Download Iggy Offspring - Spring Branch ISD

Name __________________________
Date ________________
Period ______
Iggy Offspring
Objective:
In this activity, you will use your knowledge of how genetic material is passed from parent to offspring.
You will work with a partner to determine which gene from each parent will be passed for 12 different
traits to its offspring. Then, you will create a picture of the offspring the parent Iggys created.
Background:
In sexually reproducing organisms, each parent gives its offspring exactly half of its genetic material.
When each parent gives half, the offspring will have a whole set of genetic material. Deoxyribonucleic
Acid, or DNA, is the genetic material passed from parent to offspring in most organisms. There are
several pieces of DNA, which are very long, and must be coiled tightly to fit inside every cell of an
organism. The coiled pieces of DNA are called chromosomes. An organism will have one chromosome for
every piece of coiled DNA.
Different organisms have different numbers of chromosomes. For example, humans have 46
chromosomes. Turkeys have 80 chromosomes and a fern plant has over 1000 chromosomes!
Chromosomes have sections called genes. Each section has the code for different traits. Since
organisms have two copies of each chromosome (one from mom and one from dad), this means the
offspring will have two copies of a gene. Note, however, that the genes may be slightly different. This
is why we have variation, or differences, in how traits are expressed. When an organism gets two
slightly different genes for the same trait, they are either blended or one may be shown and the other
hidden. If one is hidden, it is called a recessive trait. The one that is shown is called a dominant trait.
Materials:
Coin
Iggy Parent A Heredity Chart
Expressed Traits Chart
Iggy Parent B Heredity Chart
Procedure:
1. Working in pairs, determine who will flip a coin for Parent A and who will flip a coin for Parent B.
2. At the same time, each partner flips his/her coin to determine which copy of the gene for head
shape the parent will pass to the offspring. Record the result in the data table under Trait
Passed from Parent A and Trait Passed from Parent B.
3. Continue flipping a coin for each of the other eleven gene traits, recording the results in your
data table.
4. After flipping for all twelve genes, you will need to determine which trait will be expressed. If
both parents passed the same trait, then that trait is always expressed. Record that trait in
Iggy Offspring Expressed Features. If however, you have a different trait from each parent,
then the dominant trait is expressed, and the recessive trait is hidden. Below is a chart showing
the dominant and recessive Iggy traits:
Possible Iggy Traits
Dominant Traits Flat Head, Pointed Ears, Curly Antennae, Black Eyes, Regular Eyes, Large Nose,
Tall Body, Short Legs, Two Fang Teeth, Long Arms, Long Feet, Wide Mouth
Recessive Traits Tall Head, Round Ears, Straight Antennae, White Eyes, Stalk Eyes, Small Nose,
Short Body, Long Legs, No Fang Teeth, Short Arms, Short Feet, Narrow Mouth
5. Write only the trait that will be expressed for Iggy Offspring Features.
6. Bonus: Create and color your Iggy! Include a chart showing the traits your Iggy inherited.
Analysis:
1. What type of trait is expressed when an organism has two dominant genes?
2. What type of trait is expressed when an organism has two recessive genes?
3. What is type of trait is expressed when an organism has one dominant gene and one recessive gene?
4. Explain the difference between dominant traits and recessive traits.
Conclusion: Write a paragraph: If you were to look at the Iggys made in other classes, what type traits
would you expect to see is most of the Iggys? Give examples. What types of traits would you expect to
see in only a few Iggys? Using what you learned during the lab, explain how you decided which traits
would be common and which traits would be uncommon.
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Features
Trait Passed
from Parent A
Trait Passed
from Parent B
Iggy Offspring
Expressed Features
Trait Passed
from Parent A
Trait Passed
from Parent B
Iggy Offspring
Expressed Features
Head Shape
Ear Shape
Antennae Shape
Eye Color
Type of Eyes
Nose Size
Body Height
Leg Length
Teeth
Arm Length
Feet Length
Mouth Shape
Features
Head Shape
Ear Shape
Antennae Shape
Eye Color
Type of Eyes
Nose Size
Body Height
Leg Length
Teeth
Arm Length
Feet Length
Mouth Shape
Iggy Parent A Heredity Chart
Features
#1 Copy of Gene (Heads)
#2 Copy of Gene (Tails)
Head Shape
Tall Head
Flat Head
Ear Shape
Round Ears
Round Ears
Antennae Shape
Straight Antennae
Curly Antennae
Eye Color
Black
White
Type of Eyes
Stalk Eyes
Regular Eyes
Nose Size
Large Nose
Small Nose
Body Height
Tall Body
Short Body
Leg Length
Short Legs
Long Legs
Teeth
2 Fang Teeth
No Fang Teeth
Arm Length
Short Arms
Short Arms
Feet Length
Long Feet
Short Feet
Mouth Shape
Wide Mouth
Wide Mouth
Iggy Parent B Heredity Chart
Features
#1 Copy of Gene (Heads)
#2 Copy of Gene (Tails)
Head Shape
Flat Head
Flat Head
Ear Shape
Pointed Ears
Round Ears
Antennae Shape
Straight Antennae
Straight Antennae
Eye Color
White
White
Type of Eyes
Regular Eyes
Regular Eyes
Nose Size
Large Nose
Small Nose
Body Height
Short Body
Short Body
Leg Length
Short Legs
Long Legs
Teeth
2 Fang Teeth
No Fang Teeth
Arm Length
Short Arms
Long Arms
Feet Length
Long Feet
Short Feet
Mouth Shape
Wide Mouth
Narrow Mouth