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Ch. 4 - Gene Interaction
Chapter 4, Problem 3

Compare and contrast broad sense heritability and narrow sense heritability, giving an example of each measurement and identifying how the measurement is used.

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Step 1: Define broad sense heritability (H^2) as the proportion of phenotypic variance in a population that is attributable to genetic variance. It includes all genetic contributions to a trait, including additive, dominance, and epistatic effects.
Step 2: Define narrow sense heritability (h^2) as the proportion of phenotypic variance that is due to additive genetic variance alone. This measure is important for predicting the response to selection in breeding programs.
Step 3: Provide an example of broad sense heritability: In a study of plant height, if the total phenotypic variance is 100 units and the genetic variance (including all genetic effects) is 60 units, then H^2 = 60/100 = 0.6 or 60%.
Step 4: Provide an example of narrow sense heritability: In the same study, if the additive genetic variance is 40 units, then h^2 = 40/100 = 0.4 or 40%. This indicates the proportion of variance that can be attributed to additive genetic factors.
Step 5: Explain the use of these measurements: Broad sense heritability is used to understand the overall genetic influence on a trait, while narrow sense heritability is crucial for predicting how a trait will respond to selection, as it focuses on additive genetic variance which is directly passed from parents to offspring.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Broad Sense Heritability

Broad sense heritability (H²) measures the proportion of phenotypic variance in a trait that can be attributed to genetic variance, including additive, dominance, and interaction effects among alleles. It provides a comprehensive view of genetic influence on traits, but does not distinguish between different types of genetic contributions. For example, in a study of plant height, broad sense heritability would consider all genetic factors affecting height, making it useful for understanding overall genetic potential.
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Narrow Sense Heritability

Narrow sense heritability (h²) specifically quantifies the proportion of phenotypic variance that is due to additive genetic variance alone. This measure is crucial for predicting the response to selection in breeding programs, as it reflects the heritable traits that can be passed on to the next generation. For instance, in livestock breeding, narrow sense heritability would focus on traits like milk production, helping breeders select for animals that will pass on desirable traits.
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Applications of Heritability Measurements

Heritability measurements are essential in genetics for understanding the genetic basis of traits and guiding breeding strategies. Broad sense heritability is often used in ecological and evolutionary studies to assess the potential for evolution in populations, while narrow sense heritability is critical in agricultural and animal breeding contexts, where it helps predict the effectiveness of selection. Both measurements inform researchers and breeders about the genetic architecture of traits and their potential for improvement.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

For the traits listed in the previous problem, which do you think are likely to be multifactorial traits, with phenotypes that are influenced by genes and environment? Identify two environmental factors that might play a role in phenotypic variation of the traits you identified.

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Textbook Question

Define and distinguish epistasis and pleiotropy.

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Textbook Question

In a test of his chromosome theory of heredity, Morgan crossed a female Drosophila with red eyes to a male with white eyes. The females were produced from Cross A shown in Figure 3.19. Predict the offspring Morgan would have expected under his hypothesis that the gene for eye color is on the X chromosome in fruit flies.

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Textbook Question

In a cross of two pure-breeding lines of tomatoes producing different fruit sizes, the variance in grams (g) of fruit weight in the F₁ is 2.25 g and the variance among the F₂ is 5.40 g. Determine the genetic and environmental variance (VG and VE) for the trait and the broad sense heritability of the trait.

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Textbook Question

Describe the difference between continuous phenotypic variation and discontinuous variation. Explain how polygenic inheritance could be the basis of a trait showing continuous phenotypic variation. Explain how polygenic inheritance can be the basis of a threshold trait.

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Textbook Question

In Drosophila, the map positions of genes are given in map units numbering from one end of a chromosome to the other. The X chromosome of Drosophila is 66 m.u. long. The X-linked gene for body color—with two alleles, y⁺ for gray body and y for yellow body—resides at one end of the chromosome at map position 0.0. A nearby locus for eye color, with alleles w⁺ for red eye and w for white eye, is located at map position 1.5. A third X-linked gene, controlling bristle form, with f⁺ for normal bristles and f for forked bristles, is located at map position 56.7. At each locus the wild-type allele is dominant over the mutant allele.

In a cross involving these three X-linked genes, do you expect any gene pair(s) to show genetic linkage? Explain your reasoning.

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