ACBS313 NON-MENDELIAN
INHERITANCE AND GENETIC
PRINCIPLES QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What is an example of a multifactorial trait? - Answer- Human height, which depends on
multiple genes and environmental factors like nutrition.
How can flower color demonstrate multifactorial traits? - Answer- It can vary depending
on environmental conditions like soil acidity.
What challenges do polygenic and multifactorial traits present to Mendelian predictions?
- Answer- They require models that account for multiple genes and environmental
interactions to accurately predict phenotypic outcomes.
What is mosaicism? - Answer- A condition arising from mutations after embryo
formation leading to different cell genomes.
How does chimerism differ from mosaicism? - Answer- Chimerism results from the
fusion of two zygotes, leading to an organism with two distinct cell lines.
What is an example of mosaicism in animals? - Answer- Tortoise shell or calico cats,
which exhibit different coat colors due to X-chromosome inactivation.
Why is understanding mosaicism and chimerism important? - Answer- It helps interpret
complex inheritance patterns and phenotypic variability.
What does epigenetics study? - Answer- Heritable changes affecting gene expression
without altering the DNA sequence.
What are some modifications involved in epigenetics? - Answer- DNA methylation,
histone modification, and RNA-associated silencing.
How can epigenetic changes be inherited? - Answer- They can be inherited across cell
divisions and, in some cases, across generations.
What role does epigenetics play in development and disease? - Answer- It influences
gene expression in response to environmental stimuli, affecting development, disease
susceptibility, and adaptation.
, How does variable X-inactivation in females illustrate epigenetic mechanisms? -
Answer- It leads to mosaic coat colors in cats without changing the underlying DNA
sequence.
What is the significance of epigenetic mechanisms in genetics? - Answer- They add a
complex layer to classical genetics, influencing phenotypic diversity.
What is a gene? - Answer- A specific sequence of DNA that encodes a functional
product, typically RNA or a protein.
What is an allele? - Answer- A variant form of a gene resulting from mutations;
individuals inherit two alleles for each gene, one from each parent.
What is a locus? - Answer- The specific physical location of a gene on a chromosome.
What does phenotype refer to? - Answer- The observable characteristics of an
organism, influenced by its genotype and environment.
What is genotype? - Answer- The complete set of genes or the specific DNA sequence
of an individual.
What does dominance describe in genetics? - Answer- The relationship between alleles
where one allele's trait is expressed over another in heterozygous individuals.
What were the key methods used by Mendel in his pea plant experiments? - Answer-
He developed true-breeding lines and used controlled pollination by manually
transferring pollen.
What did Mendel's experiments demonstrate about phenotypes? - Answer- Phenotypes
result from the inheritance of discrete alleles—variant forms of genes.
What is the Law of Segregation? - Answer- It states that each individual carries two
alleles for each gene, which segregate during gamete formation so each gamete carries
only one allele.
How does the Law of Segregation affect offspring inheritance? - Answer- Offspring
inherit one allele from each parent, restoring the pair, and the segregation of alleles is
random and independent of other genes.
What is a Punnett square used for? - Answer- It is a visual tool that predicts the
genotypic and phenotypic ratios of offspring based on parental genotypes.
What is the phenotypic ratio for a monohybrid cross with complete dominance? -
Answer- A typical ratio is 3:1 (dominant:recessive).
INHERITANCE AND GENETIC
PRINCIPLES QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What is an example of a multifactorial trait? - Answer- Human height, which depends on
multiple genes and environmental factors like nutrition.
How can flower color demonstrate multifactorial traits? - Answer- It can vary depending
on environmental conditions like soil acidity.
What challenges do polygenic and multifactorial traits present to Mendelian predictions?
- Answer- They require models that account for multiple genes and environmental
interactions to accurately predict phenotypic outcomes.
What is mosaicism? - Answer- A condition arising from mutations after embryo
formation leading to different cell genomes.
How does chimerism differ from mosaicism? - Answer- Chimerism results from the
fusion of two zygotes, leading to an organism with two distinct cell lines.
What is an example of mosaicism in animals? - Answer- Tortoise shell or calico cats,
which exhibit different coat colors due to X-chromosome inactivation.
Why is understanding mosaicism and chimerism important? - Answer- It helps interpret
complex inheritance patterns and phenotypic variability.
What does epigenetics study? - Answer- Heritable changes affecting gene expression
without altering the DNA sequence.
What are some modifications involved in epigenetics? - Answer- DNA methylation,
histone modification, and RNA-associated silencing.
How can epigenetic changes be inherited? - Answer- They can be inherited across cell
divisions and, in some cases, across generations.
What role does epigenetics play in development and disease? - Answer- It influences
gene expression in response to environmental stimuli, affecting development, disease
susceptibility, and adaptation.
, How does variable X-inactivation in females illustrate epigenetic mechanisms? -
Answer- It leads to mosaic coat colors in cats without changing the underlying DNA
sequence.
What is the significance of epigenetic mechanisms in genetics? - Answer- They add a
complex layer to classical genetics, influencing phenotypic diversity.
What is a gene? - Answer- A specific sequence of DNA that encodes a functional
product, typically RNA or a protein.
What is an allele? - Answer- A variant form of a gene resulting from mutations;
individuals inherit two alleles for each gene, one from each parent.
What is a locus? - Answer- The specific physical location of a gene on a chromosome.
What does phenotype refer to? - Answer- The observable characteristics of an
organism, influenced by its genotype and environment.
What is genotype? - Answer- The complete set of genes or the specific DNA sequence
of an individual.
What does dominance describe in genetics? - Answer- The relationship between alleles
where one allele's trait is expressed over another in heterozygous individuals.
What were the key methods used by Mendel in his pea plant experiments? - Answer-
He developed true-breeding lines and used controlled pollination by manually
transferring pollen.
What did Mendel's experiments demonstrate about phenotypes? - Answer- Phenotypes
result from the inheritance of discrete alleles—variant forms of genes.
What is the Law of Segregation? - Answer- It states that each individual carries two
alleles for each gene, which segregate during gamete formation so each gamete carries
only one allele.
How does the Law of Segregation affect offspring inheritance? - Answer- Offspring
inherit one allele from each parent, restoring the pair, and the segregation of alleles is
random and independent of other genes.
What is a Punnett square used for? - Answer- It is a visual tool that predicts the
genotypic and phenotypic ratios of offspring based on parental genotypes.
What is the phenotypic ratio for a monohybrid cross with complete dominance? -
Answer- A typical ratio is 3:1 (dominant:recessive).
