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Objectives Chapter #16
Chapter 16 Genetics
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
■ Describe how genes work, how they are expressed, and how they are inherited. Show the
correlation between the chemical structure of a gene and its function. Discuss ways in which
the location of a gene along a chromosome can be determined. Explain how alleles (which are
variable forms of a gene) can arise and how they may be expressed.
■ Describe the basic principles of inheritance discovered by Gregor Mendel, including the
concepts of dominant and recessive traits, segregation, and independent assortment. Show
how these concepts together with the principles of mathematical probability make it possible
to predict ratios of observable traits expected in offspring. Solve simple genetics problems
using Mendel’s principles and the laws of probability. Use a Punnett square in solving genetic
problems.
■ Distinguish between the terms “homozygous” and “heterozygous.” Explain why the
phenotype (observed traits) may not reveal the genotype (actual genetic makeup) of an
individual. Describe a test cross, and discuss when such a cross would be useful.
■ Explain why predicted results are not always observed. Show how it has become necessary to
expand Mendel’s basic concepts to include the presence of multiple alleles, linked alleles,
continuous traits, and multiple genes.
■ Define the terms “polyploidy” and “hybrid vigor.” Explain the significance of these
phenomena in agriculture.
■ Define all boldface terms.
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