Directions continued from page one.
You have been given a pink set of chromosomes if you are going to represent the wife, and a blue set of chromosomes if you are going to represent the husband. We are asking the question... What would your baby look like if both you and your classmate (who will simulate your spouse) have one dominant gene and one recessive gene for each of the facial features illustrated on the following pages? This, of course, is not the way it really is, but this is a simulation. Each of you will be heterozygous for each trait. To determine the facial appearance of your child, you and your spouse will drop your 23 pair of chromosomes to the floor to simulate gametogenesis (sex cell formation). This "dropping your chromosomes" will determine which one of the pair of chromosomes will enter the successful sex cell. Each parent, mom and dad, donate one and only one of each of their 23 pair of chromosomes. Therefore they both donate 23 chromosomes. Since genes ride in the DNA of the chromosomes, each child will end up with a pair of genes for each trait, one from the dad and one from the mom.
After you drop your own chromosomes and line them up according to size, then you will "mate" with your partner by pushing the chromosomes one at a time toward one another until they are side by side. This represents the establishment of pairs of chromosomes. When you are done you should have twenty three pairs of chromosomes again. The mathematics of sex is..... one of each pair from the mother.....Plus.... one of each pair from the father equals a pair of each kind for the baby! You essentially will supply one gene and your spouse will supply one gene for each characteristic. The resulting two genes that are paired up will produce the genotype. Record the genetic contributions from each parent on the chart provided. Translate the genetic information into the phenotypic information, type of protein (what will your baby look like). You and your spouse will produce one child only. Name the baby. Each of you go home and make a birth announcement which describes in rich and loving detail your wonderful offspring. After this is done, then you will each produce an excellent final draft drawing of your baby 15 years later when he or she is in high school! Do not place the child's name on the front of your paper....only on the back. We want to see if we can match you and your mate's drawings of your child. Don't collaborate with your mate on either one of these assignments.
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