- A mutation is a change in the base sequence in the gene.
- Mutations could be caused by ionising radiations such as x-rays.
- It could be caused by sunshine- ultraviolet rays- skin cancer
- mutations could be caused by chemicals such as tars and tabacco- causes cancer
- They cause mutation within the base sequence
- Chemicals which cause mutations are called mutigens, they also cause cancer.
Monday, October 10, 2011
3.34 Causes of Mutation
3.33 Antibiotic resistance
- Staphlococcus aureus-bacteria which causes skin infection and some lung infection.
- Those who are affected by this bacteria can be treated by an antibiotic known as methecilline.
- This antibiotic kills the staphlococcus aureus.
- The type of staphlococcus aureus which can be killed by the antibiotic are known as susceptible form (mssa)
- When a random mutation occurs within the genome of the staphlococcus aureus, the methecilline fails to kill it. This form is known as the resistant form of staphlococcus aureus. (mrsa)
- The mutation has created genes within the bacteria has allowed it to break down the antibiotic.
3.29 Species Variation
- Variations- differences we can see in the phenotypes of each individual.
- It is possible to count/measure these differences and show them through graphs.
- The phenotype depends on the genotype of each individual which is modified according to the environment.
- Variation in population is a variation within all these individuals.
- The difference in appearance within different species occur because all those individuals have different genotypes and they survive in different environments.
- Phenotypic variation in a population or species is due to environmental variation. E.g. the home language you speak.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
3.21b Genetic Probabilities
- f1 offspring cross with an f1 offspring.
- The parent phenotype is red petal crossed with red petal
- The parent genotype- Rr x Rr
- Both parents are heterozygous.
- Meiosis takes place and the allele has to be separated, one into each type of gamete.
- In this case, there is a 50% chance that the pollen grain is carrying a R allele and there's a 50% chance that the pollen grain is carrying an r allele.
- Random fertilization occurs, as shown in the table, to be observed in the image.
- The probabilities depend on which pollen grain (R or r) fertilizes with which ovule (R or r)
3.21a Genetic probabilities
- We're predicting the probabilities of offspring through monohybrid crosses.
- Monohybrid crossing- crossing which consists of only one gene.
- Let's consider the cross between a red petal plant and a white petal plant.
- The genotype of the red petal plant is RR and the genotype for a white petal plant is rr.
- This makes the R>r. In other words, red is dominant to white.
- The next stage involves meiosis which includes the production of the pollen grains and the ovules.
- The gamete will contain only one of the two alleles.
- For instance, in the production of the pollen, 1/2 the gametes will have the R and the other half will have the other big R as its an equal chance.
- In the production of the ovules we need to separate the alleles so that we only have 1 of the pair of alleles in each gamete. half of the ovules would have little r and the other half would have little r.
- Then we consider random fertilization.
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