Topic
Transmission - Patterns of Inheritance
Framing Question
What are the mechanisms by which an organism’s genome is passed on to the next generation?
Learning Objectives
- Distinguish between somatic and germline cells; listing similarities and differences.
- Compare and explain the inheritance of germline and somatic mutations.
- Describe, using diagrams, the sequence of events involving DNA in meiosis from chromosome duplication through chromosome segregation. Explain how meiosis is different from mitosis.
- Describe the difference between meiosis in mammalian males and females.
- Distinguish between sister chromatids and homologous chromosomes.
- Explain how independent assortment of alleles during meiosis can lead to new combinations of alleles of unlinked genes.
- Discuss how errors in chromosome number can arise during meiosis, and why such alterations can be detrimental
- Explain how abnormalities in gene dosage can affect phenotype.
- Calculate the probability of a particular gamete being produced from an individual, assuming independent segregation.
- Calculate the probability of a particular genotype, given independent segregation and random union of gametes between two individuals.
- Contrast the mechanisms of inheritance of nuclear and organellar genetic information
Related Articles
- Homologous chromosomes? Exploring human sex chromosomes, sex determination and sex reversal using bioinformatics approaches
- Meiosis: A Play in Three Acts, Starring DNA Sequence
- Sex-specific differences in Meiosis: Real-world applications
- Why do Some People Inherit a Predisposition to Cancer? A small group activity on cancer genetics
- Why Meiosis Matters: The case of the fatherless snake
