Dominant and Recessive Genes - Education and Transformation

You dominant and recessive genes are considered two important factors for the construction of the characteristics of living beings, these genes contain DNA particles that include all our genetic material, amazing, isn't it?

Are we going to understand a little more about this process?

Gene Process

Let's imagine that in each of our cells in the human body there is a nucleus, in that nucleus is all our genetic material, in it the genetic material presents itself as chromosomes, and Chromosomes are the condensed forms of a large molecule called DNA, we can say that DNA plays the main role in our body, as it stores and processes all our genes.

DNA is a large molecule and is shaped like a ladder, where each step represents a nitrogenous base, there are 4 types of base that make up the molecule of this great intercalated ladder, we can call them adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine, these bases nitrogenated are intermingled with each other, forming a kind of code, that's right, a code, you know those bar codes from foods? It is of this kind, this code can be read, summarized, translated by our cells, this whole process leads to the formation of our physical characteristics, that is, each part of this huge DNA molecule has a function called a gene, which can be of different sizes. varied.

See too: Protein synthesis.

Genotype and phenotype difference

O Genotype presents in its gene fixed and genetically constituted characteristics in each individual for life, which cannot be altered. The characteristics of the phenotype are characteristics of the color of the skin, eyes, hair, it is the junction of the phenotype with the genotype. Do you know when we go somewhere that there is very strong sunlight transmission and we want to get that bronze? The fixed color of our skin can change according to the environment, called the phenotype

Taking this example as a link, did you know that the color of our skin is passed on partly by the father and partly by the mother? With this factor our chromosomes are always in pairs. Let's understand better?

One of these chromosomes can be of Maternal Origin and the other of Paternal Origin, one is almost a copy of the other, but there are differences, this difference can be found in the Genes, which even occupying the same position and having the same function, they can be a little different during the process, this is due to the fact that our parents have different characteristics from each other in their physiognomy.

And all these have a specific name, they are called alleles. When a gene is the same trait as the father's gene that is the same as the mother's trait gene, we call this allele homozygote (AA), two dominant genes, that is, characteristics equals

In cases of different genes, we can call them heterozygote, that is, (Aa). Let's see through letters how these genes are represented in the process of dominant and recessive genes?

Recessive and Dominant Genes

EX: The letter B and V can be used to represent the genes, let's use the letter A, capital and small.

The uppercase letter represents the Dominant Gene, and the lowercase letter indicates the recessive gene.

Many think that the dominant gene is present in people who have darker eye color because it is more prevalent, this fact can be disproved, because in every country in the world a more common species of dominant eyes can be identified, we have as an example Switzerland, there it is more common to notice people with light colored eyes and much less dark colored ones, that is, the light color is dominant but with recessive genes.

Recessive Genes: Recessive genes manifest through two genes joined together (aa)

Dominant Genes: Dominant genes, unlike recessive genes, manifest themselves, without needing of the presence of other genes, for this fact they are called Dominant, as they ignore the presence of the gene recessive

There is a separate case that can occur in the presence of the dominant gene, which can be called codominance, in which case the dominant gene did not inhibit the action of the gene recessive, they work together on the physical characteristics of the heterozygous individual, in their structure both are present, ie (Aa) both the dominant gene and recessive.

We have as an example the lips, that's right, the thickness of the lips. Dominant homozygous individuals, that is, two dominant genes have thicker lips, Angelina Julie style, you know? Those that are present in recessive homozygotes, that is, two recessive genes, have thinner lips in their physical structure.

In other cases where the individual has both genes, the dominant and recessive heterozygote, the lips are of medium thickness, that is, they are not that thin, nor that thick.

Physical characteristics of the dominant genes:

• Baldness, which mainly affects men due to genetic and hormonal factors, due to the fact that the Dominant Gene is more present in men, whereas in women they are recessive genes, in men only one gene is needed, that's right, a gene to lead to baldness.

• Dark hair and dark eyes, as mentioned, is the interaction of dominant genes,
• You know that dimpled chin that everyone craves, they're brought on by the dominant genes,
• Thick lips are only possible with dominant genes
• And another very strange factor, is the ability to curl your tongue, that's right, do you have this ability? Some people who have recessive genes cannot perform this feat.

Some diseases can arise through dominant genes, such as:

Von Hippel Disease: It is a very rare, genetic disease that causes accelerated growth of tumors in some parts of the body.

Huntington's Disease: It is a hereditary disease, the cells of the nervous system can break down over time, the disease mainly affects the age group between 30 and 40 years old, it is also considered rare, there is no cure

Polydactyly: It mainly affects the limbs of the hands and feet. Causing anomalies, we have the example of individuals who have more than 5 fingers on the hand or even on the foot

Recessive Features

• Thin lips
• People with recessive genes have colored hair, blond, red, light brown
• Many people wonder why they don't have dimples in their chin, and the answer is that you have recessive genes
• People with recessive genes have mostly blue eyes, which is not a specificity, as already mentioned.
• They are usually left-handed and have a straight nose.

gene related diseases

• Albinism: Absence of pigmentation in the skin, in addition to affecting the hair and eye region, is considered a congenital disorder and an inheritance of the recessive allele.
• Myopia: Myopia occurs when light cannot come into contact with the retina, it causes images of blurred objects at long distance, it is a disease that can last for years or even a lifetime.
• Color blindness: It is a hereditary problem that forms anomalies in color vision, confusion of different types of shades, men are more affected than women and can last for years or a lifetime

Activity Suggestion

How fantastic is the structure of our DNA, isn't it? In addition to being an important biology class, it can also be suggestive in carrying out activities in groups, with this it becomes a lighter, practical and at the same time communicative matter between teachers and kids.

The activity proposes that children or adolescents recognize in themselves and in their classmates characteristics that can be considered as a dominant or recessive gene, with this leaves a little of the theoretical part, and they can also use illustrative images to point out which characteristics they think can fit in each Gene.

The activity proposes movement, interactivity and mainly communication and greater understanding of the subject, as some of the subjects of biology, as the study of DNA can become tiring and complex, and the activity helps to create a lighter scenario of understanding between the students.