For this class, what do you need to know
about genetics and DNA?
Who was Gregor Mendel and what contribution did he make to the field of
genetics?
(He started the field-- by studying seed color of pea plants).
Distinction between genotype and phenotype.
Dominant versus recessive alleles.
If you understand why blond parents can not have a brunette baby but
brunette parents can
have a blond baby—you are in good shape.
"Meiosis"- occurs in sexual reproduction, results in cells that have half
the usual number of
chromosomes.
All other human cells have 46 chromosomes.
The chromosomes are arranged in pairs.
When a cell divides forming a copy of itself it is called "mitosis."
mRNA
The only pair of chromosomes that are not “matched” are the ones that
determine gender: male have XY
and females have XX for this chromosome pair.
Some traits are linked to X or Y chromosome. When this happens, they are then
called “sex-linked traits”.
The X chromosome is bigger, carries more information.
Dominant traits linked to X
Recessive traits linked to X
Traits linked to Y (very few).
Essentially, if you can understand why are males more likely to be color blind (a recessive trait that
is linked to X
chromosome) you are in good shape.
The ordering A - T and G - C along a DNA molecule encodes genetic
information.
Mutations are errors or mistakes in gene duplication.
Be aware
that the Humam Genome Project led to some surprising discoveries.
Be
aware that the field of genetics has been changing rapidly.
Know the
term "epigenetics" and be able to name two epigentic processes.