Non-Mendelian
Genetics
INHERITANCE CONCEPTS MENDEL NEVER IMAGINED!
Review
Mendelian Genetics
(Law of Dominance)
⚫ Mendelian Genetics describes inheritance patterns based on
Complete Dominance or Recessiveness.
⚫ Tall plant X Short plant = Tall plant
(TT) (tt) (Tt)
Non-Mendelian Genetics
⚫ Mendelian pattern of inheritance do not always apply.
⚫ The inheritance of characteristics is not always as simple as it is
for the characteristics that Mendel studied in pea plants.
⚫ Most of the time, genes exhibit more complex patterns.
⚫ Some traits don’t follow the simple dominant/recessive rules
that Mendel first applied to genetics.
Non-Mendelian Genetics
⚫ Incomplete Dominance
⚫ Codominance
⚫ Multiple Alleles
⚫ Sex-linked Traits
⚫ Polygenic Traits
Incomplete Dominance
• Incomplete dominance occurs when the phenotype of a
heterozygote offspring is somewhere in between the phenotypes of
both homozygous parents.
• It is a pattern of heredity in which one allele is not completely
dominant over another
*Occurs in: ex. Four-o’clock plant, Primroses, Snapdragons
Example:
When a purebred red-flowered
four o’clock plant is crossed
with a purebred white-
flowered four o’clock plant,
their offspring will have pink
flowers.
The pink color is
an intermediate between the
two parent colors
Figure 1: Incomplete dominance in four-o’clock plants
*Dominant alleles are written in capital letters
Let:
R - red flowers
W – white flowers
Parents: purebred red x purebred white
Genotype of parents: RR X WW
Genotype of offspring: 4 RW
Phenotype of offspring: 100% pink flowers
Activity
A red-flowered plant is crossed with a pink-flowered plant . What is the
probability of producing a pink-flowered plant?
50%
chance
of Pink
Flowers
Activity
Poofkin flowers are found in red, blue and purple.
1. Write the correct genotype for each color if R represents a
red allele and B represents a blue allele.
RR
red __________
BB
blue _________
purple ________
RB
2. What would happen if we crossed a Poofkin with red flowers with
a Poofkin with blue flowers.
a.Give the phenotypes and genotypes for the offspring.
b. How many of the plants would be have red flowers? _____ %
c. How many of the plants would have purple flowers? ______ %
d. How many of the plants would have blue flowers? ______%
3. What would happen if we crossed two Poofkins with purple flowers?
a. Give the phenotypes and genotypes for the offspring.
a. b. How many of the plants would be have red flowers? _____ %
b. c. How many of the plants would have purple flowers? ______ %
c. d. How many of the plants would have blue flowers? ______%
Codominance
⚫ In Codominance, both alleles are expressed equally
in the phenotype of the heterozygote.
⚫ Co means “together”
homozygous for homozygous for Roan colored
+ =
red coat horse white coat horse coat horse
(even mixture of red
coat and white coat)
Example
When a horse that is
homozygous for red coat is
crossed with a horse that is
homozygous for white coat,
the offspring are
heterozygous and have roan-
colored coats (mixture of red
and white hairs)
Figure 2: Codominance in horse (offspring are
heterozygous and have roan-colored coat)
Codominant alleles are written as capitals with superscript
Let:
CR – red-colored coat
CW – white-colored
R coat
Parents: purebred red-colored coat x purebred white-colored coat
R R
Genotype of parents: C C x CW CW
Genotype of offspring: 4 CR C W
Phenotype of offspring: 100% roan-colored coats
Activity
1. In some chickens, the gene for feather color is controlled by codominance.
The allele for black is B and the allele for white is W. The heterozygous
phenotype is known as erminette (black and white spotted).
a. What is the genotype for black chickens? ____
b. What is the genotype for white chickens? ____
c. What is the genotype for erminette chickens? ____
2. If two erminette chickens were crossed, what is the probability that:
a. They would have a black chick? ____%
b. They would have a white chick? ____%
In some varieties of chickens, the allele for black feathers is
codominant with the allele for white feathers. A cross
between a black chicken and a white chicken will result in
chicken with both black and white feathers.
REVIEW
__________________________occurs
Incomplete dominance when the phenotype of a
heterozygote offspring is somewhere in between the phenotypes of
both homozygous parents.
Codominance
_____________________ both alleles are expressed equally in the
phenotype of the heterozygote.
TO DO:
1. Answer activities 4.1.1, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3 in your learning packet
(Due date: Monday at 10:00 AM)
2. Answer quiz (Due date: Monday at 10:00 AM)
