The Secret of Life
Walter Sutton 1902
Chromosome theory:
Genes are located on chromosomes, each gene occupies a specific place (locus) on a chromosome.
A gene may exist in several forms (alleles) but each chromosome has just one allele for each gene.
Mendel says traits controlled by genes, said they come in contrasting forms - differences in genetic sequence difference.
Differences
Genes:
Mendel - Genes come in contrasting forms
Theory - Simply minor changes in nitrogenous bases
Dominance & Recessiveness
Mendel: Some alleles are or are not expressed.
Theory: Dominant Allele codes for function of protein, recessive doesn’t.
Segregation
Mendel: All plants have two alleles for every trait.
Theory: Plants had two chromosomes, which come in pairs.
Independent Assortment:
Mendel: Segregation of one allele has nothing to do with segregation for other genes.
Theory: Separation of chromosomes and chromatids is independent of others in meiosis.
Genes on the same chromosome are said to be linked
Linked genes are inherited together.
They do not undergo independent assortment.
Mendel was lucky he had chosen traits from different chromosomes.
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Fruit flies are ideal for genetic studies.
He found that the gray body is dominant to black.
Normal wings are dominant to small.
Morgan’s Experiment:
Crossed purebred gray normal wing flies (GGWW) with purebred black small wing flies (ggww)
In F1, all are gray with normal wings (GgWw)
He does not go to F2, but he takes F1 and does a test cross.
He crossed something with a homozygous recessive.
Results: 25% of each, 41.5 GW, 41.5 gw, 8.5 gW, 8.5 Gw
X^2 is 43.56 at 3 df
Conclusion: The two genes are linked/connected.
They do not assort independently.
They are on the same chromosome.
Linkage Groups
Groups of genes that tend to be inherited together.
Fruit flies have 4 linkage groups.
Fruit flies have 4 pairs of chromosomes.
Corn has 10 linkage groups.
Corn has 10 pairs of chromosomes.
What about the 17% that did assort independently?
Crossing over - most have blonde hair blue eyes, but crossing over can create blonde hair brown eyes.
Produces individuals with rearranged linkage groups - “Recombinants”
Frequency of crossing-over can be used to “map” genes.
Sex Determination
Autosomes - homologous pairs of chromosomes.
Sex chromosomes
Not necessarily homologous - X or Y
Determines the sex of an individual
XX = female
XY = male
Cannot live without X
Sex-linkage
Genes on the sex chromosome are “sex-linked”
Usually on the X chromosome.
Recessive X-linked traits are more often expressed in males.
Morgan’s Experiment
The gene for eye color is located on the X chromosome.
Red eye color is dominant to white.
Crossed white eyed male (XrY) with homozygous red eye female (XrXr)
Conclusion: All F1 had red eyes - XRXr or XRY
Gene Interactions
Incomplete Dominance
Active allele does not completely compensate for an inactive allele
Carnations
Red x White → Pink
Pink X Pink → 1 Red, 2 Pinks, 1 White
Codominance
Both alleles are expressed.
Cattle
White X Red → Roan
Roan X Roan → 1 Red, 2 Roan, 1 White
Polygenic Inheritance
Trait is controlled by many genes
Tends to follow a gradient, not either/or
Ex
Updated 16d ago