Unit 3: Genetics

Module: Introduction to genetics &

patterns of Inheritance
Lesson 5: Complex Patterns of
Inheritance

Focus Question: What are examples of complex Textbook Page No: 25

inheritance?
 Learning
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to,
Outcomes
 Describe the patterns of inheritance of human
traits including dominant/ recessive,
codominance, incomplete dominance, multiple
allele and sex-linked inheritance
 Explain how patterns of complex inheritance
are different from patterns described by Mendel
 Apply multiple allele inheritance on ABO blood
groups in humans and other examples
 Predict the patterns of inheritance using
pedigrees, to include dominance, recessive,
incomplete dominance, codominance, sex-
Headline
linkage
 New
Vocabulary

Headline
Lesson starter
Observe the
cross and
identify the
differences.

Headline
What do Complex Patterns of Inheritance
mean?
Complex inheritance of traits does not follow
inheritance patterns described by Mendel.
• In general organisms, heterozygous individuals will
display the dominant phenotype.
• However, when a red flower snapdragon is crossed
with a white flower snapdragon, the heterozygous
offspring have pink flowers.
• With incomplete dominance, the heterozygous
phenotype is an intermediate phenotype between the
two homozygous phenotypes.
• When heterozygous F1 generation are self-fertilized,
the flowers are red, white, and pink, yielding a 1:2:1
ratio
 Q- What would
happen if you
cross pink flowered
snapdragon
with white flowered
snapdragon?
Predict the genotype
and
Phenotype?
 Codominance
In codominance, both the dominant alleles are expressed in
heterozygous individuals.

Sickle-Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease affects Red blood cells and their ability to
transport oxygen. Changes in hemoglobin cause red blood cells to
become sickle-shaped or C- shaped. Sickle-shaped cells do not
effectively transport oxygen because they block circulation in
small blood vessels
• People who are heterozygous for the trait have both
normal and sickle-shaped cells.
• These individuals can lead relatively normal lives as the
normal blood cells compensate for the sickle-shaped
cells.
• Allele responsible for sickle cell is common in people of
African descent.
Sickle-Cell Disease and Malaria
• Those who are heterozygous
for the sickle-cell trait also
have a higher resistance to
malaria.
• The death rate due to malaria
is lower whereas sickle-cell
trait is higher, meaning more Top: Normal red blood cells are
people live to pass it on to flat and disk-shaped.
their offspring. Middle: Sickle-shaped cells are
elongated and/or C-shaped. They
can clump, blocking circulation in
small vessels.
Bottom: The sickle-cell allele
increases resistance to malaria.
Evaluate whether having sickle cell disease would be advantages or
disadvantages the person living in central Africa ?
White-flowered plants crossed with red-flowered plants to produce
pink-flowered offspring is an example of
A. codominance.
B. complete dominance.
C. dominance.
D. incomplete dominance.

Sickle cell is
A. A contagious blood disorder
B. A blood disorder
C. Sickled-shaped red blood cells
D. Sickled-shaped white blood cells
 Quiz
1. Which occurs when a heterozygous phenotype is an
intermediate phenotype between two homozygous
phenotypes?

A codominance C epistasis

B incomplete dominance D polygenetics

CORRECT
Identify the inheritance pattern: Incomplete Dominance/
Codominance
Not all traits are determined by two alleles. some forms of
inheritance are determined by more than two alleles referred
to as multiple alleles. E.g. blood group and coat color of
rabbits.

The Rh blood group includes

Rh factors, inherited from
each parent. Rh factors are
either positive or negative
(Rh+ or Rh–); Rh+ is
dominant and Rh– is
recessive.
 Answer the questions by using the figure

What blood type is expected

for
An individual 1?...................

An individual 2?....................
1 B 4 An individual 3?....................
Write genotype for:
2 5 D An individual A……………………

An individual B …………………
The similarities between an
C A 3 individual 1 and 4
………………………………………
……………..
The difference between an
individual C and 3
………………………………………
Cross: Type A blood (heterozygous) father with a
type 0 blood mother.
-What are the possible blood types of the offspring?
-Write phenotype ratio of the offspring.
https://edushare.moe.gov.ae/Uploads/Resources/5fd2049e-4395-4967-a
238-43ebf4d43ea9/6525030/index.html 3rd page
 Quiz

3. Which two terms best describe the inheritance of

human blood types?

A incomplete dominance and codominance

B codominance and multiple alleles CORRECT

C incomplete dominance and multiple alleles

D codominance and epistasis

 MULTIPLE ALLELES Coat color of rabbits
 Multiple alleles can demonstrate a hierarchy of
dominance
 In rabbits, 4 alleles code for coat
colorcolor gene in rabbit is determined by alleles of
 Coat
the( C
 Four )
different
ch h
alleles exist ( C /c / c /c )
C = full coat color (is dominant to other allele)
c =albino phenotype (is recessive to other
allele)
cch =not full color phenotype (is dominant to ch)
ch= Himalayan phenotype (is dominant to c )
 Any particular rabbit prosses
only two alleles

 More variation in color

come from interaction of
color gene with other
genes.
 Phenotype in coat color of rabbits
Determine the phenotype of the coat color of rabbits
shown.
Determine the genotype of the coat color of rabbits shown.

1 2 3 4

Not full color ch

Full color C c Himalayan c
h
c Albino
Chinchilla
CC cch cch ch ch cc
C cch cch ch ch c
C ch cch c
Cc
 Epistasis
• Epistasis is an interaction in which one gene hides the
effects of another gene.
• It is seen in the coat color of Labrador retrievers.
• The dominant allele E determines whether the coat
will have dark pigment.
• Allele B determines how dark the coat will be.
• When a dog has recessive ee alleles, the coat will be
yellow, because the e allele masks the effects of the B
allele.
 Connect the
phenotype and
genotype

E_ B_ E_ bb ee B_ ee bb
 Quiz

4. What is epistasis?

A the intermediate phenotype caused

by a heterozygous genotype
B the passing of a trait
from mother to son
C the inactivation of an X
chromosome
D the hiding of one gene
by another CORRECT
1. Epistasis is the interaction
between_____________ genes. Answer: a
Explanation: Epistasis is the interaction between two
a) 2
genes where the genotype of one location affects the
b) 4 expression of genotype at the other location.
c) 8
d) 16
Answer: b
2. Epistasis is the interaction Explanation: In case of epistasis there is suppression of
between two genes producing a new expression of one phenotype but there is no production of
phenotype. new phenotype. This is how it differs from gene
a) True interaction.
b) False

3. Which best describes epistasis?

a) An allele that changes the genotype of another allele
b) A gene that changes the genotype of another gene
c) An allele that controls or masks the expression of
another allele
d) A gene that controls or masks the expression of
another gene
 Dosage Compensation
• The X chromosome carries a variety of genes that are
necessary for the development of both females and
males.
• The Y chromosome mainly has genes that relate to the
development of male characteristics.
• In female, one X chromosome is inactivated in each
cell.
• Called dosage compensation or x-inactivation
• Which X stops working in each cell is random.
• Occurs in all mammals
 Dosage Compensation
Chromosome Inactivation
• Coat colors in calico cats are
caused by the random inactivation
of a particular X chromosome.
• The colors that result depend on
the X chromosome that is
activated.

Example: orange patches: inactivation

of X chromosome that carries allele
for black fur, the black patch are
result of the inactivation of x
chromosome that carry gene for
orange patch.
 Dosage Compensation
Barr Bodies
• The inactivated X chromosome can be observed in
cells, in female cells.
• Darkly stained, inactivated X chromosomes are
called Barr bodies.
• In 1949, Canadian scientist Observed bar bodies In
calcio cats
 Sex-Linked Traits
Predicting Disorders
• Traits controlled by genes located on the X chromosome
are sex-linked traits. They are also called (X-linked)
traits.
• Because males have only one copy of the X chromosome,
they are more affected by recessive X-linked traits.
• Some traits that are located on autosomes may appear to
be sex-linked, even though they are not.
This occurs when an allele
appears to be dominant in one
sex, but recessive in the other. For
example, the allele for baldness is
recessive in females but dominant
in males, causing hair loss that
follows a typical pattern called
male-pattern baldness. A male
would be bald if he were
heterozygous for the trait, while a
female would be bald only if she
were homozygous recessive
 Sex-Linked Traits
Red-Green Colorblindness
• Recessive, X-linked trait
• Mothers are carriers.
• Females can be
colorblind, but only if
they inherit the
recessive allele from
both parents.
 Sex-Linked Traits
Hemophilia
• Recessive, X-linked trait that causes delayed clotting of
blood
• Famous pedigree involves the family of Queen Victoria
of England.
• More common in males than in females.
Sex-Linked Traits
 Quiz

4. Which is true about sex-linked traits?

A They are never seen in women.

B They are found on Barr bodies.

C They are carried on the Y chromosome.

D They are passed from mother to son.

CORRECT
 Polygenic Traits
• Polygenic traits arise from the interaction of
multiple pairs of genes.
• Include such traits as skin color, height, fingerprint
pattern and eye color
• When the frequency of the number of dominant
alleles is graphed, the result is a bell-shaped curve.
This shows that more of the intermediate
phenotypes exist than do the extreme phenotypes.
 Environmental Influences
• The variation and distribution of
traits in a population also depend on
environmental factors.
• Because environmental factors
affect the expression of some traits,
they affect the probability of those
traits appearing in a population.

• Sunlight and Water- Without

enough sunlight, most plants will
not produce flowers. Insufficient
water causes plants to drop their
leaves.
• Temperature-Most organisms
experience phenotypic changes with
extreme heat.
 Twin Studies
• Help scientists separate genetic contributions
from environmental contributions
• Traits that appear frequently in identical twins
are at least partially controlled by heredity.
• Traits expressed differently in identical twins are
strongly influenced by environment.
 Quiz

2. Which is an example of how traits can be influenced by

the environment?

A coat color in Labrador retrievers

B reading ability of identical twins

CORRECT
C flower color in pea plants

D blood type in humans