Non-Mendelian Genetics & Pedigrees

In this session, we discuss 4 types of Non-Mendelian Genetics and 5 pedigrees. We begin by showing the purpose for learning about these inheritance patterns, and discussing the 4 types. With codominance (co: together), we use a feather and cattle exam and show that it depends on the heterozygote. With Incomplete dominance, we use a flower color example. With multiple alleles (which we warn are a little more confusing), we remind students to write the allele like a superscript and complete 5 practice problems. We use blood types, reminding students that blood type is both codominant and dominant recessive. We discuss sex linked traits (diseases carried on the X or Y chromosome and they are more frequently occuring in males). Examples of sex linked traits are color blindness and hemophilia. We discuss 4 types of pedigrees (autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked interactive / Y-linked interactive, and mitochondrial). The exam typically doesn’t state which pedigree is discussed in a problem, so we included characteristics for each pedigree that will help students identify which one it is on the exam.