Chapter 10: Sexual Reproduction and Genetics
Chapter 10 brings together two foundational ideas in biology: meiosis and inheritance. Students will learn how gametes are formed, how chromosomes are shuffled through crossing over and independent assortment, and how traits are passed from one generation to the next. From Mendel’s pea plants to Punnett squares and polyploidy, this chapter helps students understand the molecular mechanics of heredity — and why no two siblings are exactly alike (unless they’re clones… which we’re not covering yet).
Chapter 10 Vocabulary Flashcards
Chapter 11: Complex Inheritance and Human Heredity
This chapter explores the exceptions and extensions to Mendel’s simple inheritance patterns. Students will investigate incomplete dominance, codominance, sex-linked traits, and polygenic inheritance, along with epistasis and multiple alleles. The chapter also dives into real-world human genetics, covering genetic disorders, karyotypes, and the role of chromosomes in determining traits. This unit challenges students to think beyond dominant and recessive — and shows them how truly complex heredity can be.
Chapter 11 Vocabulary Flashcards
Chapter 12: Molecular Genetics
Chapter 12 explores how scientists discovered DNA as the genetic material and unraveled its structure and function. Students will dive into the experiments of Griffith, Avery, and Hershey & Chase, then learn about the elegant double-helix model built by Watson and Crick. The second half of the chapter focuses on DNA replication, a precise and beautiful process where cells make exact copies of their genetic code. Students will also get a brief look at RNA, mutations, and how mistakes can lead to genetic disorders — but our main focus stays on the mechanics of DNA.
Mrs. Ederington 