Law of Multiplicative Probabilities: - The Probability of Two Independent Events Occurring Together Is The
Law of Multiplicative Probabilities: - The Probability of Two Independent Events Occurring Together Is The
Law of Multiplicative Probabilities: - The Probability of Two Independent Events Occurring Together Is The
1 2 2 3 4
2 4 4 9 16
3 8 8 27 64
4 16 16 81 256
Examples
CROSS: Aa x Aa bb x Bb Cc x Cc Dd x dd Ee x Ee
½ bb ¼ bb ½ dd ¼ ee
A a
A AA Aa
a Aa aa
¼ aa
So, proportion of homozygous recessives = ¼ x ½ x ¼ x ½ x ¼
= 1/256
Modifications of the 9:3:3:1 Ratio
• Occurs when one or both pairs of alleles
can exhibit incomplete dominance, co
dominance or lethality.
– i.e. one or both genes do not have dominant/
recessive alleles.
PROBLEM
In tomato, two genes located on different chromosomes (segregated
independently) give the phenotype for colour of flowers (Y = yellow, y = white) and
presence of hairs on the stems (hairless, very hairy and scattered hairs). Cross
two heterozygous individuals and determine the phenotypic ratio of the progeny.
ANSWER
Gene 1: Y = yellow, y = white → Heterozygous = Yy
Gene 2: h1 = hairless, h2 = very hairy, h1h2 = scattered hairs
→ Heterozygous = h1h2 (Incomplete dominance)
CROSS: Yyh1h2 x Yyh1h2
GAMETES: Yh1 Yh2 yh1 yh2 and Yh1 Yh2 yh1 yh2
Yh1 Yh2 yh1 yh2
Yh1 YYh1h1 YYh1h2 Yyh1h1 Yyh1h2
Yh2 YYh1h2 YYh2h2 Yyh1h2 Yyh2h2
yh1 Yyh1h1 Yyh1h2 yyh1h1 yyh1h2
yh2 Yyh1h2 Yyh2h2 yyh1h2 yyh2h2
c c+c cc
IAIA AA A
IAIi AO A
IAIB AB AB
IBIB BB B
IBIi BO B
ii OO O
Usually antibodies are acquired after exposure to the antigen.
Antibodies involved in human blood group A-B-O system are
natural/genetically-determined.
So, the universal blood donor is O and the universal acceptor is AB.
Medicolegal aspects of the A-B-O blood
group system
2 B BB or BO A AA or AO AB Possible
3 O OO A AA or AO AB Not Possible
4 O OO AB AB B Possible
Epistasis
• One gene interferes with or affects another
gene.
– e.g. Coat colour in Labrador dogs depends
on the interaction of two genes.
– Gene 1: allele B gives black colour, allele b
gives brown colour.
– Gene 2: allele E promotes melanin
deposition, allele e prevents deposition.
– So, genotype ee means the dog is yellow.
Possible genotypes Phenotypes
BBEE Black
BBEe Black
BBee Yellow
BbEE Black
BbEe Black
Bbee Yellow
bbEE Brown
bbEe Brown
bbee Yellow
Polygeny
• Many genes that act sequentially or jointly and
affect one trait.
• e.g. Human height.
– Continuous variation of the trait in a population.
– Range and gradation from very short – short –
medium – tall – very tall.
• Genes segregate independently of one another
– gradation in degree of difference between
individuals.
e.g. 5 genes contribute to height. Each gene has 2 alleles: + = allele
that gives one unit of height, 0 = allele that does not.
Gene 1 2 3 4 5
Genotype ++ +0 00 +0 ++
of parent 1
Genotype ++ 00 +0 +0 +0
of parent 2
Alleles ++ +0 0+ ++ ++
inherited
by child A
Alleles ++ 00 00 00 +0
inherited
by child B