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GN: Punnett Squares: Monohybrid & Dihybrid Crosses Lesson

Punnett Squares: Monohybrid & Dihybrid Crosses

Before moving on to this lesson, make sure you understand the genetic terms discussed in the previous lesson. We will be building off those terms to help us understand how to make predictions about offspring.

women playing cards with the quote "surely there is a better way to predict what your child will look like!"

Many parents wonder what their children will look like. You do not need to go to a fortune teller to find out. Using the concept of Punnett Squares and Probability, you can make predictions of the offspring.

Punnett Squares, Monohybrid, and Dihybrid Crosses

 

 

Where Did Your Eye Color Come From?

Mendel's Original Experiment

Let's revisit Mendel's original experiment now that we understand how to use Punnett squares to predict mating outcomes. Click through the interactive to refine your understanding of what Mendel saw:

Punnett Squares Challenge and Before You Go

Practice Time! Use the knowledge you learned from the lesson to complete the practice activities below.

 

Before You Go - You Need To Know

The following key points are from the explore section of the lesson. You must know the following information before moving to the next lesson. This is just a summary of the key points.

 

  1. What are Punnett Squares?
    • Punnett squares are a way to determine the probability of having offspring with a specific trait.
  2. What is the difference between monohybrid and dihybrid crosses?
    • A monohybrid cross studies the probability of one trait getting passed down to the offspring, while a dihybrid cross determines the probability of two traits getting passed down to the offspring.
  3. What is the probability of having a girl/boy?
    • There is a 50% probability of having a girl/boy each time. The sex of the previous children does not influence the probability.

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