Connecting Meiosis and Genetics
Activity 1-Getting Started: Build A Pair Of Chromosomes
Work in groups. Use a bag labeled “diploid human genome, male” or “diploid human,
genome, female”, containers of beads of several colors and shapes and magnetic connectors, and
one pair of chromosomes to start. Fill four beads from each jar into the bag. Solid-colored beads
represent dominant alleles, and striped represent recessive alleles from the same trait. Get6 two
red centromeres and two yellow centromeres. Randomly select the beads, draw each bead in
Table 1. The first bead will be part of the maternal chromosome (inherited from mother), the next
one of the same color will be part of paternal chromosome (inherited from father). Throw back
the additional beads of the same color into the bag. Draw beads until you have drawn one of each
color or shape for maternal chromosome and same for the paternal chromosome. After you drew
all the beads for both chromosomes, ready to hook the alleles together. Take yellow centromere
and hook it into position between the green and red beads of your maternal chromosome.
Keeping the beads in the correct order, attach the remaining beads to the chromosome. Use the
same method to connect the alleles of the paternal chromosome using the red centromere.
Together these two chromosomes are referred to as homologous chromosomes. Fill in Table 2
with the genotypes and phenotypes of the traits on the chromosomes you just constructed.
Activity 2-Homologous Chromosomes Separate In Meiosis To Form Gametes.
Draw a series of circles that are the same as those shown in Figure 2. Place your pair of
chromosomes in the first circle and the cell is interphase now, the diploid number of
chromosomes in cell is 2. Find the number of the chromosomes came from the mother, numbers
