Genetics

In this unit we will study the science of heredity - how traits are passed down from generation to generation. We start by learning about how and why cells divide. Then we discuss the work of Gregor Mendel and get an introduction to mendelian genetics, or how dominant and recessive traits are passed down and how they work. There is a lot of new vocabulary in this unit, and we spend a great deal of time going over the meanings of each term. We then learn about meiosis, which is the special type of cell division that results in the sex cells, or the eggs and sperm. We learn how to use Punnett squares to predict the probability of certain traits being expressed by offspring, given the genetic make-up of the parents. We will briefly touch on human genetics and how males and females are determined. During this time we learn about pedigrees, which are charts that trace the appearance of a particular trait through a family tree. To end the unit we apply what we've learned to the study of Darwinian evolution and natural selection and how traits change over time and eventually result in new species.

The main project for this unit is an experiment where we actually perform genetic crosses with fruit flies to study the inheritance of two specific traits, eye color and presence of wings. By looking at the traits exhibited by the offspring, we can determine what specific genes the parents had for both of these traits. This project is preceded by a web quest where teams of students search through specific sites on the internet to learn about the anatomy, life cycle and habitat of the fruit fly. They will then turn this information into a power point presentation. Once the genetic experiments are finished, we will expand the presentations to include the data from our experiments.