Reproduction and Heredity: Competency 35 (Life Science)

By: Tiffani Rath

The teacher understands reproduction and the mechanisms of heredity.
Vocabulary:
Heredity- the sum of characteristics transmitted genetically to an individual organism
Asexual- reproduction that involves only one parent where the offspring are usually
identical to the parent; common among plants and single-celled organisms
Sexual- reproduction that involves two parents where the offspring are unique
individuals; common among humans, animals, and more complex organisms
Chromatin- a mass of genetic material composed of DNA and proteins that condense to
form chromosomes during eukaryotic cell division; located in the nucleus of a cell
Alleles- alternative forms of genes, or genes with slightly different base sequences; one
is inherited from the mother and one from the father
Dominant- overwhelms other traits; usually indicated with a capital letter
Recessive- the trait that is overwhelmed and hidden; usually indicated with a lowercase
letter
Homozygous- two of the same allele
Heterozygous- two different allele
Punnett square- a table used to calculate the probability of having offspring with a
given trait
Genotype- the combination of alleles an individual inherits
Phenotype- the physical appearance associated with the genotype
Polygenic traits- traits determined by the combined effect of more than one pair of
genes
Intermediate expression/Incomplete dominance- blending in the phenotype
results in an intermediate expression of a trait in heterozygous individuals
Codominance- both traits are expressed in heterozygous individuals; their phenotype is
not intermediate between the two
Incomplete Penetrance- this effect does not normally occur unless certain
environmental factors are present
The Beginning Teacher:
A. Describes the processes by which plants and animals reproduce and explains how
heredity information is passed from one generation to the next.
B. Compares and contrasts inherited traits and learned characteristics.
C. Understands the organization of hereditary material and how an inherited trait can be
determined by one or many genes and how more than one trait can be influenced by a
single gene.
D. Distinguishes between dominant and recessive traits and predicts the probable
outcomes of genetic combinations.

E. Evaluates the influence of environmental and genetic factors on the traits of an

organism.
Reproduction:
The process of reproduction ensures that species and life will survive over time.
Without reproduction, there would be an end to life.
The two types of reproduction both involve transmitting heredity from one generation to
the next:
Asexual- involves only one parent and the offspring is almost always identical to the
parent. Common among single-celled organisms, many plants, and few animals. Occurs
faster than sexual reproduction.
Sexual- involves two parents, one of each sex, and results in a unique individual.
Common among mammals and more complex organisms. Occurs much slower than
asexual reproduction.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a self-replicating material present in nearly all living
organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic
information.
RNA (ribonucleic acid) a nucleic acid present in all living cells that acts as a messenger
carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins.
Inheritance:
Parents pass on genes and protein building instructions to their offspring. These proteins
our DNA builds are responsible for our internal and external characteristics or traits.
Gregor Mendel, an Australian monk, studied reproduction in pea plants in 1860 in order
to understand inheritance. He found out that characteristics such as flower color are
governed by the alleles of genes. One is inherited from the mother and one is inherited
from the father.
o These traits can be dominant (overwhelmingly present: AA, Aa) or
recessive (not present: aa)
EXAMPLE: Can you roll your tongue? This is a trait governed by your genes.
Two alleles of the tongue-rolling gene are present: T and t
o If you are heterozygous dominant (Tt) then you CAN!
o If you are homozygous (TT) then you CAN!
o If you are homozygous recessive (tt) then you CANT!
Use a Punnett Square to find out.

Nature vs. Nurture:

The debate over how much is governed by an organisms genes versus its environment.
Activity: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads Offspring By: Leah Clement
https://prezi.com/3by9_vuuc8la/410-punnett-squares-mr-potato-head-offspring-activity/
Videos:
https://youtu.be/jk2RJm5RBEk
https://youtu.be/tFZeyFbBLXE