Module 6
1. Module 6
1.44. Lesson 10
Module 6—Mendelian Genetics: The Transmission of Traits to the Next Generation
Lesson 10—Plant, Animal, and Human Genetics
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Get Focused
Family histories are very interesting to trace. Simply tracing your lineage back a few generations may reveal that your family has owned land in a faraway country, or that you are related to someone famous. While a hidden genetic disorder may not be what you are hoping to uncover, a descriptive family tree may indicate that as well.
Descriptive family trees, including information about genetic disorders, can be of great benefit to parents considering having children. Based on the disorder, and perhaps its severity, parents may or may not decide to have children. When Emily and her husband, from Unit A Module 2, decided not to have children, they realized that Emily was heterozygous for the condition because only one of her parents was affected by the autosomal, dominant gene. However, Emily and her husband decided that the 50/50 chance of their child having the debilitating disease was too great a risk.
Genetic counselors use pedigrees to inform potential parents of the probability of their children inheriting genetic diseases and of what the implications might be. A couple can then make the decision to prevent conception, terminate a pregnancy based on tests such as amniocentesis, or make lifestyle changes to prepare for the needs of their child.
By creating and analyzing pedigrees, you will be able to track the inheritance of rare genetic diseases through families.
In this lesson, the following focusing question will be examined:
- What technologies exist to help explain and predict the inheritance of traits in breeding programs or family histories?
Module 6: Lesson 10 Assignment
Your teacher-marked Module 6: Lesson 10 Assignment requires you to submit a response to the following:
- Thought Lab—Creating a Real Pedigree
Download a copy of the Module 6: Lesson 10 Assignment to your computer now. You will receive further instructions on how to complete this assignment later in the lesson.
Complete your flash cards.
You must decide what to do with the questions that are not marked by the teacher.
Remember that these questions provide you with the practice and feedback that you need to successfully complete this course. You should record the answers to all of the questions and place those answers in your course folder.
At the end of this lesson, go to the Module Assessment section, complete your choice of Module Assessments, and submit your completed Module Assessment to your teacher.