Unit 4: Genetics

Unit 4: Genetics

Standard:

Standard 3, Benchmark 7: Physical and behavioral characteristics of an organism are influenced to varying degrees by heritable genes, many of which encode instructions for the production of proteins

Standard 3, Benchmark 8: Multicellularity makes possible a division of labor at the cellular level through the expression of select genes, but not the entire genome

Objectives

· Use probability tools (i.e. Punnett Squares) to predict offspring’s phenotypes and genotypes

· Explain the stages in meiosis and understand reasons for meiotic division

· Evaluate data showing offspring are not clones of parents or siblings to do the meiotic processes of independent assortment of chromosomes, crossing over, and mutations

· Analyze data showing that genes are expressed portions of DNA

· Understand the processes of DNA replication, transcription, translation, and gene regulation, and show how these processes are the same in all organisms

· Recognize that proteins carry out most cell activities and mediate the effect of genes on physical traits

· Explain how genetic mutations can benefit, harm, or have no effect on an organism

· Understand the purpose of gene regulation and how the regulation occurs

· Develop an explanation of how cells form tissues due to the expression of some genes but not others

· Understand tools of genetic engineering and the future implications of these manipulations

· Explain how a whole organism can be cloned from a differentiated or adult cell

· Distinguish between chromosomal and gene mutations and the role they play in genetic disorders

· Use tools (i.e. pedigrees, karyotypes) to discern genetic disorders

· Recognize how sex linked genes will affect males and females differently