Download Genetics

WHAT ARE TRAITS?
• Physical Traits
• Can be seen by others
• Eye color, hair color, height, left handed
• Acquired Traits
• Learned skills
• Playing a sport, riding a bike, playing a musical
instrument
• Behavioral Traits
• Instinctual actions
• Nest building and migration
TERMS USED IN
MODERN GENETICS
• Allele
• An allele is an alternative form of a gene that is
located at a specific position on a specific chromosome.
• A,a,B,b ….
• Genotype
• The particular alleles (genes) an individual carries
• They are inherited from your biological parents
• Genes control your traits
• Example: Aa or aa
• Phenotype
• An individual’s observable traits
• What people can SEE when they look at
you
• Example: Curly hair
REVIEW TERMS USED IN
MODERN GENETICS
• An individual with non-identical alleles of a
gene is heterozygous for that gene
• Examples: Bb, Tt, Aa
• An individual with identical alleles of a
gene is homozygous for that gene
• Examples: BB or bb, TT or tt
TERMS USED IN MODERN GENETICS
• An allele is dominant if its effect masks the
effect of a recessive allele paired with it
• Capital letters (A) signify dominant alleles;
lowercase letters (a) signify recessive alleles
• Homozygous dominant (AA)
• Homozygous recessive (aa)
• Heterozygous (Aa)
INHERITED TRAITS
RIGHT (RR, RR) OR LEFT (RR) HANDED?
FRECKLES (FF, FF) NO FRECKLES (FF)
CURLY (HH, HH) OR STRAIGHT (HH)
ACQUIRED TRAITS
RIDING A BIKE
READING
WALKING