Module 4: NON-MENDELIAN PATTERNS OF INHERITANCE
Non-Mendelian Patterns of Inheritance
1. Incomplete Dominance 2. Codominance
combination of two alleles alleles not combined together
formation of third phenotype alleles expressed equally.
3. Multiple Alleles
applicable in human(blood type)
more than two phenotypes expressed
1. INCOMPLETE DOMINANCE -, it is only the phenotype that is intermediate. In this case, the heterozygous
individual’s phenotype is in between the two different homozygous parent phenotypes. The hybrid
(heterozygous) offspring displays a THIRD Phenotype. Neither trait is completely dominant, as a result, there
appears to be a blending phenotype.
Ex. Red carnation (RR) x White carnation (WW)= PINK (RW)
X =
red white pink
RR X WW = RW
R R
W RW RW
W RW RW Genotypic % : 100 % RW
Phenotypic % : 100%% PINK
All offspring will have the genotype RW and have a pink phenotype.
Solve the following using punnett square
1. What is the probability of flowers, if pink flowers (RW) are bred with red flowers (RR)?
R W
Genotypic % : 50% RR, 50% RW
R RR RW Phenotypic % : 50% RED, 50% PINK
There are
R RR RW ● 2 RR and 2 RW
● 2 red flowers and 2 pink flowers
2. What will be the offspring if the pink flowers (RW) are bred with pink flowers(RW)?
R W
Genotypic % : 25% RR, 25% WW, 50% RW
Phenotypic % : 25% RED, 25% WHITE, 50% PINK
R RR RW
There are :
● 1 RR, 1 WW, and 2 RW
W ● 1RW WW
RED, 1 WHITE, and 2 PINK flowers
3. What will be the offspring if the white flowers (WW) are bred with pink
flowers (RW)?
R W
Genotypic % : 50% WW, 50% RW
Phenotypic % : 50% WHITE,50% PINK
W RW WW
There are :
● 2 WW, 2 RW
W RW WW ● 2 WHITE and 2 PINK flowers
2. CODOMINANCE - In this case, the heterozygous individual displays both phenotypes of two different homozygous
parent phenotypes. Both traits are dominant, and show up in the phenotype together. Co means “together”.
This results when one allele is not dominant over the other. The resulting heterozygotes exhibit the traits of both
parents.
Ex. Black cow (BB) x White cow (WW) = Spotted Cow (BW)
X =
black white spotted
B B
BB X WW = BW
W BW BW
W BW BW
Genotypic % : 100 % BW
Phenotypic % : 100%% SPOTTED
All offspring will appear “ black and white cow” (spotted cow)
Solve the following using punnett square.
Show the possible percentage of the phenotypes and genotypes of the offspring
1. What are all the possible phenotypes and genotypes when two spotted cows are bred (BW)?
B W
Genotypic % : 25% BB, 25% WW, 50% BW
B BB BW Phenotypic % : 25% BLACK, 25% WHITE, 50% SPOTTED
There are :
W BW WW ● 1 BB, 1 WW, 2 BW
● 1 BLACK, 1 WHITE, and 2 SPOTTED cow
2. What will be the offspring if the white dog (DWDW) are cross breed with spotted dog (black and white (DBDW)?
DW DW
B W B W
Genotypic % : 50% DWDW, 50% DBDW
B D D D D
D Phenotypic % : 50% WHITE, 50% SPOTTED
DW D W DW D W DW There are :
● 2 DWDW, 2 DBDW
● 2WHITE, and 2 SPOTTED dog
3. What will be the offspring if the roan cattle (red and white) (CRCW) are cross breed with white cow (CW CW)?
CR CW
Genotypic % : 50% CW CW, 50% CRCW
R W W W
CW C C C C
CATTLE
Phenotypic % : 50% WHITE COW, 50% ROAN
CW CR CW CW CW There are :
● 2 C W C W , 2 C RC W
● 2 WHITE COW, and 2 ROAN CATTLE
Incomplete Dominance Codominance
Alleles Blend/intermixing Both equally expressed
Ex. White flower are bred with red flower the result of Ex. When white cow are bred with red cow the result of
the offspring the offspring is roan cattle(cow) (red and white)
are Pink flowers
combination of two alleles alleles not combined together
phenotype that is intermediate Heterozygous phenotypes has characteristics of both
alleles
Traits are not dominant with each other- result Both traits are dominant
somewhere in between
3. MULTIPLE ALLELES
Sometimes even if two alleles control a trait, there may actually be more than two types of alleles available.
Trait is controlled by more than two alleles , so there are more than two possible phenotypes
This will also lead to more than two phenotypes
expressed. Another blood group system in humans,
the ABO system is an example of a character governed by multiple alleles.
In humans there are 4 blood types Type A, B, AB, and O.
Blood controlled by 3 alleles A, B, and O.
Blood type O is recessive, two alleles must be present for a person to have type O blood.
A and B are co-dominant. If a person receives an A allele blood and B allele blood, blood type is AB.
Sample Problem
Solve the following using punnett square. (Please refer to the table below)
Genotypes Blood types
A A A
I i, I I Type A blood
IBi, IBIB Type B blood
IAIB Type AB blood
ii Type O blood
1. A woman with type O blood marries a man with type AB blood. What are the possible blood types that a child of
theirs could inherit?
i i
IA IA i IA i 50% of their baby will be type A and type B blood
IB IB i IB i
2. If the father’s blood type is AB and the mother is blood type is A, what will be the possible blood type of their
baby?
IA IA
50% of their baby will be type A and type B blood
A
I IA IA IA IA
IB IA IB IA IB
IA i
IA IA IA IA i 50% of their baby will be type A and type B blood
IB IA IB IA IB
3. If you married a heterozygous blood type B (IB i) and your blood type is A is heterozygous also (IA i) list the
possible blood types of the children.
IA i The possible blood types of the children Type A, Type AB, Type B, and Type O.
Or the possible blood types of the children 25% Type A,
IB IA IB IB i 25%Type AB, 25%Type B and 25%Type O
i IA i ii
4. If a man has homozygous blood type B and his wife is heterozygous blood type A. list the possible blood types of
the children.
IA i The possible blood types of the children Type AB and Type B.
IB IA IB IB i
IB IA IB IB i
5. If you are blood type O and your wife is heterozygous blood type B. what the possible blood types of your
offspring are?
i i
The possible blood types of the children 50% Type B and 50% Type O
B
I IB i IB i
i ii ii
6. If the husband is blood type O and the wife is blood type O. what the possible blood types of the offspring?
i i
i ii ii
The possible blood types of the offspring are 100% Type O
i ii ii
7. If both of your parents are both type AB blood. List the possible blood types of you and your siblings?
IA IB
The IA IA IA IA IB possible blood types are A, B, and AB
Or the possible blood types are 25% A, 25% B and 50% AB
IB IA IB IB IB
The inheritance of some characters does not strictly follow Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment. There are
many traits that are not inherited together more frequently. The expression of certain traits depends on whether one is
male or female.
Humans have 46 chromosomes in each cell.
In the human body cells it shows 23 pairs of chromosome for both males and females.
Twenty two pairs are somatic chromosomes.
The 23rd pair consists of sex chromosomes.
Comparison between Human Male and Female Chromosomes
Male and Female 23 pairs of chromosomes 23 pairs of chromosomes 1 pair sex chromosomes
Male have Non-identical sex chromosomes (XY)
Female have identical sex chromosomes (XX)
MALE (XY Chromosome) FEMALE (XX Chromosome)
X Y X X
MALE (XY) FEMALE (XX)
X Y X X
FEMALE (XX) MALE (XY)
When an egg is fertilized by a If an egg is fertilized by a sperm
sperm carrying an X chromosome, with a Y chromosome the
the offspring is female. offspring is male.
X Y
A newlywed couple are planning to have a child what is the chance to have
a X XX XY baby boy and baby girl?
X XX XY
50% boy (XY)
50% and 50% girl (XX)
VOCABULARY
Alleles- different form of gene that controls trait
Dominant allele- allele always expressed when present regardless of whether organism is heterozygous or homozygous
for that gene.
Genotype-refers to the genetic code of an individual. This is all the information found inside the individual cell.
Set of genes present in a cell
Heterozygous- alleles for characteristics are non-identical
Homozygous-both alleles for characteristics are identical
Phenotype- observable characteristics which are genetically controlled.
This is the expression of genotype that is visible to other people and can be observe. Ex. Color of the person eye.
Punnett square- method which one can determine the possible phenotypes and genotypes when two parents were
crossed
Recessive allele-an allele that is only expressed is homozygous for that allele and not expressed when heterozygous
(when paired to dominant allele).
