Genetics

Investigating Human Traits

Investigating Human Traits2/6/15

Key Question: What do we inherit from our parents?

Initial Thoughts:

Characteristic vs. Trait

• Characteristic - i.e. Eye Color

• Trait - different versions of a characteristic; i.e. brown, blue, green

• How much variation is shown in our class?

Evidence: Trait Survey

• Tongue rolling• Paper tasting (PTC)• Widow’s peak• Attached earlobes• Curly/ Straight Hair• Freckles• Cleft chin• Eye color• Straight/ Bent little

fingers

• Dimples• Nose shape• Mid-digit finger hair• Dark/blonde hair• Non-red/red hair• Handedness

Trait Table Traits: Tongue Rolling

http://www.ncrtec.org/tl/camp/gene/curl.jpg

Trait Table Traits: Widow’s Peak

Peak!

No peak!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/heredity/graphics/widow2.gif&imgrefurl=http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/heredity/worksheet_heredity.html&h=131&w=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwidow%2527s%2Bpeak%26start%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN

Trait Table Traits: Not Attached vs. Attached Earlobes

http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/heredity/graphics/nolobe.gif

http://www.edquest.ca/Projects/GHTS/FET.jpg

Trait Table Traits: Freckles on Face

http://www.szarvas.org/freckles.jpg

Taste Test

• http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/inheritance/ptc/

• PTC – No taste, bitter, extremely bitter• Sodium Benzoate – no taste, salty, bitter, sweet

Trait Survey

• You and your elbow partner will fill-out the hereditary traits results.

Human TraitsN

um

ber

of

Peo

ple

Traits

Analysis Questions

1. What is the conclusion of your graph?

2. What would happen if you were able to ask more people?

3. List your individual traits.

Summary

• What did you think about the variation of

human traits before this lesson?

• What does your evidence show you that

you learned about the variation of human

traits?

• What are some thoughts or questions

you have about human traits?

Reflection

• Create an analogy for characteristics and traits.

Big Idea

• We inherit genes from our parents which result in us having different traits.