In this lab, we flipped coins to simulate sex and determine the probability of what alleles multiple offspring will receive. Coins serve as a model for genetics concepts where genes randomly segregate during meiosis and come together during recombination. We determined the sex of offspring, chances of having bipolar disorder, an autosomal (non sex) and monohybrid (only one pair of alleles) trait, and chances of being colorblind, an X linked recessive trait.
In the di-hybrid cross simulation, we looked at the alleles on the genes for hair and eye color of the offspring of two double heterozygous individuals. We hypothesized that the probability of them having a child with blonde hair and blue eyes is 1/16. The expected results were 9 with brown hair and eyes, 3 with brown hair blue eyes, 3 with blonde hair brown eyes, and 1 offspring with blonde hair and blue eyes who would be homologous recessive. However, we got 7 brown hair/ eyes, 3 brown hair/ blue eyes, 4 with blonde hair/ brown eyes, and TWO with blonde hair and blue eyes. Unlikely things happened. We did not get the expected ratio of 9:3:3:1, but instead got 7:3:4:2. This could be because it was probable but it happened to lean towards the unlikely side. Also, because of the law of averages, the more trials the closer the probability, and if we had done more trials it would have been much closer.
The limit of using probability to predict our offspring is that sometimes we may not know the genotypes of the parents to predict the traits of the offspring. We also do not know what exact pairs of alleles the offspring may receive.
It made me more aware of the risk my own children may be at of having disorders or the chances they have to receive certain traits. For example, my offspring may have bipolar disorder, even though I do not have it, but my spouse does. This made me more aware of disorders and traits that can happen.
In the di-hybrid cross simulation, we looked at the alleles on the genes for hair and eye color of the offspring of two double heterozygous individuals. We hypothesized that the probability of them having a child with blonde hair and blue eyes is 1/16. The expected results were 9 with brown hair and eyes, 3 with brown hair blue eyes, 3 with blonde hair brown eyes, and 1 offspring with blonde hair and blue eyes who would be homologous recessive. However, we got 7 brown hair/ eyes, 3 brown hair/ blue eyes, 4 with blonde hair/ brown eyes, and TWO with blonde hair and blue eyes. Unlikely things happened. We did not get the expected ratio of 9:3:3:1, but instead got 7:3:4:2. This could be because it was probable but it happened to lean towards the unlikely side. Also, because of the law of averages, the more trials the closer the probability, and if we had done more trials it would have been much closer.
The limit of using probability to predict our offspring is that sometimes we may not know the genotypes of the parents to predict the traits of the offspring. We also do not know what exact pairs of alleles the offspring may receive.
It made me more aware of the risk my own children may be at of having disorders or the chances they have to receive certain traits. For example, my offspring may have bipolar disorder, even though I do not have it, but my spouse does. This made me more aware of disorders and traits that can happen.
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