Tracing Traits Through Families: An Introduction to Pedigrees

In this lesson, we'll dive into the fascinating world of pedigrees – essentially, family trees used by geneticists. We'll start by learning the basics of creating a pedigree, including the symbols used to represent individuals and relationships. Then, we'll explore how to show different traits on these pedigrees, like whether someone has attached or detached earlobes, or even something like a medical condition.

The real power of pedigrees comes from their ability to help us trace traits, genotypes (the actual genetic makeup), and phenotypes (how those genes are expressed) across generations. We'll learn how to analyze a pedigree to understand how specific traits are inherited and even solve genetics problems. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to create and interpret pedigrees, opening a window into the inheritance of characteristics within families.

Downloads

• Pedigrees Worksheet

Lesson Activity

• Watch the lesson
• Fill out the worksheet about your family after watching
• Complete the quizzes
• Do the Quizlet flashcards or create a matching game
• Share your knowledge with family and friends!
• Submit any questions to "Ask Dr. Robin"
• Write a summary about what you learned!