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Biology - Genetics

Grade 10ICSE

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

Genetics is the study of heredity and variation. Heredity involves the transmission of characters from parents to offspring via DNADNA.

A Gene is the basic unit of heredity located at a specific locus on a ChromosomeChromosome.

Alleles are alternative forms of a gene (e.g., TT for tallness and tt for dwarfness). A dominant allele masks the expression of a recessive allele in a heterozygous state.

Homozygous refers to having identical alleles (TTTT or tttt), while Heterozygous refers to having different alleles (TtTt).

Phenotype is the observable physical characteristic (e.g., tall), while Genotype is the genetic makeup (e.g., TtTt).

Mendel's Law of Dominance: In a cross between a pair of contrasting characters, only one (dominant) is expressed in the F1F_1 generation.

Mendel's Law of Segregation: During gamete formation, the two alleles of a pair separate so that each gamete receives only one allele.

Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment: Distribution of alleles of one character into gametes is independent of the distribution of alleles of another character.

Sex Determination in humans: Males have XYXY sex chromosomes (heterogametic) and females have XXXX sex chromosomes (homogametic). The sex of a child is determined by the sperm: 22+X22 + X or 22+Y22 + Y.

Mutation is a sudden change in the sequence of DNADNA or the structure/number of chromosomes.

📐Formulae

Monohybrid Phenotypic Ratio (F2)=3:1\text{Monohybrid Phenotypic Ratio } (F_2) = 3 : 1

Monohybrid Genotypic Ratio (F2)=1:2:1\text{Monohybrid Genotypic Ratio } (F_2) = 1 : 2 : 1

Dihybrid Phenotypic Ratio (F2)=9:3:3:1\text{Dihybrid Phenotypic Ratio } (F_2) = 9 : 3 : 3 : 1

Diploid number (2n)=46 in humans\text{Diploid number } (2n) = 46 \text{ in humans}

Haploid number (n)=23 in humans\text{Haploid number } (n) = 23 \text{ in humans}

P(Male offspring)=12P(\text{Male offspring}) = \frac{1}{2}

💡Examples

Problem 1:

A pure tall pea plant (TTTT) is crossed with a pure dwarf pea plant (tttt). Find the phenotypic and genotypic ratios of the F2F_2 generation.

Solution:

  1. F1F_1 Generation: TT×ttTT \times tt \rightarrow All TtTt (Tall).
  2. F2F_2 Generation (Selfing Tt×TtTt \times Tt):
  • Genotypes: 1TT1 TT (Pure Tall), 2Tt2 Tt (Hybrid Tall), 1tt1 tt (Pure Dwarf).
  • Phenotypes: 33 Tall, 11 Dwarf.
  • Phenotypic Ratio: 3:13 : 1.
  • Genotypic Ratio: 1:2:11 : 2 : 1.

Explanation:

According to the Law of Segregation, the alleles TT and tt separate during gamete formation and combine randomly during fertilization to produce the 1:2:11 : 2 : 1 genotypic distribution.

Problem 2:

Determine the probability of a couple having a girl child using a genetic cross.

Solution:

  1. Mother's Gametes: XX and XX.
  2. Father's Gametes: XX and YY.
  3. Punnett Square:
  • X×X=XXX \times X = XX (Female)
  • X×Y=XYX \times Y = XY (Male)
  • X×X=XXX \times X = XX (Female)
  • X×Y=XYX \times Y = XY (Male)
  1. Probability = 24=50%\frac{2}{4} = 50\%.

Explanation:

Sex in humans is determined by the sex chromosome carried by the sperm. Since 50%50\% of sperms carry the XX chromosome and 50%50\% carry the YY chromosome, there is an equal chance for a male or female child.