TOPICS

Heredity/Inheritance Patterns

The genetic transmission of traits

Heredity refers to the genetic transmission of traits from parents to offspring. Heredity helps explain why children tend to resemble their parents, as well as how a genetic disease runs in a family. Some genetic conditions are caused by mutations in a single gene. These conditions are usually inherited in one of several straightforward patterns, including autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive, codominant, and mitochondrial inheritance patterns. Complex disorders and multifactorial disorders are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. These disorders may cluster in families, but do not have a clear-cut pattern of inheritance.

Materials for Heredity/Inheritance Patterns

Articles/Research

Each Organism's Traits are Inherited from a Parent through Transmission of DNA

Description: The history of the discovery of chromosomes, DNA, genes, and inheritance

Source: Nature Education
|
URL: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/each-organism-s-traits-are-inherited-from-6524917

Gene Inheritance and Transmission

Description: Articles on heredity, the transmission of genetic traits, and the studies which led to our knowledge of these topics

Source: Nature Education
|
URL: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/gene-inheritance-and-transmission-23

What are the different ways in which a genetic condition can be inherited?

Description: An overview of ways in which a single gene disorder can be inherited

Source: Genetics Home Reference
|
URL: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/inheritance/inheritancepatterns

Games

Michael's Inside Scoop!

Description: A short activity that explores basic concepts of heredity

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
|
URL: http://www.bam.gov/sub_yourbody/yourbody_insidescoop.html

Interactive Tutorials

Children Resemble Their Parents

Description: Information, videos, interactive tutorials, and animations on genetic traits

Source: Dolan DNA Learning Center
|
URL: http://www.dnaftb.org/1/

Teacher Resources

Harry Potters World (PDF 324.84 KB )

Description: An activity for teaching characteristics of complex traits (i.e., incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, and regulatory genes)