(HER) Heredity Module Overview

Heredity Module Overview

What do pugs, shih tzus, Welsh corgis, Pekingese, bulldogs, beagles and Scottish terriers have in common?   If you said they are adorable, then you may be right, but characteristically, they are short-legged dogs. These different breeds of dogs were born with a type of dwarfism which results in legs that are disproportionately short for their bodies. Short legs versus long legs in dogs are an inheritable trait. In this module you will study the roles that genes and chromosomes play in the passing down of traits from one offspring to another.

 

Essential Questions

  • How do genes pass traits from parents to offspring?
  • How can I predict what traits will be passed from one generation to another?
  • What role do chromosomes play in inheritance?
  • What is heredity?
  • How are the genes of our previous generations apparent today?
  • What was Gregor Mendel's contribution to the study of genetics?
  • What roles do DNA, genes, and chromosomes play in the study of heredity?

 

Key Terms

  1. Heredity - The passing of traits from parents to their offspring.
  2. Genetics - The study of heredity.
  3. Allele - An alternative form of a gene.
  4. Punnett Square - A diagram used to predict the outcome of a genetic cross.
  5. Gene - A segment of DNA that controls a trait.
  6. Dominant Allele - The allele that is expressed in an organism.
  7. Recessive Allele - The allele that is hidden by the dominant gene or not expressed.
  8. Genotype - An organism's combination of genes for a trait.
  9. Phenotype - An organism's physical appearance or characteristics as a result of its combination of genes.
  10. Law of Independent assortment - The pairs of genes separately independently of one another.
  11. Law of Segregation - The pair of alleles for a trait will separate when gametes are formed; so that each gamete will have a random allele.
  12. Homozygous - An individual that has two alleles that are the same for a particular trait.
  13. Heterozygous - An individual that has two alleles that are different for a particular trait.

 

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