Module 6
1. Module 6
1.22. Page 5
Module 6—Mendelian Genetics: The Transmission of Traits to the Next Generation
Lesson Summary
During this lesson you were to consider the following focusing question:
- How do scientists track the inheritance of more than one trait at a time?
By learning Mendel’s law of independent assortment and how to build dihybrid Punnett squares, you can now follow the movement of two traits on different chromosomes at once. You have studied how the movement of alleles for one trait does not affect the movement of alleles for the other trait during the formation of gametes. You have learned to apply the principles of genetics to the study of two genes, each with their own alleles.
Lesson Glossary
Consult the glossary in the textbook for other definitions that you may need to complete your work.
dihybrid: a genotype that is heterozygous for two traits, for example AaBb; sometimes used in a general way to refer to genetics problems using two traits
law of independent assortment: during meiosis, any allele from one trait can end up in the same gamete with any allele from another trait (e.g., an individual with the DdGg genotype can produce DG, Dg, dG, or dg gametes; only applies to genes that are not linked on the same chromosome)
phenotypic ratio: a proportion expressing all the possible visible physical traits in a generation
trihybrid: a genotype that is heterozygous for three traits, for example AaBbCc; sometimes used in a general way to refer to genetics problems using three traits