Module 6 Mendelian Genetics

Lesson 3.6.9

Get Focused

Sometimes you can find what you are looking for by finding something else that should be in a similar location. Early stud finders worked this way. About 20 years ago, if you wanted to find a 2 × 4 stud in your wall, you may have used a floating magnet held close to the wall. The idea was the magnet would be attracted to the nails in the stud and move towards the nails when you were directly over a stud.

 

After discovering that genes occurred on chromosomes, scientists learned how to map the relative distances between these genes. This can be tremendously helpful for locating genes of interest, such as genes that cause disease. When scientists already know where to find a more common gene on the same chromosome, these “genes of interest” can be more quickly and easily located.

 

In this lesson, you will learn how genes that are found on the same chromosome tend to move together and are said to be linked. Using your understanding of crossing-over from meiosis, you will learn how this allows scientists to map the relative locations of genes on the same chromosome.

 

In this lesson, the following focusing questions will be examined:

• How does crossing-over in chromosomes relate to finding the locations of genes on chromosomes?

• What is the importance of knowing where genes are located on a chromosome?

This lesson will take approximately 80 minutes to complete.

 

Module 6: Lesson 9 Assignment

 

You will complete a lab on mapping chromosomes and participate in a discussion on the importance of gene mapping. After you have complete the lesson, you can complete the online assignment.

Bio30 3.6.9. online assignment

The other questions and activities in this lesson are not marked by the teacher; however, you should still attempt all of the work offered here. They are designed to help you review important information and build key concepts that may be applied in future lessons.

Here is a tutorial video for this lesson that you can watch if it suits your learning style.  Bio30 tut#3.6.9 Gene Mapping