Table of contents

1. Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology5h 43m
2. Cell Chemistry & Cell Components12h 36m
3. Energy & Cell Processes10h 6m
4. Tissues & Histology10h 3m
5. Integumentary System2h 20m
6. Bones & Skeletal Tissue2h 16m
7. The Skeletal System2h 35m
8. Joints2h 17m
9. Muscle Tissue2h 33m
10. Muscles1h 11m
11. Nervous Tissue and Nervous System1h 35m
12. The Central Nervous System1h 6m
- Introduction to the Central Nervous System
  18m
- The Cerebrum
  48m
13. The Peripheral Nervous System1h 26m
14. The Autonomic Nervous System1h 38m
15. The Special Senses2h 41m
16. The Endocrine System2h 48m
17. The Blood3h 22m
18. The Heart3h 42m
19. The Blood Vessels3h 35m
20. The Lymphatic System3h 16m
21. The Immune System14h 37m
22. The Respiratory System3h 20m
23. The Digestive System2h 5m
24. Metabolism and Nutrition4h 0m
25. The Urinary System2h 39m
26. Fluid and Electrolyte Balance, Acid Base Balance37m
27. The Reproductive System2h 5m
28. Human Development1h 21m
29. Heredity3h 32m

29. Heredity

Patterns of Inheritance

Anatomy & Physiology

29. Heredity

Patterns of Inheritance

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Problem L3.4

Textbook Question

Elise is a freshman college student taking Introduction to Biology. In lab, she is asked her parents' blood types to complete a Punnett square. She knows that she has type A blood and that her mother has type B, but she does not know her father's blood type. Elise's lab partner assures her that she can figure out her father's blood type just by knowing her own and her mother's. Is her lab partner correct? Explain why or why not.

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the basics of blood type inheritance: Blood type is determined by the ABO blood group system, which involves three alleles: A, B, and O. Each person inherits one allele from each parent. The possible genotypes for blood types are: Type A (AA or AO), Type B (BB or BO), Type AB (AB), and Type O (OO).

Analyze Elise's blood type: Elise has type A blood, which means her genotype could be either AA or AO. This indicates that she must have inherited one A allele from one parent and either an A or O allele from the other parent.

Analyze her mother's blood type: Elise's mother has type B blood, which means her genotype could be either BB or BO. This indicates that Elise must have inherited the O allele from her mother, as her own blood type is A and she did not inherit a B allele.

Determine the possibilities for Elise's father's blood type: Since Elise inherited the A allele from her father, her father's genotype must include at least one A allele. This means her father could have type A blood (AA or AO) or type AB blood (AB).

Conclude whether her lab partner is correct: Yes, Elise's lab partner is correct. By analyzing the inheritance patterns and knowing Elise's and her mother's blood types, it is possible to deduce that Elise's father must have a blood type that includes the A allele (type A or type AB).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Blood Type Inheritance

Blood type inheritance is determined by the ABO blood group system, which includes four main types: A, B, AB, and O. Each person inherits one allele from each parent, which can be A, B, or O. The presence of A or B antigens on the surface of red blood cells determines the blood type, while O is considered a universal donor. Understanding this inheritance pattern is crucial for predicting possible blood types in offspring.

Punnett Square

A Punnett square is a graphical tool used to predict the genotypes of offspring from parental genotypes. It organizes the possible combinations of alleles from each parent, allowing for a visual representation of genetic inheritance. In Elise's case, the Punnett square can help determine the potential blood types of her children based on her and her mother's known blood types, but it requires knowledge of her father's genotype.

Genotype vs. Phenotype

Genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an individual, while phenotype is the observable physical or biochemical characteristics resulting from the genotype. In the context of blood types, Elise's phenotype is type A, but her genotype could be either AA or AO. Without knowing her father's genotype, Elise cannot definitively determine his blood type, as it could influence her own genetic contribution to their offspring's blood type.

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Related Practice

Multiple Choice

Use the following information to solve the problem using a Punnett square: Assume that the dominant B allele encodes brown eyes and the recessive b allele encodes blue eyes. An individual with the genotype bb has children with an individual of the genotype Bb. What is the percent chance that they would have children with blue eyes?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following disorders is NOT inherited as a simple recessive trait?

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Textbook Question

Which pattern of inheritance includes examples of codominance?

a. Autosomal dominant and recessive traits

b. Multiple-allele traits

c. Sex-linked traits

d. Polygenic inheritance

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Textbook Question

Determine the probability of a couple having a child with a widow's peak if the conditions are as follows: The gene for widow's peak follows strict autosomal dominant-recessive inheritance. Widow's peak (W) is dominant, and no widow's peak (w) is recessive. The genotype of the mother is Ww, and the genotype of the father is ww.

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Textbook Question

Certain diseases are transmitted via mitochondrial DNA. Which cell types do you think would be most affected by such diseases, and why?

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Multiple Choice

Linked genes are __________.

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Multiple Choice

Red-green color blindness exhibits __________ inheritance.