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Pedigrees and the Inheritance of Lactose Intolerance

Image from the activity

Topic

  • Genetics
  • Patterns of Inheritance
  • Bioinformatics
  • Evolution
  • Human Evolution

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Used In
2 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
65 Users
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Description

In this activity, students explore concepts covered in the short film Got Lactase? The Co-evolution of Genes and Culture about the genetic variations associated with lactose tolerance/intolerance and how the trait is inherited in families.

In this two-part activity, students analyze the same Finnish family pedigrees that researchers studied to understand the pattern of inheritance of lactose tolerance/intolerance. They also examine portions of DNA sequence near the lactase gene to identify specific mutations associated with lactose tolerance. In Part 1, students determine the pattern of inheritance, and in Part 2, the responsible mutation.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

Student Learning Targets

  • Study a pedigree to make an evidence-based claim about the mode of inheritance for a trait.
  • Determine the most likely inheritance pattern of a trait tracked in a pedigree and the genotypes of individuals included in the pedigree.
  • Analyze variations in DNA to make claims about which variants are associated with specific traits.
     

Estimated Time

One to two 50-minute class periods

Key Terms

autosomal dominant, genetic analysis, lactase persistence, mutation, pedigree analysis

Primary Literature

Enattah, Nabil S., Timo Sahi, Erkki Savilahti, Joseph Terwilliger, Leena Peltonen, and Irma Järvelä. “Identification of a variant associated with adult-type hypolactasia.” Nature Genetics 30, 2 (2002): 233–237. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng826.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Version History

Date Published 10.22.11
Date Updated 11.02.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS3-1; SEP2, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

IST-1.I, IST-2.E, IST-4.A; SP2, SP4, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

3.1, 3.4, B.5

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.7, ELA.WHST.9–12.1

Vision and Change (2009)

CC3; DP1, DP3

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 588 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 887 KB
Slides (PPT) 303 KB
Educator Materials-Español (PDF) 668 KB
Student Handout-Español (PDF) 684 KB

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
The Making of the Fittest: Got Lactase? The Co-evolution of Genes and Culture

Educator Tips

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.
Educator standing in front of pedigree charts. Play Video Next Slide Next Slide
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1-Minute Tips

Lactose Intolerance and Genetics

Robin Bulleri describes how she uses the "Got Lactase?" short film, along with the "Inheritance of Lactose Intolerance" activity, to show her students how lactase persistence arose and how pedigrees and DNA analysis reveal patterns of inheritance of lactase gene variants.
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