Proven Activities for Teaching Genetics Rachel Martin Science Department Head

Getting started… When you fall and scrape the skin off your hands and knees, how does your body make new skin cells to replace the skin cells that were scraped off? How does your body make sure each new cell has all the chromosomes it needs to have? How does a baby get his or her genes?

Meiosis or Mitosis? Use the provided table to sort your statements into three categories. –Meiosis –Mitosis –Both

Meiosis vs. Mitosis

MitosisBothMeiosis Body cells Cell structures involve spindle fibers Reproductive Cells Diploid cells Chromosome replication Haploid cells 1 cell division Type of cell division 2 cell divisions 2 daughter cellsOccur in phases 4 daughter cells

MitosisBothMeiosis Body cells Cell structures involve spindle fibers Reproductive Cells Diploid cells Chromosome replication Haploid cells 1 cell division Type of cell division 2 cell divisions 2 daughter cellsOccur in phases 4 daughter cells

Ways to remember… MITosis takes the cell and Makes It Two Meiosis has to do with sex From the cell’s point of view: –m–mITosis results in Identical Twins –m–mEoSis results in Egg and Sperm

Why does the cell organize? Place your DNA in the nucleus of your cell. You have 2 sets of homologous chromosomes with the alleles marked for hemoglobin, ability to smell, and height. Challenge: Separate out these 2 sets of chromosomes while keeping them inside the nucleus.

How could you tell which chromosomes were homologous? Did you have any problems while you were trying to sort out the chromosomes inside the nucleus on your paper? How could you make it easier? Why does the cell organize?

Wrap each piece of thread around a piece of straw and place inside the nucleus. Separate them into 2 pairs of homologous chromosomes while keeping them inside the nucleus. What process is this simulating in a cell?

What proteins are coded? DDefective height alleleresults in dwarfism dNormal alleleNormal height

Genetics of Sesame Street Characters

What if Zoe and Elmo fell in love, and had a baby? What would the baby look like?

Homer Honker Henrietta Honker

What traits could be passed on?

Genetics of Sesamus muppetis CharacteristicType of Inheritance Eye shapeDominant/recessive Nose colorIncomplete dominance LipsDominant/recessive Body colorMultiple alleles, R, B, & O Incomplete dominance HairSex-linked Dominant/recessive

GroverCharacteristicPhenotypeGenotype Eye Shape Flatee Nose color PinkNN, Nn Lips Has lipsll Body color BlueBB Hair type Baldxhyhxhyh

Henrietta Honker CharacteristicPhenotypeGenotype Eye ShapeEyes Pop OutEE, Ee Nose colorOrangenn LipsNo lipsLL, Ll Body colorPurpleRB Hair typeHairx H x H, x H x h

What if… X = ? What would their kids look like?

Gene Map

Chromosome 1 Eye Shape E e

E E nucleus e e Step 1: DNA replication Meiosis: eye color

E E e e Step 2: Homologous chromosomes line up in center of cell Nuclear membrane dissolves

E E e e Step 3: Spindle fibers separate homologous chromosomes to opposite sides of the cell.

E E e e Step 4: Chromatids line up in the center of cell.

E E e e Step 5: Spindle fibers separate chromatids.

E E e e Step 6: Nuclear membranes separate the chromatids to create four egg cells.

E E e Meiosis complete: Half the number of chromosomes e

Now what eye color traits would Grover contribute? e e e e

e e E E ee e e ?

Ee ee e e e E Eye Color

Chromosome 2 B B O O E e E e Body Color

eO eB EO Eye Color & Body Color EeBO eeBO EeBO eeBO EeBO eeBO EeBO eeBO EOeO eB EeOO x eeBB

Chromosome 3 B B O O E e e e XHXH XhXh XhXh Y

e e E E e e e e ? O O O O XHXH XhXh XhXh XHXH B B B B XhXh XhXh Y Y

Punnett Square BO Ee ee ee e E O O B B Body Color Eye Shape Ll ll ll l L Lips

Punnett Square NN Nn N n N N xhxhxhxh xhyxhy xHxhxHxh xHyxHy xhxh y xhxh xHxH Nose Color Hair

Cross ResultsCharacteristicGenotypePhenotype Eye Shape 1 Ee : 1 eeExo : endo Nose color 1 NN : 1 NnOrange : Pink Lips 3 Ll : 1 llNo lips : lips Body color All BOMagenta Hair type X h x h : X H x h X h y : X H y Female bald : carrier Male bald:hairy

The Product Rule EeNn x eeNN Ee ee NN Nn ½ Ee ½ ee ½ NN ½ Nn ½ NN ½ Nn ¼ EeNN ¼ EeNn ¼ eeNN ¼ eeNn

Illustrate!

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ElmoGrover

Zoe Telly

Rosita Homer Honker Henrietta Honker