Download Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives
After reading Chapter 4, the student should be able to:
1. Discuss the basic principles of Mendelian inheritance; including the concepts of dominant, recessive,
and codominant alleles, and the principles of segregation and independent assortment.
2. List some of the common Mendelian characteristics known in humans and indicate their mode of
inheritance (i.e. autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, x-linked).
3. Contrast the patterns of inheritance for autosomal dominant and recessive traits, and sex-linked traits.
4. Describe the differences between Mendelian and polygenic modes of inheritance and list some
polygenic traits.
5. Understand the mechanisms that produce genetic variation in populations and explain the processes
by which selection and other evolutionary forces (mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow) alter the
allele frequencies of populations.
6. Describe how altered forms of hemoglobin are maintained in some human populations by natural
selection acting on mutations that increase the reproductive success of certain genotypes.
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