LEARNING MODULE 2

in

GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
(for Finals)

STEM 12

Second Semester
SY 2020-2021

Prepared by:

PRAXEDES F. ROSUMAN, PhD

Instructor
 MODULE 2

INTRODUCTION:
Genetics is a branch of biology concerned with the study of genes, genetic variation, and
heredity in organisms. Though heredity had been observed for millennia, Gregor Mendel,
Moravian scientist and Augustinian friar working in the 19th century, was the first to study
genetics. Heredity is the passing on of traits from parents to offspring.
In this Module, the basics of inheritance by way of the different Mendelian Laws
will be the point of emphasis. In like manner illustrations of these Mendelian Laws by
way of predicting the phenotype and genotype that would result after a certain
combination occurs.
CONTENT COURSE COMPETENCIES:
At the end of this module, the students are expected to:
1. Predict the phenotypes and genotypes of parents and offspring using the laws of
inheritance.
PERFORMANCE COMPTETENCY;
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Construct a lineage of their family traits from immediate grandparents as to the
following traits:
a. Hair texture and color
b. Complexion
c. Height
d. Shape of the eyes
e. Shape of the nose
TOPIC:
To attain the intended learning competency of this module, the topic to be
accounted for is:
1. Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance
a. The Law of Segregation
b. The Law of Independent Assortment

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EXERCISES:
 To be able to accomplish the Output of this Module, the following Exercises
should be accomplished:
1. Illustration of Law 1
2. Illustration of Law 2
OUTPUT:
At the end of this Module, the students are expected to submit:
1. A family Lineage of inherited traits from their immediate grandparents as to the
following traits:
a. Hair texture and color
b. Complexion
c. Height
d. Shape of the eyes
e. Shape of the nose
ASSESSEMENT TOOL:
1. Criteria to be used in scoring the Module Output
a. correct presentation of character traits: 25 points
b.clear and well-organized presentation of traits 25 points
Total: 50 points

TOPIC 1
MENDELIAN LAWS OF INHERITANCE

INTRODUCTION:
Mendel’s experimented with garden pea plant, Pisum sativum, a plant that
fertilizes itself, because it possesses male and female gametes (sperm and egg) in
different structures in individual flowers. Fertilization then occurs in same flower.
Moreover, some salient terms are defined for clarity and easier understanding of
the discussions that follow.
THE LECTURE/THE DISCUSSION:

Terms to be Defined: Definitions/Descriptions:

1. Genes: Distinct units of heredity; physical basis of all traits of an
individual
2. Locus A particular location of a gene on a chromosome.
3. Alleles Two or more alternative forms of a gene.
4. Diploid One which has two alleles for each trait on two partner
organism chromosomes (homologues derived from two parents).
5. Homozygote Condition when the two alleles of a certain gene are identical.
6. Heterozygote Condition when the two alleles of a certain gene are not
 identical.
7. Dominant Condition when the allele of a pair masks the expression of
allele the other. (symbolized as capital letters= Tt; T stands for
tallness which is dominant over dwarfness t)
8. Recessive Condition when the expression of the allele of a pair is hidden
allele or masked by the other. (symbolized by a lowercase letter=Tt:
t stands for dwarfness which is the recessive trait).
9. Homozygous Two dominant alleles for a certain inherited trait= TT
dominant symbolizes a homozygous dominant tall.
10. Homozygous Two recessive alleles for a certain inherited trait = tt symbolizes
recessive a homozygous dwarf.
11. Heterozygous Condition when two different alleles for traits are inherited by
trait an individual = Tt symbolizes heterozygous tall
12. Genotype Is the genetic make up of an individual; sum total of the
individual’s genes.
13. Phenotype Refers to an individual’s observable traits (its structure,
physiology, behaviour)

THE MENDELIAN LAWS OF INHERITANCE:

1. Law of Dominance
2. Law of Segregation
3. Law of Independent Assortment

Law of Dominance
This is also called Mendel’s first law of inheritance. According to the Law of Dominance; it
states that offsprings will only inherit the dominant trait in the phenotype. The alleles that
are suppressed are called as the recessive traits while the alleles that determine the trait are
known as the dormant traits.

Referring to the experiment of Gregor Johann Mendel on garden pea, the traits that
he studied are presented in a Table below. (take note of the dominant and recessive
genes to express a certain trait).

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Examples:
RR is homozygous dominant round seed; Rr is heterozygous round seed; rr is
homozygous recessive seed.
TT is homozygous dominant tall pea plant; Tt is heterozygous tall pea plant; tt is
homozygous dwarf pea plant.

Law of Segregation
The law of segregation states that during the production of gametes, two copies of each
hereditary factor segregate so that offspring acquire one factor from each parent. In other words,
allele (alternative form of the gene) pairs segregate during the formation of gamete and re-unite
randomly during fertilization. This is also known as Mendel’s second law of inheritance.

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Example:

Explanation: One parent pea plant possesses the dominant gene yellow seed over that of
the recessive green seed color. The genotype of the parent is heterozygous yellow (Yy);
now gametes are produced and each alternative form of the gene: allele Y and another
allele y is distributed to each gamete formed thus one gamete gets the allele Y and the
other gamete gets the other allele y (refer to the figure above).

yy gamete y gamete Y

Another example: pea parent has the genotype: homozygous dominant purple flower
color (PP), the two gametes are (gamete P) and (gamete P).

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Law of Independent Assortment
Also known as Mendel’s third law of inheritance, the law of independent assortment states that a
pair of trait segregates independently of another pair during gamete formation. As the
individual heredity factors assort independently, different traits get equal opportunity to occur
together.

Explanation of the Figure above: Male pea parent has homozygous recessive green seed
color (yy), the female pea parent has heterozygous dominant yellow seed color. (Yy).
One set of male gametes: y and y; another set of female gametes: Y and y.
To illustrate the third Law, one male gamete has the probability to fertilize the female
dominant gamete (Y) also another probability to fertilize the recessive female gamete. The
same thing is true for the other male gamete; thus two offspring are heterozygous yellow
seed color and another two are recessive green seed color. This is monohybrid cross
because only one trait or only one type of gene is being combined in the cross.

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Let us have an example of a dihybrid cross: a cross between two traits. Seed color and
seed shape.

There are four phenotypes: yellow round seed; green round seed, yellow wrinkled seed
and green wrinkled seed. The genotypes are: homozygous yellow and homozygous round,
homozygous yellow and heterozygous round, homozygous yellow and homozygous
wrinkled, heterozygous yellow and homozygous round, heterozygous yellow and
heterozygous round, heterozygous yellow and homozygous wrinkled, homozygous green
and homozygous round, homozygous green and heterozygous round, homozygous green
and homozygous wrinkled. All in all there are 16 genotypes.
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Exercise 1: Predict the phenotypes and the genotypes of this dihybrid cross between
two pea parent plants.
Male parent has heterozygous purple flowers with homozygous inflated pods or
fruits. (PpII)
Female parent has homozygous white flowers with heterozygous inflated pods or
fruits (ppIi)
Using a Punnett square like the figure on the previous page, make the combination
of traits between the two parents.

Questions:
1. What are the types of gametes formed? Enumerate them.

2. What are the four phenotypes? Enumerate them.

3. How many genotypes are there? Enumerate them.

Logistics: Solve the genetic combination on a short bond paper. Do the Punnett
Square hand written. For the interpretation (answers to the 3 questions, write them
on one whole sheet of yellow paper).

MODULE OUTPUT: Interview your parents by asking the following questions:

Parents on Mother side: what are the traits of your parents on the following
features:
a. Hair texture and color
b. Complexion
c. Height
d. Shape of the eyes
e. Shape of the nose
Parents on Father side: ask the same set of questions.
Now present in a graphic organizer the traits that you were able to record.
Examining your features based on these character traits, from whom did you inherit
your features. Defend your answer.
Logistics: Encode and print your work on a short bond paper.

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