Survey Genetic Traits

Materials:

Objectives:
This investigation is designed so that students can answer these questions:

How often do certain easily-observable human traits occur in a population?

Is there a relationship between the frequency of a trait in a population and whether the trait is dominant or recessive?

Is red-green color blindness in humans an inherited trait? If so, do Mendel's Laws apply to its inheritance?

Procedures:

Step One: Conduct surveys

a.	Conduct a survey of your class, school or community.
b.	The survey items are the genetic traits shown here .
c.	Determine whether each person displays the dominant or recessive trait.
d.	Obtain a blank copy of a form to record your traits data. Plain Text, Word Doc, PDF or use an Excel file
e.	Record the total number of people surveyed for each trait, the number of people who express the dominant trait, and the number of people who express the recessive trait.
f.	Use any of these tests to determine whether anyone you survey has red-green color blindness.
g.	Obtain a blank copy of a form to record your color blind data. Plain Text, Word Doc, PDF

Step Two: Tabulate results

a.	When you have completed your surveys, give them to an individual or group who have been assigned to tally them.
b.	Count the total number of individuals surveyed, the total number of individuals showing the dominant trait and the total number of individuals showing the recessive trait.
c.	Use a copy of the survey form to record data for each of the six traits that you surveyed.
d.	In addition, count the number of individuals who were tested for red-green color blindness and the number of individuals who exhibit red-green color blindness.
e.	Submit data to the "Project Data" portion of the website.