Chapter 7

Genes and inheritance

 Chromosomes
 The nucleus of the cell controls
all its activities.

 The nucleus of every cell

contains thread like structure
called chromosomes.

 When we see cell chromosomes

under the microscope only when
a cell is dividing.

 And chromosomes also need to

be
 Chromosomes
 Fruit flies have thick chromosomes
called giant chromosomes which are
much easier to see.

 They are long and striped thread.

Chromosomes
 Different species of organism have different number of
chromosomes in the nuclei of their cell.

Number of
Organism
Chromosomes
Humans 46 (23 pairs)
Dogs 78 (39 pairs)
Fruit fly 8 (4 pairs)
Pea plant 14 (7 pairs)
Rice 24 (12 pairs)
Onion 16 (8 pairs)
Horse 64 (32 pairs)
Chromosomes

 Each chromosomes looks

like
a cross Shape.

 This is because – just

before a
Cell divides each
chromosomes
Makes a copy of itself.

 The two copies stay joined

along their length.
 Genes
 A gene is a section of DNA that
contains information for making
proteins or
controlling other genes.

 Each chromosomes is made up

of hundreds of different genes.

 The genes are arranged in a

particular sequence along the
chromosomes.

 Each gene helps to control a

particular characteristics in
organism.
 Genes
 On chromosome 1, there are about 2000
different genes.

 Chromosome 15 is a much shorter

chromosome, and it has about 600
different genes.

 Two genes on the chromosomes 15 help to

determine the eye colour.

 Everyone has genes for eye colour in the

same place on their chromosomes 15s.
 DNA
 Chromosomes are made of a chemical substance called
DNA.

 Each chromosomes is one enormously long molecule of

DNA.

 So, genes are also made of DNA.

 A DNA molecule has a shape like twisted bladder.

 This shape is called double helix.

 DNA in genes helps to determine the characteristics of

human and other organism.

 The DNA in a cell determines what the cell does.

 It contains a complete set of instructions to make a

functioning cell
and a whole organism.
Getting started

1. Both are in the centre of a large structure.

2. The nucleus of a cell is much, much larger than the nucleus of an

atom.

3. The nucleus of a cell controls the activities of the cell.

Questions:

1. Chromosomes do not usually become visible until just before a cell divides, so
unless you are looking at a cell that is going to divide you will not be able to see
them. Also, they need to be coloured with a stain before they are visible.

2. Red blood cells do not contain any chromosomes. Chromosomes are only found
in a nucleus. (Red blood cells do have a nucleus when they are first formed, but
they lose it as they become fully functioning red blood cells, full of haemoglobin.)

3. A chromosome is a long thread of DNA.

A gene is part of a chromosome that helps to control a particular characteristic.
Each chromosome contains many genes.

4. The fruit flies have different versions of the gene for wing shape.
The DNA in the different versions of the genes is slightly different.
 Gametes and
 Every humaninheritance
being began life as a
single cell.

 This cell was formed when a sperm cell

joined with an egg cell.

 The sperm cell and egg cells are

specialised cells known as gametes.

 A sperm cell is a male gamete, and an

egg cell is a female gamete.

 Sperm cell is very small.

 They are active, using their tails to

swim vigorously.
 Gametes and
gg cells are muchinheritance
bigger than sperm cells.

human egg cell is about the same size as a full stop.

hey need to be larger than sperm cells because they contain food reser

gg cells cannot move by themselves.

 Fertilization
 The joining of a sperm cell with an egg cell is called
fertilization.

 Sperm and egg cells have only one set of

chromosomes that is 23 chromosomes.

 So, when cells joins the new cell that is produced has
two sets.

 It will have 46 chromosomes.

 The new cell that is formed when the nucleus of the

sperm and egg cell join
together is called zygote.

 Zygote which is a single cell divides repeatedly to

 Boy or girl?
hromosomes in the cells of a human body comes from the mother and father.

here is one set from the mother and one set from the father.

 These two chromosomes are sex

chromosomes.

 They determine whether a person is

male or female.

 A person with two X chromosomes, XX

is female.

 A person with one X chromosomes and

one Y chromosomes, XY, is male.
 Boy or girl?
 All egg cells contains one X chromosomes.

 Sperm cell can have either one X

chromosomes or Y chromosomes.

 During fertilization, either an X containing

sperm cell or a Y containing sperm cell
Could join with an egg.

 So, if it is an X containing sperm cell, hen

zygote will have two X- chromosomes and will
become a baby girl.

 If it is a Y-containing sperm cell, then the

zygote will have one X chromosomes and One
Y chromosomes and will be a baby boy.
 Inheritance
 Inheritance means passing on DNA
(as chromosomes containing genes)
from parents to offsprings.

 A baby`s sex is determined

because a baby inherits X or Y
chromosomes from its Parents.

 Traits like eye colour, hair colour, height,

and complexion are coded in DNA and
passed on to the next generation.
 7.3
Variation
 Organism that belongs to different species usually
look very different from one another.

 Horses look different from donkeys. And lion look

different from tigers.

 But individual organism that belongs to the same

species also have differences between them.

 We all people belong to the same species, but we

are all different from one another.

 The differences between individuals belonging to

same the species are called variation.
 DNA and variation
 A sperm cell and egg cell each
contains chromosomes made of
many genes.

 Genes are made of DNA.

 For instance, there are several

version of genes in goat each made
of slightly
different DNA that determines the
horns.

 One version of the genes might

produce long horns, another short
horns and another no horns at all.
 DNA and variation
 When a sperm cell and egg cell fuse
together at fertilization zygote that is
produced has a new combination of
DNA.

 The combination is not exactly same as

in its parents or in its brother and
sisters.

 Differences in the DNA of organism

within a species are called genetic
differences.
 Environment and variation
not only the cause of variation between individuals.

anism`s environment also effect it.

mple, the size of the goat will be affected by the DNA as well as the environment.

at which might eat more than another goat would grow fatter and have a greater bod

•Skin tone: People who live in areas with lots of sunlight have darker skin tones, while people who live
farther
away from the equator have lighter skin tones.
•Language: Being raised in a certain country can cause you to speak that language with a certain
accent.
•Tattoos: Tattoos are a result of a lifestyle choice and are not inherited.
•Handedness: Handedness is controlled by many genes, but the environment also plays a role.

For example, some cultures discourage left-handedness.

Questions
Q1. what is a gamet?

Ans: A gamete is a sex cell - one of two cells that fuse together at fertilisation to
begin a new life.

Q2. Draw the table with two columns.

Q3. Is it correct to say that the sex of baby is determined by its father?

Ans: Yes, the sex of a baby is determined by the sperm cell, which can carry either
an X chromosome or a Y chromosome.

Q4. Explain, in your own words why the number of boy and girl babies born each
Year is approximately equal.

Ans: There are equal numbers of sperm cells with an X chromosome and a Y
chromosome. If an X sperm fuses with an egg, the baby will have chromosomes XX
and will be a girl. If a Y sperm fuses with an egg, the baby will have chromosomes
XY and be a boy. The chances of these two events happening are equal.
Topic 7.3 Variation
Getting started

A species is a particular kind of organism, or group of organisms that can

reproduce with each other to produce fertile offspring.
Natural selection
 The ancestors of modern giraffes were like deer or antelope, with shorter necks.

 In their tall tree-filled habitat, giraffes with slightly longer necks had an advantage.

 They could reach food that shorter-necked giraffes couldn't, so they were more likely to survive
and reproduce.

 Over many generations, this process led to the development of giraffes with their long necks.
Natural selection
 In every species, there is variation among individual
organism.

 Some of this variation is caused by differences in

their genes.

 Some individuals have features that make it more

likely that they will survive than individuals that
do not have these features.

 The individuals with these advantageous features are

therefore more likely to reproduce and pass
On the genes that produce the advantageous features
to their offspring.

 Over many generation the genes that produce these

advantageous features get a little bit more
Common.
Natural selection in bacteria
 When antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, most of the
bacteria are killed, but a few might have genetic mutations that allow
them to survive the drug.

 These resistant bacteria can reproduce and pass on their resistance to

future generations.

 Some antibiotics do not work anymore.

 Bacteria have become resistant to them.

atural selection in peppered moths
 Before the Industrial Revolution, most peppered moths had
light-coloured, speckled wings, which helped them blend in
with the lichen-covered tree trunks and branches in their
environment.

 This camouflage helped them avoid predators like birds.

 With the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and

19th centuries, factories began emitting large amounts of
smoke and soot into the atmosphere.

 This pollution killed the lichens on tree trunks and caused

the bark of trees to become much darker.

 Because the darker moths were better camouflaged in the

polluted environment, they were less likely to be eaten by
predators.

 This gave them a survival advantage, and as a result, they

were more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on their
genes for dark coloration.
Questions

1. The bacteria are not killed by the antibiotic.

2. When an antibiotic is used, bacteria with varieties of genes that make it

resistant to the antibiotic are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Over many generations, this variety of the gene becomes more common
resulting in whole populations of bacteria that are not killed by the
antibiotic.

3. Whenever an antibiotic is used, we give an advantage to bacteria that are

resistant to it. The gene for resistance becomes more common in the
population. If we do not use the antibiotic then there is no advantage for the
resistant bacteria, so natural selection does not produce a resistant population.
By not using antibiotics we can help to stop resistance developing, meaning
that when we really do need to use an antibiotic to cure a serious infection, the
antibiotic works.
4. Event 1 ：
Most peppered moths were pale, but some were dark.
Event 2:
The differences in colour were caused by having different varieties of the gene
that determines wing colour.
Event 3
Before the industrial revolution, pale moths were most likely to survive,
because they were better camouflaged from birds. After the industrial
revolution, dark moths were most likely to survive because the pale lichens on
the tree trunks were killed or covered in soot.
Event 4:
During the industrial revolution, dark moths were more likely to reproduce,
passing on their genes for dark wings to the next generation.
Event 5:
In each generation the variety of the gene that produced dark wings became
more common and the variety of the gene producing pale wings became rarer.
Check your progress
7.1: The nucleus of every cell contains several long threads, called
chromosomes.
In most cells, there are two copies of each thread.
Each thread contains many genes.
The threads are made of a chemical called DNA.

7.2:
7.4
a. A substance that kills bacteria (but does not harm humans).

b The percentage of cases of penicillin-resistant pneumonia has

increased.

c. This happened because penicillin was used to treat infections.

Any bacteria that happened to be resistant to penicillin survived
and reproduced.
Their offspring inherited the genes that made them resistant.
7.3 Variation

1. For example, they all have four legs, two ears.

2. Differences include size, age, coat colour, presence of horns, size of horns.

3. 5+2+3+9+3=22

4. yellow

5. This will depend on the learner's perception of which form is easier to

understand. Reasons should be given.