Traits and Heredity: Dominant and Recessive Traits

Upon viewing the Traits and Heredity video series, students will be able to do the following: Define traits as the distinguishing characteristics of an organism. Describe heredity as the process of passing on traits from parents to offspring. Differentiate between acquired traits and inherited traits, giving examples of each. Identify Gregor Mendel as the father of modern genetics, and define genetics as the study of heredity. Briefly describe Mendel's Law of Dominance, explaining that the stronger trait is called the dominant trait and the weaker trait is the recessive trait. Generally explain that chromosomes are structures in cells that contain genetic material. Define DNA as the chemical that determines the genetic code. Understand that genetic engineering is a field of scientific research that has accomplished many beneficial things. However, also understand that there is some controversy and concern about the long- term effects of genetic engineering.