Human Genetics Survey
Name: _________________________________
Date: _______________________
The purpose of this survey is to find out what people really understand about human genetics. Read each of
the 20 statements and record whether you believe the statements to be true (T) or false (F). Record your
answers in column A. Find two other persons, preferably adults, to survey. Record their answers in the
columns marked B and C. Discuss the survey results with your class.
A
B
C
1. If two parents have brown eyes, then all of their children will have brown eyes.
2. If your father or mother is a diabetic, you could also be a diabetic.
3. If a mother eats strawberries before her child is born, the child will have a
strawberry birthmark.
4. A man's sperm cells determine whether a child will be a boy or a girl.
5. No one has ever seen a chromosome.
6. Some of our inherited traits are influenced by the environment.
7. Persons of the same sex can donate blood to others of the same sex even if the
blood types are different.
8. Each parent gives an equal number of chromosomes to his or her children.
9. Only the father's traits show in a male child.
10. A person can be born with one brown eye and one blue eye.
11. Identical twins are always of the same sex.
12. Fraternal twins are more closely related to each other than to other children
in the family.
13. Color blindness is more common in males than females.
14. A parent can pass traits to a child even though the parent does not show the
trait.
15. All harmful traits are caused by recessive genes.
16. Identical twins have more of the same genes than other children in the
family.
17. The tendency for twins in a family is inherited.
18. Some traits do not show in a person because the traits are recessive.
19. A child inherits temper from it's parents.
20. None of the grandparents' traits are passed on to the grandchildren.
Family Genetics Study
There are some traits in humans that follow the simple inheritance patterns we have been
studying. Below is a table of a few.
Your Task:
1. Research ONE of these traits in your family. This must include parents, siblings, and
grandparents. Any other data you can get (i.e. aunts/uncles, cousins, nieces/nephews,
etc.) will add to you being able to see patterns of inheritance.
2. Make a table listing all of your family members and the phenotype they show for this
trait. Bring this to class next week so that we can work on making a pedigree for your
family.
Traits
Cleft in chin
Crossing of thumbs
Dimples
Earlobes
Freckles
Handedness
Hitchhiker’s thumb
Nose width
Toe length
Tongue rolling
My Family
Name
Dominant
Recessive
Absence
Left thumb over right
Presence
Free earlobes
Presence
Right-handed
Absence
Broad nose
Second toe longer than first
Ability present
Presence
Right thumb over left
Absence
Attached earlobes
Absence
Left-handed
Presence
Narrow nose
First toe longer than second
Ability absent
My Chosen Trait:
Relationship
Phenotype