What does it mean to say that something is caused by genetics, that it has a genetic basis? The websites below help answer these questions and give practice in determining genetic phenotypes and genotypes using Punnett squares.
This is an excellent website which gives a tour of basic genetics.
– Traits and trait activities
– Proteins
– Mutation
A good explanation of what we mean when we say that some trait has a genetic basis.
After reading the material you can work out the probabilities that children will have particular phenotypes and genotypes.
Using Punnett Square examples you can work out probabilities for Monohybrid Crosses, Monohybrid cross with incomplete dominance, and Dihybrid crosses.
Phenotypes and Genotypes for human eye colours.
This two gene model does not explain most human eye colour inheritance. Human eye colour is more complicated than this simplified two gene example. Nevertheless, it is an interesting activity.
An explanation of the interactive eye colour genetics calculator in the ‘Inheriting Eye Colour’ link above.
