What is the relationship between genes, DNA, and chromosomes?

Genes are portions of DNA, and chromosomes are condensed units of DNA and protein that contain many genes.

Define the terms allele, genotype, and phenotype, and give an example of each related to the PTC tasting trait discussed in the video.

An allele is a variant of a gene (e.g., T or t for PTC tasting). A genotype is the genetic makeup (e.g., TT, Tt, tt). A phenotype is the physical characteristic (e.g., PTC taster or non-taster).

Explain why two parents who can both taste PTC (have at least one T allele) could have a child who cannot taste PTC (tt genotype).

If both parents have the genotype Tt, each parent can pass on a recessive 't' allele to the child. If both parents pass on the 't' allele, the child will have the genotype tt and will not be able to taste PTC.

In the video, the Amoeba Sisters mention that the ability to taste PTC may involve more than one gene. How does this complicate the prediction of phenotypes from genotypes?

If multiple genes are involved, the inheritance pattern becomes more complex. It is harder to predict the phenotype based on a single gene's genotype because the other genes can also influence the trait.

Traits and Reproduction

Grade 6th Grade · Science · 45 min

What's Included

Learning Objective

I can describe how traits are passed from parents to offspring through reproduction.

Warm-Up Video

Amoeba Sisters · 8:07

Alleles and Genes

Guided Notes

3 key concepts

1
Genes are portions of DNA that code for a characteristic, also known as a trait.
2
Humans inherit 23 chromosomes from each parent, resulting in 23 pairs of chromosomes.
3
An allele is a variant of a gene, and the combination of two alleles determines a specific trait.

Practice Questions

8 questions · Multiple choice & Short answer

Exit Ticket

Quick comprehension check

“Explain how a child can have a trait that neither of their parents display. Use the example of tasting PTC and the terms allele, dominant, and recessive in your explanation.”

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Traits and Reproduction

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Warm-Up Video

Guided Notes

Practice Questions

Exit Ticket

Complete Lesson Package

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