Genetics with a Smile Task Card

Part A: Smiley Face Traits: Record your data in DATA TABLE A

1. Obtain two coins. The penny represents the female (Penny’s) genotype and the nickel represents the male

(Nick’s) genotype.

2. Holding both coins in your hand, flip them to determine which allele each parent will pass to Baby Smiley.

Heads = Dominant Trait Tails = Recessive Trait

A. On the table below, circle the allele Penny passed on to Baby Smiley in the column labeled “FEMALE” and

the allele Nick passed to Baby Smiley under the column labeled “MALE”.

B. Based on the outcome of the coin toss, write the genotype of Baby Smiley in the “GENOTYPE” column.

C. Based on Baby Smiley’s genotype, use the provided Smiley Face Traits to determine Baby Smiley’s

phenotype for each trait. Record the data in the “PHENOTYPE” column.

Part B: Is Baby Smiley a boy or a girl?

To determine the sex of Baby Smiley, flip the coin for the male parent. Add the gender to the Data Table B.

Heads = Y (male) Tails = X (female)

Part C: Create Baby Smiley!

Obtain a Face Shape based on

your data. Using Data tables A

and B, create an accurate

representation of your Baby

Smiley based on the phenotype

you created. Once you have

created Baby Smiley, give him/

her a name and write the name

on the line.

Sex:

To determine the sex, flip a coin for the male parent. Heads = Y and tails = X

Name:____________________________

Date:_____________________________

Assignment #:_________Block:________ Genetics with a Smile Mr. & Mrs. Smiley have decided that it is time to expand their family. The Smiley’s, whose first names are Nick

& Penny, are both heterozygous for each of the twelve traits that their offspring will inherit. During this activity

your job is to:

1. Determine the genotype for Baby Smiley by flipping a coin; based on the genotype, determine

the phenotype of Baby smiley

2. Determine Baby Smiley’s Sex

3. Create Baby Smiley & name him/her

4. Complete the evaluation questions

Traits Female (penny) Male (nickel) Genotype Phenotype

Face Shape C c C c

Eye Shape E e E e

Hair Style S s S s

Smile T t T t

Ear Style V v V v

Nose Style D d D d

Face Color Y y Y y

Eye Color B b B b

Hair Length L l L l

Freckles F f F f

Nose Color R Y R Y

Ear Color P T P T

______ = _______% _______

30pts

DATA TABLE A

Female Male Genotype Phenotype

Sex X X X Y

DATA TABLE B

Traits Your Baby Classmate #1 Classmate #2 Classmate #3

Face Shape Circle Oval Circle Oval Circle Oval Circle Oval

Eye Shape Star Blast Star Blast Star Blast Star Blast

Hair Style Straight Curly Straight Curly Straight Curly Straight Curly

Smile Thick Thin Thick Thin Thick Thin Thick Thin

Ear Style Curved Pointed Curved Pointed Curved Pointed Curved Pointed

Nose Style Down Up Down Up Down Up Down Up

Face Color Yellow Green Yellow Green Yellow Green Yellow Green

Eye Color Blue Red Blue Red Blue Red Blue Red

Hair Length Long Short Long Short Long Short Long Short

Freckles Present Absent Present Absent Present Absent Present Absent

Nose Color Red Orange Yellow Red Orange Yellow Red Orange Yellow Red Orange Yellow

Ear Color Pink Purple Teal Pink Purple Teal Pink Purple Teal Pink Purple Teal

Gender Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

Part D: TRAIT COMPARISONS: How does your baby compare to those created by your classmates? Fill out the

table below, starting first by circling the traits of your baby and then the traits of 3 of your classmates’ baby’s.

Part E: Evaluation Questions:

1. Whose smiley has the most dominant traits? How many? (HINT: Count only the traits in BOLD that you circled

above. _______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Whose smiley has the most recessive traits? How many? (HINT: Do not count any traits in ITALICS.)___________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. For face color, yellow is dominant to green. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smiley are heterozygous. Complete the Punnett

square below to show the probability of Mr. and Mrs. Smiley having a baby with green face color.

a. YY ____________

b. Yy _____________

c. yy _____________

d. Yellow ___________

e. Green ___________

4. Based on the Punnett square, what is the probability of

Baby smiley having a green face?

_____________________________

5. Based on the data in TABLE C above, how many Baby

smiley’s had green faces?

_______________________________________________

6. How does your prediction in #4 compare with the actual

data from #5?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

DATA TABLE C

7. Why did you only have to flip the male parent coin to determine the sex of Baby Smiley? _______________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

8. What is an allele? ___________________________________________________________________________

9. How many alleles for each trait does Baby Smiley have?

______________________________________

10. How many alleles did Baby Smiley receive from each parent?

__________________________________

11.What is incomplete dominance?

_______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Which Smiley trait (s) was a result of incomplete dominance? _______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Explain the difference between the genotype and the phenotype. ___________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

14. Nick Smiley (Dad) is a talented whistler and has won many whistling competitions. Do you think that your

Baby Smiley will inherit an allele for whistling talent from Nick? Why or why not? _________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Penny Smiley (Mom) is very talkative . Her Mom (Baby Smiley’s grandma) was also very

talkative. Do you think Baby Smiley will inherit a gene for being talkative from Penny? Why

or Why not? ______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

16. Star eyes are dominant over blast eyes. Grandma and Grandpa Smiley are heterozygous for the star eye shape. If one of their heterozygous children married a smiley with blast shaped eyes, what percentage of their grandchildren should have star eyes? Complete the Punnett square to help. ____________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

17. Aunt Smiley has the cutest pointed ears in the world and would love to have children with pointed ears! What

type of ears would her husband need to have in order for her to have a 100% chance of getting her wish? Com-

plete the Punnett square(s) to help. ______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

a. EE ____________

b. Ee _____________

c. ee _____________

d. Star ___________

e. Blast ___________