This document summarizes several genetics concepts including incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, polygenic inheritance, environmental impacts, mutations, recessive genetic disorders, sex determination, and sex-linked disorders. Incomplete dominance is when neither allele is dominant, resulting in an intermediate phenotype. Multiple alleles control traits through more than two alleles producing more than three phenotypes, such as the four blood types. Polygenic inheritance occurs when multiple gene pairs act together to influence complex traits over a wide range.

1. GENETICS
Chapter 11, Section 2

2. Incomplete Dominance
 Neither allele seems dominant
 Result is an intermediate phenotype
 When the offspring of two homozygous
parents show intermediate phenotype
 Example: A red flower and a white flower are
crossed. The result is a pink flower. Nothing
is dominant.

3. Multiple Alleles
 A trait that is controlled by more than two
alleles is controlled by this.
 Produce more than three phenotypes of that
trait
 Blood type produces four phenotypes (A
blood, B blood, AB blood, and O blood)
 Alleles are A, B, and O.
 O is recessive to both A and B
 A and B are both dominant
 Possible genotypes: AA, AO, BB, BO, AB, OO

4. Polygenic Inheritance
 Occurs when a group of gene pairs acts
together to produce a trait.
 More than one gene contributes to the phenotype
 Many alleles, examples: eye color, skin color,
height, weight, intelligence, behavior
 Traits vary over a wide range
 Environment plays an important role in the
expression of traits controlled by this

5. Impact of Environment
 Your environment plays a role in how some of
your genes are expressed or whether they are
expressed at all.
 Environmental influences can be external or
internal.
 You might be able to influence their expression
by the decisions you make. We will discuss
examples.

6. Mutations
 Errors in the DNA when it is copied inside of a
cell—changes in genes
 Not all mutations are harmful
 Possible causes: X-rays, sunlight, chemicals

7.  Problems can also occur if the incorrect
number of chromosomes is inherited because
of mistakes in the process of meiosis.
 Example—Down’s syndrome results when
three copies of chromosome 21 are produced

8. Recessive Genetic Disorders
 Disorders caused by recessive genes
 Cystic fibrosis—thick mucus builds up in the
lungs and it is hard to breathe, also hard to
digest food because mucus reduces the flow
of substances necessary for digestion

9. Sex Determination
 Dad determines the sex of the child
 Alleles for females: XX
 Alleles for males: XY
 Each parent gives one allele and a mom can
only give an X.

10. Sex-Linked Disorders
 Sex-linked gene—an allele inherited on a sex
chromosome
 Example: color blindness caused by a trait on
the X chromosome
 Males are colorblind if their X has the trait
 Females are colorblind if BOTH of their X’s
has the trait.