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Importance of quantitative genetics
The importance of mendels law in modern genetics
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Recommended: Importance of quantitative genetics
Traits that we have studied so far fall into a few easily distinguishable classes that we use to foretell the genotypes of the individuals (McClean, 1997).
Mendel toiled with traits that were all discrete, example of such traits were yellow or green, round or wrinkled, etc. A phenotype can be predicted from the known genotype and various alleles give distinctly discernible phenotypes (McClean, 1997). These types of phenotypes are known as discontinuous traits. However, many traits don’t fall into discrete categories since a continuous distribution of phenotypes is found. The distribution is similar to the bell-shaped curve for a normal distribution. These types of phenotypes are known as continuous traits and are studied differently compared to discontinuous traits. Examples of these traits are learning ability in humans, weight gain in animals or ear length in corn. These traits are regulated by multiple genes, each separating according to Mendel's laws and can also be influenced by the environment to varying levels (McClean, 1997).
Since continuous traits are frequently calculated and given a quantitative value, they are commonly referred to as quantitative traits. Thus, quantitative genetics is known as the area of study of inheritance of consistently calculated traits and their mechanisms (McClean, 1997).
Today, famine is rare because the management of quantitative traits has brought about a major increase in crop yield in the past 80 years. The yield is the most essential and intricate trait for the genetic improvement of crops as it displays the interaction of the environment with all the advance procedures that occurs throughout the life process (2). This was the most profitable feature of genetics until not long ago.
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... Mapping and Candidate Gene Analysis for Plant Architecture Traits Using Whole Genome Re-Sequencing in Rice http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935628/
(4) Mutations and quantitative genetic variation: lessons from Drosophila http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/365/1544/1229.long (5) Quantitative Genetic Variation of Odor-Guided Behaviour in a Natural Population of Drosophila rnelanogaster http://www.genetics.org/content/144/2/727.full.pdf
(6) Wilhelm Johannsen's Genotype-Phenotype Distinction http://embryo.asu.edu/pages/wilhelm-johannsens-genotype-phenotype-distinction (7) An analysis of Wilhelm Johannsen’s genetical term ”genotype” 1909-26 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1601-5223.1975.tb01456.x/pdf (8) Griffiths AJF, Miller JH, Suzuki DT, et al. An Introduction to Genetic Analysis. 7th edition New York: W. H. Freeman; 2000.
Test 4: All three phenotypic frequencies saw a reduction in their number as the homozygote fishes saw a reduction in their number and were not able to pass on their alleles to create either their colored fish or a heterozygote. Both yellow and blue allele frequencies decreased by the same
Using PCR and Gel Electrophoresis to Determine Genotype. In certain situations, it is necessary to identify DNA retrieved from a sample. When there is a small sample in need of identification, Polymerase Chain Reactions are used to multiply the DNA. in the sample in many identical samples.
Wheat grown by traditional farming methods assuages the fundamental conditions for natural selection and is thus able to withstand environmental shifts in the future. However, wheat that is genetically uniform doesn’t satisfy the required circumstances for natural selection to occur. Therefore, it cannot survive prospective advancements. It is innate that a genetically diverse crop will be better able to subsist than a genetically engineered uniform crop. Kingsolver’s argument influences beyond intuition to exemplify why genetic diversity is preferable when compared to genetic uniformity with recognition to food
Many scientists have accepted that people’s genetic makeup shape both their physical and mental capabilities. Thus, their characteristics such as eye color and hair color are mainly determined by specific genes which are nested in each human cell. Moreover, the nature theory conceptualizes on traits such as intelligence, aggression; personality and sexual orientation are also embedded in a person’s DNA.
Rantala, M. J., and Roff, D. A. 2006. Analysis of the importance of genotypic variation,
With the rapid growth of our global population pouring into the next millennium, we will witness an ever-growing hunger rate around the world. That is unless we call for a revolution on the global scale. The Green Revolution which already sprouted in the early part of the century only need to add a bit more momentum and we will see a bright future for the human race, a future without hunger and starvation ¡V hopefully.It is becoming increasingly difficult for the planet to support its overwhelming population. And since the amount of arable land available is becoming scarce, we must seek ways to dramatically improve crop yields of existing cropland.
Moore, David Scott. The Dependent Gene: The Fallacy of Nature/nurture. New York: Times, 2002. Print.
The term GM foods or GMO (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques (Whitman, 2000). These plants have been modified in the laboratory to offer desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Also, genetic engineering techniques have been applied to create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and accurately. For example, this is done by the geneticist isolating the gene responsible for drought tolerance and inserts it into another plant. The new genetically-modified plant will now have gained drought tolerance as well.
In the 1860's, it was known that progeny tended to resemble it parents; but how or why this occurred was a mystery. An Augustinian Monk by the name of Gregor Mendel was studying the passage of traits in pea plants. His pure bred lines and careful observation were the footing upon which modern genetic theory was based. Little did he know that his garden of peas would eventually open the door to billions of dollars of research and years of legal and ethical debates (Griffiths et. al., 1996).
M Dufrasne, I. M. (2013). Journal of Animal Science. Animal Genetics , Volume 91 (12).
National Institute of General Medical Sciences. (2010). "21st-Century Genetics." The New Genetics, p. 74-83. Retrieved from http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/thenewgenetics/chapter5.html
U.S. Dept. of Energy. Understanding our Genetic Inheritance the U.S. Human Genome Project. "The first Five Years: Fiscal Years 1991-1995", Obtained from WWW 10/19/99:1/13/99: http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/project/5yrplan/intro.html.
We live in a world that is constantly changing and advancing thanks to technological advancements, especially in the field of molecular genetics. Today, we are discovering and implementing new ways to overcome the ill-fated symptoms developed as a result from poor health or accidents. We are also making advancements in the field of agriculture thanks to molecular genetics. As we all know, food is an essential entity in our lives and is abundant as well as relatively easy to obtain here in the United States. However, as good as it may sound, this is not necessarily true for developing countries. Many people in developing countries receive very little food, if any, due to its scarcity. It is estimated that in Asia alone, close to 800 million people go to bed hungry every night due to food shortage. This problem can be alleviated by turning to the production of genetically modified organisms (a.k.a. GMOs).
more than half the variation was found to be due to heredity. Among these traits were