Genetics and Heredity Webquest

Genetics and Heredity Webquest

Web Quest: Mendelian Genetics Name: _____________________

Heredity Period: _____ Date: __________


This web quest takes you through various websites to better understand genetics. Use the following questions and directions to navigate through the sites. Record the information to the questions as you find it.

 Just click on the links for this web quest as needed. 

Now go to this site:

http://www.biology.arizona.edu/mendelian_genetics/problem_sets/monohybrid_cross/01q.html

Answer Problem #1 on this page. You can use this Punnett Square:


#1. Write your answer here: ___________. Click on it to see if you are correct.

If not it will teach how to do it correctly. The “Tutorial” button will help too.

Now skip ahead to Problem #4 by clicking through the problem button (in orange text) on the lower part of page or just skip to this page: http://www.biology.arizona.edu/mendelian_genetics/problem_sets/monohybrid_cross/04q.html

Answer Problem #4 on this page. You can use this Punnett Square:


#4. Write your answer here: ___________. Click on it to see if you are correct.

If not it will teach how to do it correctly. The “Tutorial” button will help too.



Now go to this site: http://www.athro.com/evo/gen/genefr2.html

Eye color determined by at least three alleles ( a polygenic trait) and other genes for the cell structure of the eye. It is thus very complex about what color offspring eyes will be and how they may change color.

1. Scroll down to the Eye Color Calculator!

2. First, select the Parents' eye colors:

Eye Color of: __________________ X Eye Color of: _________________

Mother Father

3. Now select the parents' eye color genes: please circle the genotype (gene pair) you chose for each.

Mother's Genes: Father's Genes:

Brown/Blue gene & Green/Blue gene Brown/Blue gene & Green/Blue gene

Brown/Brown Green/Green Brown/Brown Green/Green

Brown/Blue Green/Blue Brown/Blue Green/Blue

Blue/Blue Blue/Blue Blue/Blue Blue/Blue

4. Now produce a child by clicking on the “Produce” button. Please do this 20 times.

5. Record the number of children that had the following eye color:

Brown eyed Children:____ Green eyed Children: ____ Blue eyed Children: ____

Try to rank the dominance of the three eye color genes starting with the gene that is most dominant to the one most recessive: #1 ___________________ , #2 ___________________ , #3 ___________________ .



Please go to the website: http://biologica.concord.org/webtest1/web_labs.htm

Click on: Dragon Genetics: This activity explores the relationship between genotype and phenotype using both dominant and recessive traits. By changing alleles (genotype), you create corresponding changes in the dragon's physical appearance (phenotype).

Scroll down and follow the directions-it says to make nine dragons (any combination of male and female) until you see the “NEXT” button show up in the lower left corner and then click on it.

As you follow the directions in the pink section-(after changing the genes a while for the upper left dragon it will give you a new dragon in the lower left corner to change—after the next button and egg are clicked on)

1. How many chromosome pairs (yellow and purple paired;

‘chr’ is the abbreviation for chromosome) does a dragon have? ___________

2. How many gene pairs are there on chromosome 2? __________

3. What combination (pairing) of alleles makes your dragon

have a unicorn horn? ____ & ____

4. Is the unicorn allele dominant or recessive? Circle the correct type of allele.

5. What combination (pairing) of alleles makes your dragon have blue skin?

Color 1 genes: ____ & ____ ; Color 2 genes: ____ & ____

6. What combination (pairing) of alleles makes your dragon breathe red fire? ____ & ____

7. Did changing your dragon’s genes (genotype) always change what it looked like

(phenotype)? Explain: _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

8. There is a combination of alleles for color that will cause your dragon to die (as shown

by the skeleton picture and no other genes can be changed).

What is it? ____ & ____



Now please go to this site:

http://www.dnaftb.org/10/problem.html

On this site please do the problem section on the topic: “Chromosomes Carry Genes.”

Follow the text and use arrows (lower right corner) to progress through the problem. The questions shown on the web site are shown below:

If the ebony trait is recessive then what color are the offspring? _________________

Knowing the Punnett Square results of the cross: How many of the 152 brown body flies are heterozygous for ebony? ________________

Knowing the gender results is the ebony trait sex(gender)-linked or not? _________________ 

Now please go to this site: http://www.g2conline.org/#

Look at the bottom left corner of this site and look for the mouse with the swimming goggles on the sliding menu and click on it. Read about the experiment and then click the start button when you are ready to see experiment.

Determine if the SAP102 gene affects spatial memory of mice who have been trained to swim to the nearest platform. One group of mice lacks the sap102 gene, which may affect the trait of spatial memory, is compared to wild-type (typical mice that we expect to find in nature). They are dropped into a water maze with a hidden platform and in another set of trails with a visible platform. Go through steps #1-5 (or #4 at least since it has final results but no video of actual experience).

Record the data below:

Average Time to Platform –Hidden

Average Time to Platform –Visible



To find the averages of the swim paths just add the four swim times and divide by four.

Wild Type

SAP102 Gene missing

Write a summary if the sap102 gene affects spatial memory: _____________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

FINISHED!