======Genetic Traits Survey======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Alternative titles:** Investigating Inherited Traits
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Provide students with a list of observable genetic traits (e.g., earlobe attachment, tongue rolling, dimples, handedness, freckles, hair texture, hand clasping, red-green colorblindness, hairline shape, PTC tasting).
  - Have each student record their own traits privately.
  - Collect anonymous class data in a table or tally chart.
  - Calculate the percentage of students showing each trait.
  - Compare results to known population averages (e.g., ~75% PTC tasters, ~10% left-handed).
  - Discuss inheritance patterns, noting which traits follow Mendelian rules (dominant/recessive) and which are polygenic or influenced by the environment.



====Links==== 
Studying Human Variation - DNA Learning Center: 
{{youtube>5NdxQUpScrY?}}\\


📄 Human Genetics Survey - Biology Corner: [[https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/geneticsurvey.htm]]\\


====Variations====
  * Conduct surveys in different classes, age groups, or families and compare frequencies.
  * Use Punnett squares to predict trait inheritance in simple cases (e.g., PTC tasting, red-green colorblindness).
  * Create family pedigrees for selected traits.
  * Compare identical vs. fraternal twins (if available) to study genetic vs. environmental effects.
  * Expand the survey to include non-genetic traits (e.g., handedness training in different cultures) to contrast with genetic inheritance.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Keep survey results anonymous to respect privacy.
  * Avoid pressuring students to share traits they are uncomfortable disclosing.
  * Emphasize that traits vary naturally and no trait is “better” or “worse.”
  * For PTC tasting, only use classroom-safe PTC paper strips.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Which traits in the survey showed the highest variation? (Answers will vary depending on class data.)
  * Why do some traits, like red-green colorblindness, appear more often in males than females? (Because it is an X-linked recessive trait.)
  * Which traits matched population averages, and which did not? (Students can compare their results to published statistics.)
  * How can both genes and the environment influence traits like freckles or tongue rolling? (Sunlight increases freckles; tongue rolling can sometimes be learned.)
  * Why do scientists study large populations rather than small groups when researching traits? (Larger samples provide more accurate and representative data.)