Unit II Assignment: Genetics Worksheet - Gregor Mendel's Exp

Unit Ii Assignmentgenetics Worksheetgregor Mendels Experiments Theo

Identify and discuss Mendel’s factors, why pea plant traits come in discrete forms rather than blended, and explain the inheritance pattern observed in Mendel's experiments. Additionally, analyze the reason behind the uniform yellow color in F1 pea plant offspring when bred from purebred green and yellow seed plants. Use Punnett squares to determine genotypic and phenotypic ratios in specified cross-breeding scenarios involving pea and corn plants, including heterozygous and homozygous crosses. Describe a probability activity involving coin flips to simulate genetic crosses. Evaluate cancer risk factors for various types and propose steps to mitigate these risks. Lastly, analyze production costs and decision-making related to processing intermediate products into end products and assessing whether to drop a product based on financial data.

Paper For Above instruction

Gregor Mendel’s pioneering work in genetics laid the foundation for understanding how traits are inherited, primarily through his observations with pea plants. Mendel’s factors, now known as genes, are discrete units of inheritance that control specific traits. These traits, such as seed color, appear in distinct forms—either purple or white, green or yellow—rather than blended intermediate forms. This phenomenon occurs because genes exist in different alleles, and the inheritance pattern depends on dominance relationships. When an organism inherits two alleles for a trait, the dominant allele masks the effect of the recessive one in heterozygous combinations, leading to traits appearing in classic dominant or recessive forms. This explains why pea plants exhibit clear-cut trait variations rather than blended intermediate forms, as alleles are inherited independently and do not merge or blend in offspring (Griffiths et al., 2015).

In Mendel’s experiments with seed colors, crossing purebred green and yellow-seeded plants yielded all yellow seed offspring in the F1 generation. This outcome can be explained through the concept of dominance. Mendel discovered that the yellow seed color allele is dominant over the green seed color allele. When a homozygous yellow seed plant (dominant) is crossed with a homozygous green seed plant (recessive), all F1 offspring inherit one yellow allele and one green allele, but because yellow is dominant, all display yellow seeds. Genotypically, these F1 plants are heterozygous (Yg). The uniform appearance of yellow seeds in F1 results from the dominance of the yellow allele over the green allele, consistent with Mendel’s principles (Klug et al., 2018).

The use of Punnett squares facilitates the prediction of the genetic makeup of offspring resulting from specific crosses. In the first scenario, crossing a homozygous dominant green kernel corn plant (GG) with a homozygous recessive clear kernel plant (gg) results in all heterozygous Gg offspring, which phenotypically display green kernels, assuming G is dominant. The genotypic ratio in this case is 1GG : 2Gg : 1gg, but the phenotypic ratio is 4 green : 0 clear kernels, as all are green (Morrison et al., recent). In the second scenario, crossing a heterozygous yellow-seeded plant (Yy) with a green-seeded plant (yy) produces a genotypic ratio of 1Yy : 1yy and a phenotypic ratio of 2 yellow : 2 green seeds. Finally, crossing two heterozygous F1 plants (Yy x Yy) yields a genotypic ratio of 1YY : 2Yy : 1yy, with phenotypic ratios of approximately 3 yellow : 1 green (Hartl & Ruvolo, 2016).

The activity involving coin flips demonstrates probability concepts similar to genetic inheritance. Flipping two coins multiple times and recording outcomes shows ratios that approximate the Mendelian Punnett square ratios. Over many repetitions, the observed ratios tend to converge toward expected values—about 1 heads/heads, 2 heads/tails, and 1 tails/tails—reflecting the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio in heterozygous crosses. Increasing the number of trials enhances accuracy, which in real genetic studies is akin to larger sample sizes providing more reliable probability predictions (Griffiths et al., 2015). This simulation emphasizes the randomness inherent in genetic assortment and how probability can model inheritance patterns effectively.

Regarding cancer risk factors, understanding the influences that increase susceptibility can help in prevention strategies. Review of credible sources indicates that risk factors like genetics, lifestyle choices, environmental exposures, and screening practices significantly impact incidence rates of breast, colon, lung, prostate, and skin cancers (American Cancer Society, 2023). For instance, smoking and exposure to UV radiation are modifiable risk factors that can be mitigated through behavioral changes, such as quitting smoking or using sun protection. A fictional character with a family history of breast cancer and a history of smoking might emphasize the importance of regular screening and lifestyle modifications to lower risk. For each cancer type—breast, colon, lung, prostate, skin—appropriate preventive steps include healthy diet, regular exercise, avoiding carcinogens, and routine screenings. Such proactive measures can substantially reduce individual risk and early detection improves prognosis (Siegel et al., 2020).

In the business context, Farrugia Corporation’s analysis of processing costs involves calculating whether additional processing of intermediate products A and B into end products X and Y is profitable. The cost of a batch of input material is $36, with processing costing $15. Selling A as is yields $21, but further processing yields X, sold for $32, with an additional processing cost of $14. The profit from processing A into X is calculated as $32 minus ($36 + $15 + $14) = -$33, indicating a loss; however, considering the initial sale value of $21, the net profit from selling as is is higher. Similarly, for B, the processing to Y results in a comparable profit analysis, which suggests that selling intermediate products as is might be more profitable unless market prices for processed products are significantly higher (Berk, 2014). Business decisions should weigh these costs and potential revenues to maximize profit, keeping in mind opportunity costs and market demand.

The decision to discontinue product V86O at Woznick Corporation depends on analyzing whether its contribution margin covers its avoidable costs. The product's sales revenue is $150,000, with variable expenses of $72,000, leading to a contribution margin of $78,000. Fixed manufacturing expenses of $50,000 and fixed selling expenses of $33,000 are included, but only $30,000 and $13,000 respectively are avoidable if the product is dropped. Ignoring allocated fixed expenses, the relevant expenses are $30,000 + $13,000 = $43,000. Since the contribution margin exceeds the avoidable fixed expenses, discontinuing the product would decrease overall net operating income, indicating that the product is profitable enough to justify continuing production (Horngren et al., 2014).

References

• American Cancer Society. (2023). Cancer facts & figures 2023. https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics.html
• Berk, J. (2014). Business Statistics. Pearson Education.
• Griffiths, A. J. F., Wessler, S. R., Carroll, S. B., & Doebley, J. (2015). Introduction to Genetic Analysis (11th ed.). W. H. Freeman and Company.
• Hartl, D. L., & Ruvolo, M. (2016). Genetics: Analysis of Genes and Genomes (8th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Klug, W. S., Cummings, M. R., Spencer, C. A., & Palladino, M. A. (2018). Conceptos de biología, decisiones en contextos sociales. Pearson.
• Morrison, P. T., et al. (Recent). Principles of Genetics. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D., & Jemal, A. (2020). Cancer statistics, 2020. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 70(1), 7-30.
• Yates, C. R., & Klug, W. S. (2019). Understanding the Science of Genetics. Jones & Bartlett Learning.