Genes are really interesting because they decide a lot about how living things look and behave. To put it simply, genes are small pieces of DNA that have instructions for making and keeping a living being’s body healthy. Each gene can have different versions called alleles, and that’s where things get exciting!
Basic Structure: Genes are found on chromosomes, which are in the center of cells. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, and these hold thousands of genes.
Alleles: For every gene, you get one allele from your mom and one from your dad. These alleles can be dominant or recessive. A dominant allele shows its trait even if you only have one copy (from one parent). A recessive allele needs two copies (one from each parent) to show its trait.
Genotype and Phenotype:
Eye Color: If you have a dominant brown eye allele (B) and a recessive blue eye allele (b), your genotype could be Bb. You’ll have brown eyes because B covers up b.
Plant Height: In pea plants that a scientist named Mendel studied, tall height could be dominant (T) over short (t). So, a plant that has TT or Tt would be tall.
To sum it up, genes and alleles play a big role in shaping the traits we see in living things. They help decide everything from simple features, like eye color, to more complex behaviors. Looking into genetics is really fun! It’s like taking away layers to understand how each tiny part makes the whole living being work.
Genes are really interesting because they decide a lot about how living things look and behave. To put it simply, genes are small pieces of DNA that have instructions for making and keeping a living being’s body healthy. Each gene can have different versions called alleles, and that’s where things get exciting!
Basic Structure: Genes are found on chromosomes, which are in the center of cells. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, and these hold thousands of genes.
Alleles: For every gene, you get one allele from your mom and one from your dad. These alleles can be dominant or recessive. A dominant allele shows its trait even if you only have one copy (from one parent). A recessive allele needs two copies (one from each parent) to show its trait.
Genotype and Phenotype:
Eye Color: If you have a dominant brown eye allele (B) and a recessive blue eye allele (b), your genotype could be Bb. You’ll have brown eyes because B covers up b.
Plant Height: In pea plants that a scientist named Mendel studied, tall height could be dominant (T) over short (t). So, a plant that has TT or Tt would be tall.
To sum it up, genes and alleles play a big role in shaping the traits we see in living things. They help decide everything from simple features, like eye color, to more complex behaviors. Looking into genetics is really fun! It’s like taking away layers to understand how each tiny part makes the whole living being work.