How to translate text using browser tools
26 January 2022 Inheritance Patterns: Probability Rules & Probability Trees
Umadevi Garimella, Nesrin Sahin
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Educators usually teach the Mendelian inheritance model using Punnett squares to determine the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype and phenotype. To find the probability of an outcome of a particular cross, students need to understand the underlying biological concepts of these visual representations. However, this approach becomes more complex for cases with three or more characters and shies away from the authentic integration of mathematical and biological concepts. Therefore it is crucial for students to use mathematical algorithms that Mendel used to understand and solve inheritance problems. In this paper, we propose relating two simple probability rules to the laws of inheritance and using a probability tree diagram to predict the combined frequency of traits in the offspring of crosses. We validate the proposed probability rules for various examples.

Umadevi Garimella and Nesrin Sahin "Inheritance Patterns: Probability Rules & Probability Trees," The American Biology Teacher 84(1), 22-27, (26 January 2022). https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2022.84.1.22
Published: 26 January 2022
JOURNAL ARTICLE
6 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
addition or sum rule
law of independent assortment
law of segregation
laws of inheritance
Mendel
multiplication or product rule
probability
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top