Module 6 Mendelian Genetics

Big Picture

Has it ever been suggested that you may look like or have a similar trait of someone else in your family? You have your mother’s eyes, or your grandfather’s hairline? If all the men in the family were balding, would that worry you?

In your family, you may wonder why some look alike and some do not. Or why some have inherited certain traits or genetic conditions, and some have not. As you look around and notice the variety of traits in your family, you may wonder what determines how and why each member got their unique characteristics.

This begins the journey towards understanding the rules and steps involved in the inheritance of traits and how they are expressed. Through this journey you will consider various examples of inheritable characteristics and how they are transmitted from generation to generation.

Essential Questions

This module will explore these essential questions:

• What controls the physical appearance of organisms?

• How are traits inherited from generation to generation?

• How can the analysis of ratios and probabilities of the external appearance of traits reveal the internal workings of genetics?

• What tools can scientists use to study and predict inheritance?

• Why do some traits appear more frequently in males than in females?

• How can offspring demonstrate gene combinations never seen in their parents?

• Does inheritance of traits always happen the same way?