8th Grade Curriculum
Unit 1: Genetics
Unit 2: Biological History
PA Academic Standards
3.1.8.A9:
* Understand how theories are developed.
* Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations and evaluate the appropriateness of
questions.
* Design and conduct a scientific investigation and understand that current scientific knowledge guides
scientific investigations.
* Describe relationships using inference and prediction.
* Use appropriate tools and technologies to gather, analyze, and interpret data and understand that it enhances
accuracy and allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations.
* Develop descriptions, explanations, and models using evidence and understand that these emphasize evidence,
have logically consistent arguments, and are based on scientific principles, models, and theories.
* Analyze alternative explanations and understanding that science advances through legitimate skepticism.
* Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry.
* Understand that scientific investigations may result in new ideas for study, new methods, or procedures for an
investigation or new technologies to improve data collection.
3.1.7.B1: Explain how genetic instructions influence inherited traits. Identify Mendelian patterns of inheritance.
3.1.7.B2: Compare sexual reproduction with asexual reproduction.
3.1.7.B4: Describe how selective breeding and biotechnology can alter the genetic composition of organisms.
3.1.7.C2: Explain that mutations can alter a gene and are the original source of new variations in a population.
3.1.7.C1: Describe how natural selection is an underlying factor in a population’s ability to adapt to changes.
3.1.8.C1: Explain how reproductive success coupled with advantageous traits over many generations
contributes to natural selection.
Classroom Expectations
1. Be prepared for class every day. You will need a pencil, folder, workbook, and agenda book every day.
Pens are optional for everything except lab work and tests!
2. Be on time. If you arrive after the bell rings, be prepared to go to the office for a late pass.
3. Be respectful of your classmates, your teacher and your self.
4. When I am speaking, YOU are NOT!
5. Your full attendance is required. By this I mean you must be both mentally and physically present in class.
Participating in discussions, and volunteering will add to your educational experience, as well as keeping class
interesting for you!
6. IF you are absent it is YOUR responsibility to make up all missed work. Please see me at the beginning of
class as soon as you return, so I can get you any information you missed. All missing work is recorded as a 0%
until it is made up. Then full credit will be given if assignments are turned in by the appropriate deadline given.
7. Lab work is REQUIRED. If you are absent on a lab day, it is your responsibility to schedule a make-up lab
during period 7.
8. Passes for band lessons will not be accepted on test or lab days.
9. If you have any questions or concerns please see Mrs. Bicher as soon as possible. I don’t want you to get
behind. I am happy to help, but YOU need to let me know that you need help!
10. Please check PowerSchool, and Blackboard from home to keep on top of homework assignments and
grades! This is a great tool that will help you to succeed in my class.
GRADE SCALE
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
98% - 100%
93% - 97%
90% - 92%
87% - 89%
83% - 86%
80% - 82%
C+
C
CD+
D
D-
77% - 79%
73% - 76%
70% - 72%
67% - 69%
63% - 66%
60% - 62%
F 0% - 59%
Please read through the above information with your parents. If you have any questions or concerns you can
reach me best through e-mail. abicher@elcosd.org
Please sign the appropriate line below, and have your parents sign as well to show me you read and understand
the classroom expectations for 8th grade biology.
____________________________________
____________________________________
Student signature
parent signature
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Mitosis and Meiosis Review:
1. What is Mitosis? _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the products of Mitosis? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What is Meiosis? _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What are the products of Meiosis? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is a diploid cell? ____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What is a haploid cell? ____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7. What is a gamete? ________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What is a chromosome? ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What is a chromatid? _____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What is a centromere? ____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Draw a chromosome and a chromatid in the appropriate boxes below.
CHROMOSOME
CHROMATID
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11. How many nuclear divisions take place during mitosis? _________________________________________
12. How many nuclear divisions take place during meiosis? _________________________________________
13. What is DNA? __________________________________________________________________________
14. Why is it important for the cell to make a correct copy of the DNA? _______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
15. What could occur if there is a mistake that occurs during the copying process of DNA? _______________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
16. Which type of cell reproduction leads to a greater variation in a species? ____________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
17. Which type of cell reproduction is important in healing broken bones or wounds, and growing?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
18. Why is UV radiation from overexposure to the sun a danger to mitosis? ____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
In the spaces below, sketch a brief explanation showing what happens during the processes of mitosis and
meiosis.
MITOSIS
MEIOSIS
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Genetics Notes
What is genetics? _________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is heredity? _________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is a trait? ___________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
How are traits passed on? ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is DNA? ____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Watson and Crick

Are the two scientists who discovered the shape of DNA.

They called the shape a double helix.

Each chromosome is a long strand of DNA.

Every cell has 23 homologous pairs of chromosomes
How does DNA make a human?

The genetic code is spelled out with just four chemical letters, or bases: ____________
_________________________, _____________________, ___________________

These pair up: ___________________________ and ______________________

The human genome has between 2.8 and 3.5 billion base pairs!
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DNA double helix

The base pairs form the rungs of the ladder-like DNA double helix. Running up and down
the ladder are the long sequences of__________________, which are the code for life.

Each cell in the human body contains 2 meters (6 feet) of DNA!
Genes

As little as 3% of the total genome is made of genes - the rest is meaningless “junk”.

Genes are special sequences of hundreds or thousands of base pairs that provide the
templates for all the ______________________ which the body needs to produce.
Chromosomes

The total number of genes is not known. The estimate ranges from 30,000 - 120,000!

All genes are wrapped up into bundles called ______________________________.

Every human has _____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________!
Nucleus and the cell

The _________chromosomes are held in the _______________ found in most cells in
the human body. Nearly every cell in the body contains the full DNA code for producing a
human.
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DNA - The Double Helix
Recall that the nucleus is a small spherical, dense body in a cell. It is often called the "control
center" because it controls all the activities of the cell including cell reproduction, and
heredity. Chromosomes are microscopic, threadlike strands composed of the chemical DNA
(short for deoxyribonucleic acid). In simple terms, DNA controls the production of proteins
within the cell. These proteins in turn, form the structural units of cells and control all
chemical processes within the cell. Think of proteins as the the building blocks for an organism,
proteins make up your skin, your hair, parts of individual cells. How you look is largely
determined by the proteins that are made. The proteins that are made is determined by the
sequence of DNA in the nucleus.
Chromosomes are composed of genes, which is a segment of DNA that codes for a particular
protein which in turn codes for a trait. Hence you hear it commonly referred to as the gene for
baldness or the gene for blue eyes. Meanwhile, DNA is the chemical that genes and
chromosomes are made of. DNA is called a nucleic acid because it was first found in the
nucleus. We now know that DNA is also found in organelles, the mitochrondria and chloroplasts,
though it is the DNA in the nucleus that actually controls the cell's workings.
In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick established the structure of DNA. The shape of
DNA is a double helix (color the title black), which is like a twisted ladder. The sides of the
ladder are made of alternating sugar and phosphate molecules. The sugar is deoxyribose. Color
all the phosphates pink (one is labeled with a "p"). Color all the deoxyriboses blue (one is
labeled with a "D") .
The rungs of the ladder are pairs of 4 types of nitrogen bases. The bases are known by their
coded letters A, G, T, C. These bases always bond in a certain way. Adenine will only bond to
thymine. Guanine will only bond with cytosine. This is known as the "Base-Pair Rule". The bases
can occur in any order along a strand of DNA. The order of these bases is the code the contains
the instructions. For instance ATGCACATA would code for a different gene than AATTACGGA.
A strand of DNA contains millions of bases. (For simplicity, the image only contains a few.)
Color the thymines orange.
Color the guanines purple.
Color the adenines green.
Color the cytosines yellow
Note that that the bases attach to the sides of the ladder at the sugars and not the
phosphate. The DNA helix is actually made of repeating units called nucleotides. Each
nucleotide consists of three molecules: a sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate which links the
sugars together, and then one of the four bases. Two of the bases are purines - adenine and
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guanine. The pyrimidines are thymine and cytosine. Note that the pyrimidines are single ringed
and the purines are double ringed. Color the nucleotides using the same colors as you colored
them in the double helix.
The two sides of the DNA ladder are held together loosely by hydrogen bonds. The DNA can
actually "unzip" when it needs to replicate - or make a copy of itself. DNA needs to copy itself
when a cell divides, so that the new cells each contain a copy of the DNA. Without these
instructions, the new cells wouldn't have the correct information. The hydrogen bonds are
represented by small circles. Color the hydrogen bonds grey.
Messenger RNA
So, now, we know the nucleus controls the cell's activities through the chemical DNA, but how?
It is the sequence of bases that determine which protein is to be made. The sequence is like a
code that we can now interpret. The sequence determines which proteins are made and the
proteins determine which activities will be performed. And that is how the nucleus is the
control center of the cell. The only problem is that the DNA is too big to go through the
nuclear pores. So a chemical is used to to read the DNA in the nucleus. That chemical is
messenger RNA. The messenger RNA (mRNA) is small enough to go through the nuclear
pores. It takes the "message" of the DNA to the ribosomes and "tells them" what proteins are
to be made. Recall that proteins are the body's building blocks. Imagine that the code taken to
the ribosomes is telling the ribosome what is needed - like a recipe.
Messenger RNA is similar to DNA, except that it is a single strand, and it has no thymine.
Instead of thymine, mRNA contains the base Uracil. In addition to that difference, mRNA has
the sugar ribose instead of deoxyribose. RNA stands for Ribonucleic Acid. Color the mRNA as
you did the DNA, except:
Color the ribose a DARKER BLUE, and the uracil brown.
The Blueprint of Life
Every cell in your body has the same "blueprint" or the same DNA. Like the blueprints of a
house tell the builders how to construct a house, the DNA "blueprint" tells the cell how to build
the organism. Yet, how can a heart be so different from a brain if all the cells contain the
same instructions? Although much work remains in genetics, it has become apparent that a cell
has the ability to turn off most genes and only work with the genes
necessary to do a job. We also know that a lot of DNA apparently is nonsense and codes for
nothing. These regions of DNA that do not code for proteins are called "introns", or sometimes
"junk DNA". The sections of DNA that do actually code from proteins are called "exons".
1. Write out the full name for DNA. _______________________________________
2. What is a gene? ____________________________________________________
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3. Where in the cell are chromosomes located?_______________________________
4. DNA can be found in what two organelles? ________________________________
5. What two scientists established the structure of DNA? ______________________
6. What is the shape of DNA? ___________________________________________
7. What are the sides of the DNA ladder made of? ____________________________
8. What are the "rungs" of the DNA ladder made of? __________________________
9. What sugar is found in DNA? __________________ In RNA? _________________
10. How do the bases bond together? A bonds with _____
G bonds with _______
11. The two purines in DNA are ___________________________________________.
12. DNA is made of repeating units called ___________________________________
13. Why is RNA necessary to act as a messenger? Why can't the code be taken directly from
the DNA? ______________________________________________________
14. Proteins are made where in the cell? ____________________________________
15. How do some cells become brain cells and others become skin cells, when the DNA in ALL
the cells is exactly the same. In other words, if the instructions are exactly the same, how
does one cell become a brain cell and another a skin cell? ________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
16. Why is DNA called the "Blueprint of Life"? _______________________________
9
Color the images according to the instructions.
DNA - The Double Helix
10
Name _________________________________________________________________
Acquired –vs- Inherited Characteristics
Acquired Characteristics:
Acquired characteristics are features that organisms acquire during their
lives.
Many 19th century scientists believed that acquired characteristics
were passed on to offspring.
Even Darwin, as a child, claimed hel could
make flowers turn colors by watering them with colored water.
Before
completing the experiment create a hypothesis that answers the question:
Can acquired characteristics be passed on to offspring?
Hypothesis: ___________________________________________________________
Once you have formulated your hypothesis, you should gather your lab
materials from the front desk and follow the procedure below.
Procedure:
1.
Put a spoon flat on the dish, squeeze a couple drops of one color of
food coloring into it; then take 2 radish seeds and drop them into the
spoon.
2.
Repeat step 1 with each of the four colors.
3.
Allow the radish seeds to soak up the color.
4.
Take the small cups and fill them most of the way with loose soil, and
pat it down.
Label each cup with the color of seeds to be planted in
them.
5.
Repeat the process until you have one pot for each color of seeds.
6.
Plant the two colored seeds in the appropriately labeled pots.
Genetly push the seeds about ¼ inch below the soil level and smooth it
over gently.
7.
Put you and your partners names on the cup, and place them together in
the greenhouse.
8.
Check your cups daily and make observations in data table #1.
Be sure
to record when the sprout is first visible and the color of the sprout.
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When the seeds sprout will their leaves match the colors on the labels?
Why or Why not.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Data Table #1
DAY 1 DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5 DAY 6 DAY 7 DAY 8 DAY 9 DAY
10
GROWTH
(measure
in cm.)
COLOR
Of
LEAVES
Conclusion:
1.
Was your hypothesis correct?
Explain your observations and why you
think they occurred.
2.
What are some of the inherited traits you observed with the Mendel
activity?
3.
Explain what Mendel meant by inherited characteristics?
What is the difference between an acquired trait and an inherited
trait?
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Dominant Trait:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Recessive Trait:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Genotype:

Every one has two genes for a trait. One gene from mom and one gene from dad.

If mom gives you a dominant gene and dad gives you a recessive gene your genotype would
be:

Rr
What is a Genotype:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Phenotype:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Homozygous genotype:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Heterozygous genotype:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Punnett square:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Monohybrid Crosses and the Punnett Square
Introduction
Scientists use a grid-like tool (Punnett Square) to make predictions about various genetic problems. The
Punnett Square shows only the probability of what might occur and not the actual results. Probability is the
chance of something occurring. If one wants to flip a coin 100 times, since there are 2 sides to the coin, he
would expect 50 heads and 50 tails. If he flips the coin 100 times, he may actually get 60 heads and 40 tails.
Prediction is one thing, and actually getting the predicted results is another. The Punnett Square only shows the
chances of what might occur each time the event is undertaken.
Objective
In this investigation, you will use a Punnett Square to predict the possible genotypes and phenotypes and their
ratios from a monohybrid cross.
Materials
· red beans
· white beans
· 2 small paper bags (one labeled male and the other labeled female)
Procedure :
1. Each group of 2 students will pick up 2 paper bags filled with 15 red (R) beans and 15 white (r) beans. This
represents 2 heterozygous parents (Rr x Rr).
2. One student in the group will be in charge of the male bag and the other student will be in charge of the
female bag.
3. At the same time, each student will reach into their bag and pull out one of the beans. The only possibilities
that can be made from this selection are: RR (homozygous red), Rr (heterozygous red), or rr (homozygous
white). Mark the resulting genotype and phenotype in the data table.
4. Return the beans back into the bag and conduct the same process 14 more times (15 total trials).
Data Table:
TRIAL
OFFSPRINGS GENOTYPE
1
2
3
4
5
6
14
OFFSPRINGS PHENOTYPE
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Analysis and Conclusions: (HINT:REFER TO THE PROCEDURE FOR HELP!)
1. What is the dominant trait? ________________________________________
2. How do you know it is dominant? ____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Which one is the recessive trait? _____________________________________
4. What are the genotypes of the parents? ________________________________
5. What are the phenotypes of the parents? _______________________________
6. Fill in the Punnett Square below using the parents given in the procedure:
Male __________ X Female __________
7. What are the possible genotypes of the offspring? (include the % probability)
_________________________
8. What are the possible phenotypes of the offspring? (include the % probability)
_________________________
9. Define the following words:
Genotype
_______________________________________________________________________
Phenotype
_______________________________________________________________________
Homozygous
_______________________________________________________________________
Heterozygous
_______________________________________________________________________
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Dominant
_______________________________________________________________________
Recessive
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Identify the following genotypes as being heterozygous (He) or homozygous (Ho)
RR ___________
rr ___________
Rr ___________
11. What have you learned about Mendelian Genetics from doing this lab? Explain using key vocabulary terms
and complete sentences!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Bikini Bottom Genetics
Scientists at Bikini Bottoms have been investigating the genetic makeup of the organisms in this community.
Use the information provided and your knowledge of genetics to answer each question.
1. For each genotype below, indicate whether it is a heterozygous (He) OR homozygous (Ho).
TT _____ Bb _____ DD _____ Ff _____ tt _____ dd _____
Dd _____ ff _____ Tt _____ bb _____ BB _____ FF _____
Which of the genotypes in #1 would be considered purebred? _______________________________
Which of the genotypes in #1 would be hybrids? __________________________________________
2. Determine the phenotype for each genotype using the information provided about SpongeBob.
Yellow body color is dominant to blue.
YY ________________ Yy ________________ yy ________________
Square shape is dominant to round.
SS ________________ Ss ________________ ss ________________
3. For each phenotype, give the genotypes that are possible for Patrick.
A tall head (T) is dominant to short (t).
Tall = _______________ Short = _______________
Pink body color (P) is dominant to yellow (p).
Pink body = _____________ Yellow body = _________________
4. SpongeBob SquarePants recently met SpongeSusie Roundpants at a dance. SpongeBob is heterozygous for
his square shape, but SpongeSusie is round. Create a Punnett square to show the possibilities that would result
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if SpongeBob and SpongeSusie had children. HINT: Read question #2!
A. List the possible genotypes and phenotypes for their children.
B. What are the chances of a child with a square shape? ____ out of ____ or ____%
C. What are the chances of a child with a round shape? ____ out of ____ or ____%
5. Patrick met Patti at the dance. Both of them are heterozygous for their pink body color, which is dominant
over a yellow body color. Create a Punnett square to show the possibilities that would result if Patrick and Patti
had children. HINT: Read question #3!
A. List the possible genotypes and phenotypes for their children.
B. What are the chances of a child with a pink body? ____ out of ____ or ____%
C. What are the chances of a child with a yellow body? ____ out of ____ or ____%
6. Everyone in Squidward’s family has light blue skin, which is the dominant trait for body color in his
hometown of Squid Valley. His family brags that they are a “purebred” line. He recently married a nice girl
who has light green skin, which is a recessive trait. Create a Punnett square to show the possibilities that would
result if Squidward and his new bride had children. Use B to represent the dominant gene and b to represent
the recessive gene.
A. List the possible genotypes and phenotypes for their children.
B. What are the chances of a child with light blue skin? ____%
C. What are the chances of a child with light green skin? ____%
D. Would Squidward’s children still be considered purebreds? Explain!
7. Assume that one of Squidward’s sons, who is heterozygous for the light blue body color, married a girl that
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was also heterozygous. Create a Punnett square to show the possibilities that would result if they had children.
A. List the possible genotypes and phenotypes for their children.
B. What are the chances of a child with light blue skin? ____%
C. What are the chances of a child with light green skin? ____%
8. Mr. Krabbs and his wife recently had a Lil’ Krabby, but it has not been a happy occasion for them. Mrs.
Krabbs has been upset since she first saw her new baby who had short eyeballs. She claims that the hospital
goofed and mixed up her baby with someone else’s baby. Mr. Krabbs is homozygous for his tall eyeballs, while
his wife is heterozygous for her tall eyeballs. Some members of her family have short eyes, which is the
recessive trait. Create a Punnett square using T for the dominant gene and t for the recessive one.
A. List the possible genotypes and phenotypes for their children.
QuickTime™ and a
dec ompressor
are needed to see this picture.
B. Did the hospital make a mistake? Explain your answer.
1. Use the information for SpongeBob’s traits to write the phenotype (physical appearance) for each item.
(a) LL-______________ (e) Rr-_______________
(b) yy-_______________ (f) ll- _______________
(c) Ss-_______________ (g) ss- _______________
(d) RR - _____________ (h) Yy -______________
2. Use the information in the chart in #1 to write the genotype (or genotypes) for each trait below.
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(a) Yellow body - ___________ (e) Stubby nose - ___________
(b) Roundpants - ___________ (f) Round eyes - ____________
(c) Oval eyes - ______________ (g) Squarepants - ___________
(d) Long nose - _____________ (h) Blue body - ____________
3. Determine the genotypes for each using the information in the chart in #1.
(a) Heterozygous round eyes -_____ (c) Homozygous long nose - ______
(b) Purebred squarepants - ______ (d) Hybrid yellow body - ______
4. One of SpongeBob’s cousins, SpongeBillyBob, recently met a cute squarepants gal, SpongeGerdy, at a
local dance and fell in love. Use your knowledge of genetics to answer the questions below.
(a) If SpongeGerdy’s father is a heterozygous squarepants and her mother is a
roundpants, what is her genotype? Complete the Punnett square to show the
possible genotypes that would result to help you determine Gerdy’s genotype.
What is Gerdy’s genotype? _________
(b) SpongeBillyBob is heterozygous for his squarepants shape.
What is his genotype? ________
(c) Complete the Punnett square to show the possibilities that would result if Billy Bob & Gerdy had
children.
(d) List the possible genotypes and phenotypes for the kids.
(e) What is the probability of kids with squarepants? _____ %
(f) What is the probability of kids with roundpants? _____ %
Types of Inheritance
Incomplete Dominance
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Fur color example:
Genotype
Phenotype
Genotype
Phenotype
Co-dominance
Fur color example:
What is the difference between co-dominance and incomplete dominance?
Incomplete Dominance
Neither dominant nor recessive. Not all genes are dominant or recessive. Sometimes when
plants or animals with opposite traits are crossed, the offspring do not look like either parent.
Instead the offspring show a blending of traits from both parents. For example, when a red
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four o’clock flower is crossed with a white four o’clock, the hybrid offspring are all pink.
Neither the red nor the white color is dominant. This type of inheritance is called incomplete
dominance.
A. The genotypes of four o’clock flowers are as follows:
Red =
RR
White = WW
Pink =
RW or WR
Using a Punnett square, cross two pink four o’clock flowers.
R
W
1. How many offspring are red? _________
2. How many offspring are white? _______
R
3. How many offspring are pink? ________
W
A case of co- dominance occurs in the case of shorthorn cattle. When a red-haired bull is
crossed with a white – haired cow, all of the hybrid offspring are roan. The roan animal has
both red and white hairs.
A. The genotypes for shorthorn cattle are as follows:
Red =
RR
White = WW
Roan =
RW or WR
1. Is red dominant? ____________________________
2. Is white recessive? ___________________________
3. If you cross two roan animals, what would be the chance of
getting a red calf? A white calf? A roan calf?
(the square is on pg. 27!)
R
R
W
1. How many offspring are red? _________
2. How many offspring are white? _______
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3. How many offspring are roan? ________
W
4. Work out a cross between a red-haired bull and a roan cow. Would any off-spring be white
haired? ____________
R
R
R
W
5. What type of cross would guarantee that all the offspring would be:
Red =
White =
Roan =
___________x___________
___________x___________
___________x___________
Punnet Squares Practice worksheet
22
Use the directions below to predict the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring. BE
CAREFUL , take your time, write down the information you are given, and read your
directions/problem carefully!!
1. In South Africa the giraffe is a common animal. Giraffe’s with long necks have a genotype of
LL, giraffe’s with short necks have the genotype SS, giraffe’s with medium length necks have
the genotype LS. In the space below show a cross between a Long neck mother, and a short
neck father. What are the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring?
Now show a cross between two giraffe’s that are heterozygous for the neck length trait. List
the possible genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring.
What genotypes would the parent giraffe’s have to have to insure the offspring would have a
long neck? a short neck? a medium neck? Use punnet squares to show how it would work.
23
2. In the Wilder family the widows peak is a recessive trait. Use N to represent a person with
a normal hairline, and n to represent people with a widows peak.
(HINT: this is not an incompletely dominant trait!!)
a. Show a cross between a homozygous dominant mother and a homozygous recessive father.
Show the genotype and phenotype %’s of the offspring.
b. Show a cross between a homozygous dominant mother and a heterozygous father. Show the
genotype and phenotype %’s of the offspring.
c. Show a cross between two parents who are both heterozygous for the widow’s peak trait.
Show the genotype and phenotype %’s of the offspring.
Pure Gold?
24
Imagine that you have inherited a ranch in California from a distant relative. When you visit
the ranch, you instantly fall in love with several magnificent palomino horses. The palominos are
golden in color. They have blonde tails and manes. You decide to breed the palominos.
1. How could you determine experimentally if the palomino color is a hybrid or purebred trait?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Suppose that you bred many pairs of palomino horses and they produced these colts:
61 palomino, 32 brown, 29 white.
2. Does this observation support the hypothesis that palomino color is purebred? _____
3. About what percent of colts were palomino? ______________Brown? ___________
White? __________________
When the colts mature, you breed the brown horses together. All the resulting colts are
brown. You also breed the white horses together. All of their colts are white. Represent the
genotype of rown horses as BB and white horses as WW. Complete the Punnett square to show
the mating of two golden palomino horses.
Sickle Cell Anemia
25
Use the information below to complete each of the following Punnett squares. Use your data to
fill in the table which follows.
AA
AA’
A’A’
A
represents a person with normal blood cells
represents a person with the sickle-cell trait
represents a person with sickle-cell anemia
A
A
A
A’
A’
A’
A
A
A
A’
A
A’
A
A’
I
II
A’
III
IV
Number of children with normal red blood cells
Number of children with sickle-cell trait
Number of children with sickle cell anemia
In the space provided, write the word or words that best complete(s) the sentence.
1. Red blood cell shape is a(n) _________________________________trait.
2. People who have _________________________________ have red blood cells that are
sickle shaped.
3. Sickle cells cannot carry as much _____________________ as normal red blood cells.
4. In severe cases, sickle-cell anemia can be ______________________________.
26
Introduction
The cells of every organism have DNA, which carries the genetic information. You get half of your genetic
information from your mom and half from your dad to make you unique. Heredity is the passing of DNA
of these traits from parents to offspring. Humans have 46 chromosomes. Chromosomes have genes that
carry the genetic information. The genes are sections of DNA on a chromosome. Goldfish have 96
chromosomes and Indian corn has 20.
Materials
Indian corn on the cob for each group (best to buy in the fall)
Student worksheet
Procedure
1. In corn, purple kernel (seed) color is dominant to yellow kernel color. Each kernel on the cob
represents one of the offspring of the parents. By studying the kernels on an ear of corn, you can
determine the genetic makeup and the appearance of the parents. You will be working in groups of
two. Each group should select an ear of corn coded either A or B and complete the following
procedure. You will complete both ears of corn study, so when you are finished with one, exchange it
for the other.
2. Choose one member of your group to be the recorder and the other is the observer. The observer
will say the color of each kernel (purple or yellow) and the recorder will make a tally mark on the
table in the correct spot. Use a dissecting pin to mark the kernels in which you start. Then tally the
kernel colors row by row until you get back to your starting row (you may want to have a second pin
to mark the row you are on). Be sure to handle the ears of the corn carefully to avoid loosening any
kernels from the cob. Continue reading off the entire color of all of the kernels until all are
accounted for.
3. To complete the data table, total the tally marks in each category. Then calculate the ratio of the
purple to yellow seeds. Remember: purple is dominant over yellow.
4. Repeat steps two and three with the other type of ear. Exchange team jobs so the recorder becomes
the observer and the observer becomes the recorder.
5. Look at your data tables and make a hypothesis concerning what you think the genetic makeup is
(dominant or recessive) and what the appearance is (yellow or purple) of the parents.
6. Complete the questions on the following chart.
Lab Data
Appearance of Corn Kernels for Ear A
27
Questions:
1. What was the ratio of the purple to the yellow kernels for Ear A?
2. Based on your data, what is the most likely color of the parents (purple or yellow for mom and dad)
for Ear A? Why?
Appearance of Corn Kernels for Ear B
3. What was the ratio of the purple to the yellow kernels for Ear B?
4. Based on your data, what is the most likely color of the parents (purple or yellow for mom and dad)
for Ear B? Why do you think that?
Because you had both purple and yellow seeds, it is mostly likely that you said that one parent was
28
purple and one parent was yellow. However, in some instances, both parents can be purple and you can
still get a yellow kernel if each parent gives one recessive allele (Pp x Pp) ‐ see example three at the
bottom. The first pair of alleles (different forms of a gene, dominant and recessive, P,p) came from the
mother and the second came from the father. Each parent donated one allele.
If P represents the dominant color for purple and p represents the recessive color for yellow, please
complete the table and write the percentage for the chances of the options. In each example, cross each
parent to determine the outcomes.
PP‐ Purple, Pp‐ Purple, pp‐ yellow
5. Now that you know a little about crossing parents, what do you think is the genetic make‐up of the
parents of Ear A ? (PP x pp, Pp x Pp or pp x Pp) ‐ Look above at percentages and compare them to the
data in the lab. Why do you think that? Justify your answer.
6. Now that you know a little about crossing parents, what do you think is the genetic makeup of the
parents of Ear B ? (PP x pp, Pp x Pp or pp x Pp) ‐ Look above at percentages and compare them to the
data in the lab. Why do you think that? Justify your answer.
Follow Up Questions
29
1. If you had a red flower and a white flower, do you think you could mate those and get a pink
flower, or would you just get a red and a white? Why? (For reference, this depends on the source,
if a plant can exhibit incomplete dominance then you could mate a white and red to get a pink,
otherwise the principle of dominance would create some red and some white or all red
depending on if the parents where pure or not flower color)
2. Why do you think Indian corn looks different from field corn?
3. What do you think we could do to help increase the production of corn in our fields?
4. Do you look exactly like one of your parents? Why or why not? Do you think this applies to plants
as well? Why or why not?
Multiple alleles
30
Blood type
Genotype
Phenotype
Blood Type
In blood typing, the gene for type A and the gene for type B are codominant. The gene for type
O is recessive. Using Punnett squares, determine the possible blood types of the offspring
when:
1. Father is type O, Mother is type O
_________%O
_________%A
_________%B
_________%AB
2. Father is type A, homozygous; Mother is type B, homozygous
_________%O
_________%A
_________%B
_________%AB
3. Father is type A, heterozygous; Mother is type B, heterozygous
31
_________%O
_________%A
_________%B
_________%AB
4. Father is type O, Mother is type AB
_________%O
_________%A
_________%B
_________%AB
5. Father and Mother are both type AB
_________%O
_________%A
_________%B
_________%AB
A Quick Switch?
32
In the maternity ward, Mrs. Bright and Mrs. Light shared a room. When they were ready to go
home, Mrs. Bright insisted that she had been given the wrong baby. The babies looked very
much alike, and unfortunately, no one could find a record of the babies’ footprints. Hospital
officials told Mrs. Bright she was mistaken and sent her and the baby home. Mrs. Bright
eventually asked the hospital to perform identification tests. Several weeks later, blood tests
showed the following data.
Mrs. Bright
Mr. Bright
Baby at Bright’s house
Group AB
Group O
Group O
Mrs. Light
Mr. Light
Baby at Lights’ house
Group A
Group A
Group A
1. What is Mrs. Bright’s phenotype? _______________________________________
What possible genotypes can Mrs. Bright have? _____________________________
2. What is Mr. Bright’s phenotype? _______________________________________
What possible genotypes can Mr. Bright have? _____________________________
Using the Punnett square show the possible blood genotypes of a child born to the Brights.
1. What is Mrs. Light’s phenotype? _______________________________________
What possible genotypes can Mrs. Light have? _____________________________
2. What is Mr. Light’s phenotype? _______________________________________
What possible genotypes can Mr. Light have? _____________________________
33
5. Was there a mix-up of babies at the hospital? Explain. ______________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
6. List the combinations of phenotypes in the parents that would result in a child with Group A
blood. For example: AA x AA ______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
34
Sex-linked Traits
XX =
XY =
Why are females less likely to suffer from a sex-linked disorder?
Examples of sex-linked disorders:
Fill out the table below for the trait of colorblindness.
Females
Males
Normal
Is Colorblind
Carrier
Why are males not able to be carriers of a sex-linked disorder?
When you do a punnett square for a sex linked disorder the sex linked trait is carrier right on
the X chromosome.
Use the square below to show an example of a mother who is a carrier for baldness, and a
father who is bald.
What is the chance that a daughter will be bald?
What is the chance that a son will be bald?If dad had normal genes for baldness would it be
possible to have a daughter who was bald?
35
Genes and Blood Clotting
Sex-Linked Genes
Whether a person is born male or female is due to the type of chromosomes inherited from the
parents. An example of a gene trait located on the sex chromosome is one that controls blood
clotting. When you cut yourself, your blood clots due to a certain chemical in your blood. The
chemical is present because you have the proper gene.
STRATEGY
You will use coins to demonstrate the type of gene and sex chromosome that parents can give to
their children. You will flip two coins (one for each parent) and determine the chance
combinations that can be found in children.
MATERIALS
2 coins
pencil
tape
PROCEDURE
To help you understand the experiment: One coin represents a female parent. The other coin
represents a male parent. When the two coins are flipped at the same time, the combination on
the turned up side of the coins represents a child.
PART A
1. Put a small pieced of tape on each side of two coins. Make sure no tape is over the edges of
the coins.
2. Use a pencil to place a X on one side of a coin, and another X on the other side. This coin
represents the mother. On the second coin place an Xh on one side and a Y on the other side to
represent the father.
3. Flip the two coins at the same time. Read the combinations and record them in Data table 1
using tally marks.
4. Flip the two coins together a total of 30 times. Each flip represents the possible genes of
the offspring.
36
Data Table 1
(You will not fill in every block in the chart!!)
Coin Combination
Number of times appearing
X + X
X + Xh
or Xh + X
Xh + Xh
X + Y
Xh + Y
PART B
1. Erase the marks and remark the coins as follows. Put an X on one side and an Xh on the other
(Mother). On the second coin put an X on one side and a Y on the other (Father).
2. Flip the coins 30 times and record results in data table 2.
Data Table 2
(You will not fill in every block in the chart!!)
Coin Combination
Number of times appearing
X + X
X + Xh or Xh + X
Xh + Xh
X + Y
Xh + Y
37
PART C
1. Erase the marks and remark the coins as follows. Put an X on one side and an Xh on the other
(Mother). On the second coin put an Xh on one side and a Y on the other (Father).
2. Flip the coins 30 times and record results in data table 3.
Data Table 3
(You will not fill in every block in the chart!!)
Coin Combination
Number of times appearing
X + X
X + Xh or Xh + X
Xh + Xh
X + Y
Xh + Y
38
QUESTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
1. In Part A, describe the parents (represented by the coins) as either hemophiliac, carrier, or
normal clotter.
a. mother ______________________________________________________
b. father ______________________________________________________
2. What types of children can the parents in Part A expect?
2a. Will some of the 30 children in Part A have hemophilia? ________________
2b. Can some children have hemophilia if the parents have more than 30 children?
___________________________
2c. If a father has hemophilia , will some children have hemophilia if the mother is XX
for the trait? _____________________________________________________
3. In Part B, describe the parents (represented by the coins) as either hemophiliac, carrier, or
normal clotter.
a. mother ______________________________________________________
b. father ______________________________________________________
4. What types of children can the parents in part B expect?
a. Will some of the 30 children in part B have hemophilia? _________________
b. If some children are hemophiliacs what will their sex be? ________________
c. If a mother is XhX and a father is XY, can any of their daughters have hemophilia?
Can any of their sons? Explain. _________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. In Part C, describe the parents (represented by the coins) as either hemophiliac, carrier, or
normal clotter.
a. mother ______________________________________________________
b. father ______________________________________________________
6. What types of children can the parents in part C expect?
a. Will some of the 30 children in part C have hemophilia? _________________
b. If some children are hemophiliacs what will their sex be? ________________
7. If a mother is XhXh and a father is XY, can any of their daughters have hemophilia?
Explain._____________________________________________________________
8. Can you use coins to demonstrate the type of gene and sex chromosomes that parents can
give their children? ________________________________________________
39
Punnett Squares
Sex-linked traits
Complete the following punnett squares for color blindness,hemophilia and baldness. Remember the sex
linked trait is carried on the X chromosome, so Xc = colorblind,Xh = hemophilia, and Xb = baldness.
1. Show a cross between a mother who is a carrier for baldness, and a father who is bald.
Xb
X
% of daughters who could be bald
% of sons who could be bald
Xb
% of daughters who are carriers of
the baldness trait.
% of daughters who could not be
bald
Y
% of sons who could not be bald
2. Show a cross between a mother who has normal genes for hemophilia and a father who has
hemophilia.
% of daughters who could be
hemophiliacs
% of sons who could be hemophiliacs
% of daughters who could are
carriers of hemophilia
% of daughters who could not be
hemophiliacs.
% of sons who could not be
hemophiliacs
3. Is it possible for a daughter to have a sex linked disease like hemophilia, if her father does
NOT
have the disease? Explain
4. Is it possible for a son to have a sex linked disease like hemophilia, if his father does NOT
have the
disease? Explain.
40
In the space below show a cross between:
5. colorblind mother and a normal father
6. Normal mother and a colorblind father
5.
6.
41
Family Pedigrees
What is a family pedigree?
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
What are the symbols for a pedigree?
Symbol
Meaning
How to Read a pedigree:
The first generation is at the top of the pedigree. A horizontal line joining a square to a circle
represents a marriage. A vertical line coming from the horizontal line leads to the couples
children.
You always read a pedigree __________________________________________. Label the
oldest and youngest child in the pedigree below. Each level of the pedigree represents a
generation. Label the generations in the pedigree below.
42
HOW ORGANISMS GET THEIR TRAITS
Use the diagram to answer the following questions. The shaded parts of the diagram are used to
identify family members who have brown eyes. The unshaded parts represent members of the family
who have blue eyes.
KEY: shading = brown eyes
no shading = blue eyes
The Lopez Family
1. What is the diagram called? __________________________________
2. What do the circles represent? _______________________________
3. How many children did Mr. and Mrs. Lopez have? ________________
4. How many of the Lopez family were males? _____________________
5. What color are Mrs. Lopez’s eyes? ____________________________
6. Was the oldes Lopez child a girl or a boy? ______________________
7. How many of the Lopez children have blue eyes? ________________
8. How many generations of the Lopez family are shown? ____________
9. What color eyes does the granddaughter of the Lopez’s have? ______
10. What color eyes occur more frequently in the Lopez family? _________________. What might
this suggest? __________________________________________________________
Family Pedigree
43
Use the Lopez family pedigree shown below to answer the questions that follow. The pedigree
below shows the trait of blonde hair. (The symbols that are shaded in represent people with
blonde hair.)
1. How many generations are shown in the pedigree above? ______________________
2. How many children do Mr. and Mrs. Lopez have? ____________________________
3. Is their oldest child a boy or a girl? _____________________________________
4. Are any of the Lopez children married? __________________________________
5. Is blonde hair a dominant or a recessive trait? ___________________ How can you tell?
_______________________________________________________________
6. How many grandchildren do the Lopez’s have? ______________________________
7. What color hair does Mrs. Lopez have? __________________________________
8. What color hair does their granddaughter have? ___________________________
How is that possible? __________________________________________________
Phenotype and Genotype
44
On the lines below the symbol write the genotype of the person that is being shown!
This pedigree is
show ing the history
of tongue rolling in a
family. The symbols
that are shaded in
can roll their tongue.
Fill in the symbols for the key for this pedigree
Female with trait
Female without trait
Male with trait
Male without trait
1. Define Phenotype: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Define Genotype: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Use the above pedigree to answer the following questions:
1. What is the phenotype of the symbols that are shaded in? ____________________
2. What is the phenotype of the symbols that are not shaded in? _________________
3. What is the dominant trait? ___________________________________________
4. What is the recessive trait? ___________________________________________
45
Pedigree for Nearsightedness
A pedigree is a diagram showing the phenotype of a trait for a certain group of related
organisms. Scientists use pedigrees to help them figure out the genotypes of an organism. The
pedigree below shows a trait carried through a family. The squares represent males; the circles
represent females. In this pedigree, the recessive trait for nearsightedness, or myopia, is
shown. The shaded areas show a person who has both recessive genes for nearsightedness. On
the line below each person, write his or her genotype. Let N = dominant gene for normal vision
and n = recessive gene for nearsightedness.
2.
1.
3.
5.
10.
6.
11.
7.
4.
8.
12.
46
9.
Dihybrid Crosses
To do a dihybrid cross you will need to follow the directions below. In a dihybrid cross we are
looking at 2 traits at the same time. In this case we are looking at eye color and hair color!
B = Brown hair
b = blonde hair
E = brown eyes
e = blue eyes
Therefore, a person with homozygous brown hair and brown eyes would have the genotype BBEE.
Lets try an example:
Mom has homozygous brown hair and heterozygous brown eyes (BBEe). Dad has heterozygous
brown hair, and blue eyes (Bbee).
BBEe x Bbee
Now we must see how the letters can combine to create combinations, so lets look at mom first.
BBEe
Can make 4 different combinations:
Now lets look at dad
Can make 4 different combinations:
So we set up the square like this:
BE
Be BBEe
BE
Be
BE
Be
be
be
Bbee
Be
Be
Be
BE
BBee
BBEe
Be
be
be
You fill in the rest!!
47
Be
BBee
1. Mom and dad are both heterozygous for hair and eyes.
2. Mom is homozygous recessive for hair and heterozygous for eyes, Dad is heterozygous for
hair and homozygous dominant for eyes.
48
Genetic Crosses that Involve 2 Traits
In rabbits, grey hair is dominant to white hair.
Also in rabbits, black eyes are dominant to red eyes.
These letters represent the genotypes of the rabbits:
1. What are the phenotypes (descriptions) of rabbits that have the following genotypes:
Ggbb ____________________ ggBB ________________________
ggbb ____________________ GgBb _________________________
2. A male rabbit with the genotype GGbb is crossed with a female rabbit with the genotype ggBb The square is
set up below. Fill it out and determine the phenotypes and proportions in the offspring.
How many out of 16 have grey fur
and black eyes? ________
How many out of 16 have grey fur
and red eyes? ________
How many out of 16 have white fur
and black eyes? ________
How many out of 16 have white fur
and red eyes? ________
49
3. A male rabbit with the genotype GgBb is crossed with a female rabbit with the genotype GgBb The square is
set up below. Fill it out and determine the phenotypes and proportions in the offspring.
4. Show the cross between a ggBb and a GGBb. You'll have to set the square up yourself!
50
Genetic Disorder Research
Disease _______________________________________
How is the disease
passed on from
parent to offspring?
What chromosome is
affected?
What are the
symptoms of the
disorder?
Is any specific
group/race more
likely to be affected
by the disorder?
Explain
What testing can be
done to identify the
disease? Explain
Are there any
treatments or cures
for the disease?
Explain.
Explain Gene
therapy. Is there a
possible cure or
treatment for your
disease in the field
of gene therapy?
51
Biotechnology
What is Biotechnology? _____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is Selective Breeding? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
How can selective breeding and biotechnology alter the genetic composition of organisms?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
52
Partner’s name ____________________________________________________ computer # _____
Genetic Engineering
Trackstar ID# 408984
Link #1 Tiki’s Guide to Genetic Engineering
1. What is genetic engineering?
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the blue words: Coils and corkscrews
2. What does DNA do?
3. How does all of that information fit into one tiny cell?
4. How does DNA copy itself?
Click the green arrow at the bottom of the page to move on to “gene tinkering”
5. What is biotechnology?
Click on the green arrow at the bottom “so what is genetic engineering”
6. What is genetic engineering?
7. How are microorganisms like bacteria and viruses useful?
8. What is a transgenic organism?
9. What are some things that plants could be made to do?
53
Click on the green arrow at the bottom of the page “What’s wrong with genetic engineering”.
What are some of the concerns from this site about genetic engineering? (list at least 3 possible problems with
genetic engineering). Use the next page “For safety’s sake slow down” to help you with this.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Click on the green arrow at the bottom “What are companies making now”.
10. What is a weed killer safe crop?
11. From what you just read about weed killer safe crops, what are the benefits of weed killer safe crops?
12. What are some of the possible problems with weed killer safe crops?
Click on Link #2 Human Genome Project
13. What is a genetically modified (GM) food?
14. What are some products that can be genetically modified?
Read through the rest of this page.
15. List 5 Benefits and 5 controversies of GM products in the space below.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
54
16. After all you have read what is your opinion of GM foods. Use the information you have gathered to
defend your stance in favor or, or against GM products.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Click on Link #3 Cloning – The basics
17. What is cloning?
18. Is cloning an organism the same as cloning a gene? What’s the difference
19. How do twins occur in nature?
20. Explain how Dolly the sheep was cloned.
21. How is the process used to create Dolly different from natural reproduction?
22. After your reading and the video on cloning, how do you feel about this process? Do you have a different
opinion about cloning genes than cloning organisms?
Click on Link #4 Wikipedia- Gene Therapy
23. What is gene therapy?
24. What are some diseases that have been treated successfully with gene therapy? List at least 3.
55
Click on Link #5 Human Genome Project – Gene Therapy
25. What is the current status of gene therapy research?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
26. What factors have kept gene therapy from becoming an effective treatment for genetic disease? Explain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
27. Read through the recent developments and ethical considerations for using gene therapy. Take a stance for
or against gene therapy and use the info you’ve collected to defend yourself.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Click on Link #7 and #8
28. What is a “designer baby”?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
56
29. What do you think of the idea of “designer babies”?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
30. After all the reading you’ve done on genetic engineering, what are your thoughts? Is genetic engineering
worthy of more research, or should we stop now? Use information you’ve collected to defend your stance. Be
sure to address each type of genetic engineering covered in the trackstar.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
57
Brain POP Activity
58
EVOLUTION
What is evolution?_____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_____________________________The appearance of an inherited trait or behavior that
makes one organism different from another.
_____________________________ A change (variation) that makes an organism better able
to survive
_____________________________ (1809 – 1882) The founder of ____________
__________________________________________________________________
Wrote a book called Origin of the Species
Observed 14 species of finches while in the _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________The process by which living things that are better
adapted to their environment are more likely to survive. (Peppered Moths)
Charles Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection
A. ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
B. ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
C. ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
D. ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
59
______________________________A permanent change in a gene or chromosome. Some
are harmful, some are helpful, some are neither. (Ex. SCA, extra fingers, or toes)
______________________Any remains of life from earlier times. Traces of the past.
______________________________Comparing the physical characteristics of two
organisms to find a relationship. (cells, DNA)
___________________________Comparing embryos (_______________________)
of two organisms to find a relationship.
____________________________Body parts of different organisms that are similar in
origin and structure. Ex. Human hand & dolphin flipper, birds wing & human arm
____________________________Group of mammals that include _______________
______________________, and __________________________. All have flexible
shoulders, rotating forelimbs, opposable thumbs, and binocular vision (depth perception).
_____________________________family that humans belong to. Homonids walk upright.
______________________________the scientific name for humans.
60
Peppered Moth Analysis
1. Data Table
Percent Dark Moths
Percent Light Moths
Lichen Forest
Sooty Forest
2. Explain how the color of moths increases or decreases their chances of survival depending
on the environment.
3. 500 light colored moths and 500 dark colored moths are released into a polluted forest.
After 2 days the moths were recaptured, make a prediction about the number of each type of
moth that would be captured.
4. How has the striking change in coloration come about? (Include an explanation of how the
dark moth appeared and how the proportion of dark moths changed from 0.0005% to more than
90% in polluted forests.)
5.
What underlying law of nature has produced this change? (Use Darwin's theory of
evolution and apply it to what you have learned in this investigation.)
61
Looking For Links
In this activity you are a newspaper reporter for a local newspaper. You have just been given a
story to research and write an article about. Your research project is about a new species of
animal that was found roaming through the woods between Richland and Myerstown. The year is
2,002,010 (2 million years from now).
PHASE 1
To begin your assignment you must research an animal
that was present during the year 2010. You should find
out where the animal lived, what it ate, what adaptations
it had, what it looked like, how it lived and anything else
you find interesting. You should also find a picture of
your animal and save it in your folder to be included in the
final part of your presentation.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
PHASE 2
Describe this new animal that was found in the year 2,002,010. This should include a
description of the adaptations your animal has evolved in order to survive. You need to convince
me that the animal could not have survived without these adaptations!
For example: The bald eagle has adapted special glands in its eyes to help it secrete excess
salt. Because of Global Warming the amount of fresh water is decreasing, and the bald eagles
are eating more salt water fish. They have had to adapt these glands to rid
their bodies of the excess salt, or eating too many saltwater fish would have
killed them. This gland is similar to the gland found in Sea gulls.
PHASE 3 --The Final Episode
Now you will take all of your information and put it together for a presentation. You are a news
reporter for a local news station and you are reporting on this new animal. You need to include a
picture of your animal as it existed in 2010, as well as a picture of your animal now in 2,002,010.
You are reporting to us as though it is 2,002,010. You need to explain why the animals
adaptations had to change so it could survive in our environment today!
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Grading Rubric:
2010 adaptations
2010 picture
2,002,010
adaptations
2,002,010 picture
10 points
Adaptations are
explained
accurately.
5 points
0 points
Most
Adaptations are
adaptations are
missing.
explained. Less
than 2 key points
are missing.
Research has not
Research has
Research has not been cited.
been cited.
been cited.
Picture included Picture included
Picture not
included
Picture cited
Picture not cited
Picture not cited
New adaptations New adaptations New adaptations
are explained.
are explained.
are not
explained.
Clearly
No clear
explained why
explanation as to No clear
these new
why the animal
explanation as to
adaptations
needed these
why the animal
were necessary
adaptations to
needed these
for survival.
survive.
adaptations to
survive.
Picture included Picture included
No picture
included
Creative
Adaptation is not
adaptation is
included.
visible.
Score
Total points
Comments:
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Brain POP Activity
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Human Evolution
Australopithecus africanus
•
•
•
•
•
•
Qui ckTime™ and a
TIFF (U ncompr essed) decompressor
_______________________________________________________
are needed to see thi s pi cture.
3.3 - 2.5 million yrs. ago
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Very small brain, but larger than most apes (~405cc-440cc)
Less projecting face than apes
Lack of browridge
Homo habilis
•
•
•
•
•
Qui ckTime™ and a
_______________________________________________________
TIFF (U ncompr essed) decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi cture.
2 - 1.5 million years ago
_______________________________________________________
Brain size slightly larger (~680cc)
Fossils found in South Africa
Homo erectus
•
•
•
•
•
1 million - 250,000 years ago
Qui ckTime™ and a
TIFF (U ncompr essed) decompressor
are
needed
to see thi s pi cture.
_______________________________________________________
Very large brow ridge
Brain size -- averages ~1000 cc
Fossils found in China.
Neanderthal
• 125,000 years ago
• _______________________________________________________
• Very thick bones
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
• Broad muscles, and short stature.
• Fossils found in the Gibraltor Caves, Africa and Europe.
• Every Neanderthal fossil found shows some form of injury,
_______________________________________________________
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
_______________________________________________________
• Teeth also show periods of _______________________________________.
• Fossil sites have also shown that Neanderthal _________________________
________________________________________________________
• Because these fossils are fairly young, scientists have been able to identify them the most.
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Cro-Magnon
•
•
•
•
•
40,000 - 10,000 years ago.
Almost identical to humans today.
___________________________________________________
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Europe, Asia, and Australia
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
A Day in the Life of a Neanderthal:
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