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Inheritance IGCSE BIOLOGY

Chromosomes contain genes that code for proteins. Genes can exist in different forms called alleles. Cells normally contain two sets of chromosomes and are diploid. Sex is determined by the XY chromosome pair, with males having XY and females having XX. Inheritance of genes from parents to offspring can be predicted using a Punnett square diagram. Mitosis and meiosis are types of cell division that allow organisms to grow and sexually reproduce.

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336 views5 pages

Inheritance IGCSE BIOLOGY

Chromosomes contain genes that code for proteins. Genes can exist in different forms called alleles. Cells normally contain two sets of chromosomes and are diploid. Sex is determined by the XY chromosome pair, with males having XY and females having XX. Inheritance of genes from parents to offspring can be predicted using a Punnett square diagram. Mitosis and meiosis are types of cell division that allow organisms to grow and sexually reproduce.

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Dewan Anisha Islam
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Inheritance

Chromosomes: Thread-like structures made up of DNA, present in the


nucleus, containing genetic information in the form of genes.
Gene: Length of DNA which codes for a specific protein
➔ Most body cells in an organism contain the same genes, but many genes
in a particular cell are not expressed as cells only make the protein it
needs.
Allele: Alternative form of gene (Contain 3 BASES)
Haploid nuclei: One set of unpaired chromosomes (23 chromosomes)
Diploid nuclei: Two sets of chromosomes (46 chromosomes)
➔ There is a pair of each type of chromosome and in a human diploid cell
there are 23 pairs
Inheritance of sex in humans:
● Sex is determined by an entire chromosome pair (Other characteristics
are determined by one or number of genes)
● Female chromosomes = XX
● Male chromosomes = XY
● Male can only pass Y chromosome, thus is responsible for determining the
sex of a child.
● The inheritance of sex can be shown using a genetic diagram (known as a
Punnett square), with the X and Y chromosomes taking the place of the
alleles usually written in the boxes

Protein:
● The sequence of bases in gene determines the the sequence of amino
acids required to make a specific protein
● Sequence of amino acid determines the shape of a specific protein
● Proteins are made by ribosomes by assembling the sequence of amino
acids by looking at the RNA bases. At last it is released from ribosomes
so that it can fold and form the final protein structure
Protein synthesis:
➢ Transcription
➢ Translation

How is protein made?


1. Transcription:
➔ the gene coding for the protein remains in the nucleus
➔ messenger RNA (mRNA) is a copy of a gene
➔ mRNA molecules are made in the nucleus and move to the
cytoplasm as DNA is too big to travel out of the nucleus to
ribosomes through nuclear pores, so the base code is transcribed as
mRNA.
➔ the mRNA passes through ribosomes
2. Translation:
➔ the ribosome assembles amino acids into protein molecules
➔ The ribosome ‘reads’ the code on the mRNA in groups of three
➔ Each triplet of bases codes for a specific amino acid
➔ the specific sequence of amino acids is determined by the sequence
of bases in the mRNA
★ DNA controls cell function by controlling the production of proteins,
including enzymes, antibodies, membrane carriers and receptors for
neurotransmitters
Mitosis:
➢ Nuclear division of cells to give rise to genetically identical cells
➢ Role of mitosis:
➔ Growth: mitosis produces new cells
➔ Repairing damaged tissues: to replace damaged or dead cells
➔ Replacement of cells
➔ Asexual reproduction: mitosis produces offsprings which are
genetically identical to the parent
➢ Exact replication of chromosomes occurs before mitosis
➢ During mitosis, the copies of chromosomes separate, maintaining the
chromosome number in each daughter cells

★ All cells in the body (excluding gametes) are produced by mitosis of the
zygote
★ Skin cells and RBCs are replaced by mitosis
★ Production of new cells: zygote divides to form embryo)
Stem cells:
Unspecialised cells that divide by mitosis to produce daughter cells for which
become specialised cells to perform specific functions

Meiosis:
➢ Involved in production of gametes
➢ Meiosis is a type of nuclear division that gives rise to cells that are
genetically different

Meiosis is the reduction division in which the chromosome number is halved


from diploid to haploid giving rise to genetically different cells

Importance of meiosis:
● Production of gametes such as ovum, pollen grains, egg cells, and sperm
cells
● Increases genetic variation of offspring

Meiosis produces variation by forming new combinations of maternal and


paternal chromosomes every time a gamete is made, meaning that when
gametes fuse randomly at fertilisation, each offspring will be different from any
others
Inheritance- Transmission of genetic information from generation to generation

Genotype- genetic composition of an organism in terms of the alleles present


Phenotype- observable features of an organism
Homozygous- two identical alleles of a particular gene present
➔ 2 homozygous individuals breeding together will be pure-breeding
Heterozygous- two different alleles of a particular gene present (not pure
breed)
Dominant allele- Allele which is expressed if it is present in genotype
Recessive allele- Allele which is only expressed if there is no dominant allele of
the gene present
Monohybrid inheritance- Inheritance of characteristics controlled by a single
gene

Genetic diagram: Punnett square: Shows possible combinations of alleles


which will be produced in offspring

Codominance: Two or more alleles of a particular gene in a heterozygous


organism contribute/expressed equally to the phenotype.
Sex-linked characteristics: Feature in which the gene responsible is located in
sex chromosome and this makes the characteristic more common in one sex
than other.

Example of sex linkage- RED GREEN COLOR BLINDNESS

● In almost all cases, there are only alleles on the X chromosome as the Y
chromosome is much smaller
● Because males only have one X chromosome, they are much more likely
to show sex-linked recessive conditions (such as red-green colour
blindness and haemophilia)

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