GCSE Biology Revision — Genetic Inheritance
Revise Genetic Inheritance for GCSE Biology with a topic explanation, worked example and common mistakes. Check the board notes for specification differences.
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What is Genetic Inheritance?
Genetic inheritance is the process by which genetic information is passed from parent to offspring. Key terms include allele (different versions of a gene), genotype (the combination of alleles an individual has), and phenotype (the observable characteristics resulting from the genotype). Dominant alleles are always expressed, while recessive alleles are only expressed if two copies are present.
Board notes: Covered by all major boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR). The use of Punnett squares to predict outcomes of monohybrid crosses is a key skill.
Step-by-step explanationWorked examples
Worked example
In pea plants, the allele for purple flowers (P) is dominant to the allele for white flowers (p). If a heterozygous plant (Pp) is crossed with a white-flowered plant (pp), a Punnett square shows there is a 50% chance of the offspring having purple flowers (Pp) and a 50% chance of them having white flowers (pp).
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Common mistakes
- 1Confusing genes and alleles. A gene is a section of DNA for a characteristic (e.g., eye colour gene), while alleles are the different versions of that gene (e.g., blue eye allele, brown eye allele).
- 2Thinking the dominant phenotype is always the most common. Dominance refers to which allele is expressed, not how frequent it is in a population. For example, the allele for Huntington's disease is dominant but rare.
- 3Getting heterozygous and homozygous mixed up. Homozygous means having two identical alleles for a gene (e.g., BB or bb), while heterozygous means having two different alleles (e.g., Bb).
Genetic Inheritance exam questions
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?
The genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism, i.e., the specific alleles it carries (e.g., Bb). The phenotype is the physical expression of those alleles, i.e., the observable characteristic (e.g., brown eyes).
What is a Punnett square used for?
A Punnett square is a diagram used to predict the possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring from a genetic cross. It shows all the possible combinations of alleles from the parents' gametes.