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Harry Potter �and the �Recessive Allele

How Are Wizards Made?

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Phenotype

– observable characteristics

Blond hair

Wizard

Red hair

Wizard

Brown Hair

Muggle (Non-wizard )

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Genotype

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Lucius Malfoy (mm)

Narcissa Malfoy (mm)

( )

Genotype – the two alleles that are present

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m

m

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Wizard or muggle?

  • Every trait will have two genes, one from the mother and one from the father

chromosomes

gene

from mother

from father

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Is magical ability genetic?

  • Entire families like have magical abilities – so it is likely genetic?

The Weasleys

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Magic genetics

  • Two alleles, -- wizard allele or muggle allele
  • Heterozygotes are muggles, -- so muggle is dominant (MM or Mm)
  • Magical ability must be mm

Muggle allele (M)

Wizard allele (m)

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Hermione’s parents are Muggles (non magical), what must the genotypes of Hermione’s parents be?

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What must the GENOTYPES of her muggle parents be?

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Mm

Mm

mm

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Wizard or muggle?

  • Tom’s mother had magical abilities but his father was a muggle
  • What combination of alleles must Tom’s father have?

Tom Riddle (mm)

Mm

mm

mm

father

mother

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Lily Potter (mm)

Harry’s mother – Lily – is mm (magical)

Lily’s parents were muggles – their genotype?

Heterozygous Mm

What might be Petunia’s genotype?

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Genotype of Petunia Potter

Petunia

MM or Mm

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Complex Trait: Hagrid’s Height

  • Hagrid’s father was a wizard and his mother was a giantess. The normal heights for giants and wizards are: Giants = about 20 ft. & Wizard = 5-6 ft.

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  • Given that Hagrid is described to be about 12 ft., what type of genetic inheritance may be at work for Hagrid’s height?

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Complex Trait: Hagrid’s Height

  • Hagrid’s father was a wizard and his mother was a giantess. The normal heights for giants and wizards are: Giants = 20-25 ft. & Wizard = 5-6 ft.
  • Given that Hagrid is described to about 12 ft., what type of genetic inheritance may be at work for Hagrid’s height?

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Hagrid’s height is close to the average of the heights of a wizard and a giantess, (5+20)/2=12.5 ft, which shows incomplete dominance.

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Incomplete Dominance

  • Incomplete dominance results in a phenotype that is a blend of a heterozygous allele pair. �Ex., Red flower + Blue flower => Purple flower

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  • If the dragons in Harry Potter have fire-power alleles F (strong fire) and N (no fire) that follow incomplete dominance, what are the phenotypes for the following dragon-fire genotypes?
    • FF
    • FN
    • NN

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Incomplete Dominance

  • Incomplete dominance results in a phenotype that is a blend of the two traits in an allele pair. �Ex., Red flower + Blue flower => Purple flower

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  • If the Dragons in Harry Potter have fire-power alleles F (strong fire) and N (no fire) that follow incomplete dominance, what are the phenotypes for the following dragon-fire genotypes:

Genotypes Phenotypes

FF strong fire

FN moderate fire (blended trait)

NN no fire

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Codominance

  • Codominance results in a phenotype that shows both traits of an allele pair. � Ex., Red flower + White flower => Red & White spotted flower

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  • If merpeople have tail color alleles B (blue) and G (green) that follow the codominance inheritance rule, what are possible genotypes and phenotypes? � Genotypes Phenotypes

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Codominance

  • Codominance results in a phenotype that shows both traits of an allele pair. � Ex., Red flower + White flower => Red & White spotted flower (both traits)

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  • If merpeople have tail color alleles B (blue) and G (green) that follow the codominance inheritance rule, what are possible genotypes and phenotypes? � Genotypes Phenotypes� BB blue tail� GG green tail� BG blue & green tail (both traits)

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