B16.3 Monohybrid inheritance

What is inheritance?

• The transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next generation

What is a phenotype?

• Phenotypes: observable features of an organism

What is a genotype?

• Genotype: genetic make-up (combination of alleles) of an organism which control each characteristic

Explain recessive and dominant alleles

• Alleles can be dominant (expressed in capital letters) or recessive (lower case)

  • Dominant alleles only need to be inherited from one parent in order for the characteristic to show up in the phenotype

  • Recessive alleles need to be inherited from both parents, or else it will stay hidden and the dominant allele will show instead

What is homozygous and heterozygous and its relation with pure breeding?

• Homozygous: having two identical alleles of a particular gene

  • Homozygous individuals that breed together will be “pure breeding”

• Heterozygous: having two different alleles of a particular gene

  • Will not be “pure breeding”

What is monohybrid inheritance?

• Inheritance of characteristics controlled by a single gene