independent assortment? What are a monohybrid cross and a dihybrid cross? How can the laws of probability be applied to genetic crosses? What is a pedigree and how do the patterns show types of inheritance? Why do scientists use hypothesis testing? What is the purpose of a chi-square goodness-of-fit test? What steps are necessary to perform a chi-square goodness-of-fit test?
Watch: AP Daily Video One - Mendelian Genetics
Answer the Following Questions:
- The transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next through ____________ ____________ provides for the continuity of life.
- Describe how two major features of the genetic code provide evidence for common ancestry of all living organisms.
- Name a conserved metabolic process that provides evidence for common ancestry of all living organisms.
- Why can a bacteria in which the human insulin gene has been inserted produce insulin?
Watch: AP Daily Video Mendelian Genetics Video Two
Answer the Following Questions:
- What is a gene? What is a trait?
- How is an allele related to a gene?
- Define the following terms: a. Dominant b. Recessive c. Phenotype d. Genotype e. Heterozygous f. Homozygous NOTE: Mendel had no idea that chromosomes existed when he developed his laws of segregation and independent assortment in the mid-19th century. In the 20th century when chromosomes were discovered, the movement of chromosomes during meiosis supported Mendel’s laws, this shows Mendel was “ahead of his time”!
- Chromosomes carry ____________________, and homologous chromosomes carry alleles for the ______________ trait.
- During which phase(s) of meiosis do alleles segregate? (Review your notes on the phases of meiosis to help you answer this question).
- What is Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment?
- During which phase of meiosis does independent assortment occur?
- What does it mean when two genes are not linked? (keep going, more on next page!)
- What is the difference between a monohybrid and dihybrid cross?
- What is a pedigree?
- What does autosomal mean?
- How would a pedigree for an autosomal dominant trait differ from a pedigree for an autosomal recessive trait?
Watch: AP Daily Video Three - Mendelian Genetics and Chi-Square Hypothesis testing
Answer the Following Questions:
- Why do scientists use hypothesis testing?
- What is a null hypothesis?
- What is an alternative hypothesis?
- The Chi-square goodness of fit test is used to determine if there are significant differences between the ________________ outcomes and the _________________ outcomes or if those differences may be due to ____________
- How do you calculate the degrees of freedom?
- If the Chi-Square value is less than the critical value, then you …..
- If the Chi-Square value is greater than the critical value, then you……
Supplementary Resources:
- Bozeman Science: Mendelian Genetics
- Crash Course Biology: Heredity
- DNA From The Beginning: Classical Genetics Tutorials and Animations
