Chromosomes | DNA Basics | Dominant vs. Recessive | Environmental Influence | Linkage and Recombination | Other Genetic Principles
ChromosomesFeb 26, 2009: My daughter was told that her baby had two chromosomes split and rejoin with the other’s half. In other words chromosomes A and B split half of A joined with half of B and the other two halves the same. What does this mean as far as the baby’s health and development? Jan 07, 2009: I understand that the male is responsible for sex identity, by contributing the Y chromosome. Does that mean that certain traits are passed only by the Y chromosome from generation to generation? Does the male pass on the same Y chromosome that was passed to his father? Or, does the male make an entirely new Y chromosome from his father's and his mother's DNA combined?
Nov 14, 2008: Can people get both copies of one of their chromosomes from one parent? What would be the result of something like that? Mar 13, 2008: Would you please tell me if chromosome number is a factor in identifying and distinguishing species? Why is the chromosome number of a potato and a chimpanzee the same? Aug 04, 2006: Hi - I've recently become interested/fascinated by genetics; my basic question is:- 'why' is the [human] genome split into separate chromosomes rather than being one long strand and what determines[ed] which genes went to which chromosome? Nov 16, 2004: I realize that humans have 46 chromosomes and chimps 48, but do we (homo sapiens) have more genes or fewer genes than the chimp? And while were on the subject, is the Y chromosome in humans smaller in size than the Y chromosome in chimps, meaning does it have a less number of genes on the Y chromosome in humans in comparison to the Y chromosome in chimps? Mar 20, 2004: What is a chromosome? DNA BasicsSep 25, 2009: How does RNA unwind after transcription from DNA? Sep 10, 2009: I would really appreciate your expertise and your notions as to the evolutionary significance of introns. What do they do in eukaryotic genomes and why do prokaryotes not have introns? Jul 23, 2009: Does my DNA last forever? Jul 16, 2009: I was wondering how do you get from a gene to a blue eye? Dec 16, 2008: So, what is the difference between a chromosome, a gene, a protein and DNA? I mean where do they all fit in? Aug 14, 2008: What is a mutated gene? Aug 07, 2008: What happens to the host cell's machinery when a virus injects its genetic information? For instance, what happens to the cell's own genetic machinery such as the chromosomes and the DNA coiled in it? Why do enzymes take orders or instructions from the foreign DNA and not from the DNA coiled in the chromosomes? Aug 17, 2006: Why is it that there is a T base to complement an A base in DNA, but a U base in the case of RNA? May 03, 2005: Why is DNA shaped as a spiral? Jan 14, 2005: How true is the saying? The apple does not fall far from the tree. Please give a comparison of human and plant DNA. A picture of plant and human DNA sequences would be nice, so that I can see the similarities.
Aug 03, 2004: Does DNA account for only physical attributes of a human being, or can it also carry an emotional history from one generation to the next? I am wondering if the psychological damage of slavery for African Americans, for example, is carried forward into current generations on not only a psychological basis, but also a physical one. Jul 23, 2004: If a person has a total gender reassignment - (sex change) no matter how extreme the operation goes with hormone injections etc; on a DNA level, the sex of that person is absolute? Jun 16, 2004: I have a bunch of questions about genes, their locations on chromosomes, and "junk" DNA. Do genes on one chromosome have some functional characteristic or are genes scattered across chromosomes without regard to their function? How important is the position of a gene within the DNA? Have any experiments been done to show whether "junk" DNA is important? Jun 14, 2004: How does DNA replicate itself? May 28, 2004: What is DNA made of? May 28, 2004: What does DNA do? May 28, 2004: Who discovered DNA? What does DNA look like? What does DNA do? How does DNA replicate? Mar 27, 2004: If all the cells in my body have the same DNA, then why don't all my cells look the same? Dominant vs. RecessiveFeb 12, 2009: If I am a carrier of Tay Sachs, what is the likelihood that my son (age 9) is also a carrier of it? My husband does not have it and is not a carrier. Jul 11, 2007: Why is it that some alleles are dominant, and some are recessive!? I have been looking EVERYWHERE and all I find is what, not WHY. Why is an allele dominant or recessive? Sep 01, 2006: Does the dominant allele for a given trait show up as the prevalent phenotype in the population at large? For example, the presence of dimples is controlled by a dominant allele, but the majority of people do not have dimples. Why is this? Jun 23, 2006: How can 2 parents with dwarfism have a child that is of average height? Jun 04, 2004: What is the difference between dominant vs. recessive? Can you tell me what I could do to show my class about this without this being long?
Thank you.
Environmental InfluenceJun 04, 2009: I read on your website about the mice that ended up different colors based on what their mom ate while pregnant. How does that work? May 15, 2008: What genetic influences occur in utero with fraternal twins of opposite sexes? Does the male's testosterone have an effect on the developing female and vice versa? I seem to be ambidextrous with some tasks and my index finger is shorter than my ring finger. Feb 21, 2008: Does meditation have the potential to alter the gene structure, especially in case of any damage? Similarly, does walking (or other aerobics) change the gene structure in any way? Jul 26, 2006: Do surrogate children share any genes with the birth mother? Is there any genetic relationship of these children to the surrogate? Is there a health relationship to this mother? Linkage and RecombinationMay 14, 2009: How come blue became the most prevalent eye color/gene in northern Europe, despite being a recessive gene and one that was introduced only about 10,000 years ago? Jul 14, 2006: Is it possible, through mutation, for two blood type O (OO) parents to have a non type O child? Along the same lines, it is possible for mutation to account for any blood type in a child or are there limitations on which mutations are possible? Sep 30, 2004: I thought I heard a geneticist on TV say that the gene that creates blond hair also creates blue eyes, and I thought he suggested that only blonds have blue eyes - is this correct? Other Genetic PrinciplesSep 02, 2009: If people get some genes from their mom and some genes from their dad, do you have some of your own genes? Feb 20, 2009: What are the traits called when they skip 2 generations and appear on the 2nd? Like for example my grandparents have it and it skips my parents and comes up in me. What’s that called? Is there such a thing as a dead trait that only appears once and is gone forever... May 29, 2008: I am curious if there is any evidence that a gene is more likely to be passed on if it is turned on. Also, is an on gene more likely to be affected by mutation? Mar 20, 2008: What causes the alleles in the genes to be turned off in certain areas of the body where they are not needed? May 03, 2007: I once read that Propecia works by means of gene transcription. What does this mean? Can Propecia alter a person's genes? Mar 16, 2007: I was looking at a Wikipedia article on Chromosome 1. I was perusing the list of genes on Chromosome 1 and ran across these:
GLC1A: gene for glaucoma
HPC1: gene for prostate cancer
Do these genes have no other purpose than to trigger illness? May 12, 2006: I have heard that alcoholism skips a generation. Is this true? And if it's true, why do they skip a generation? Mar 09, 2006: What is the story with this other kind of DNA—mitochondrial DNA? Only mothers pass it (is that true) and does it have traits or an effect on children? In what way? Oh, where is it? Nov 07, 2005: Since there is a finite number of base-sequences in our DNA and also a finite number of genes (combinations of those base sequences), isn't there a finite number of "possible" human beings? What is that number? Sep 12, 2005: I have some questions about X inactivation. How long after conception does X inactivation take place? Is it possible to artificially induce X inactivation? Might that be useful for males with Klinefelter's syndrome? Aug 17, 2005: I've heard that DNA of adults is different than DNA of an embryo. What's different, and when does the change occur? Apr 28, 2005: Hi I was wondering if you could tell me what is allelic frequency? And can you tell me which allele I have. If my grandmother on my mothers side has blue eyes, my grandfather has green eyes and she and her brother have green eyes too. My father's dad has blue eyes and his mother brown. He has brown eyes but some of his brothers and sisters have green eyes and one I think has blue. Me and my brother both have dark brown eyes. I am the eldest. Jan 27, 2005: I took a physical anthropology class in college and thought the professor told us two examples of "genetic polymorphism" are: #1, some people taste cruciferous veggies as bitter and some don't, #2, some people don't have a platysma muscle. Are these two things true and can you tell me what "genetic polymorphism" means? Thanks! Oct 12, 2004: My boyfriend has 3 sisters whereas I have 2 sisters and no brothers. What are the chances of him and I having a baby boy? Jul 22, 2004: What is a polymorphic micro-satellite? How can the PCR reaction help us determine if the gene is polymorphic or not?
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