CREATE-N-BABY LAB

CREATE-N-BABY
Purpose:
To demonstrate that genes and traits are passed on from generation to generation.
The concepts of dominance, genotype, phenotype, and incomplete dominance and multiple alleles will be
illustrated.
Materials:
Colored pencils/crayons
Two coins
Procedure:
1. You will work in groups of TWO!!! One student will be the “mother” and the other student will be the “father”.
2. For each flip of the penny, HEADS will be DOMINANT
TAILS will be RECESSIVE
3. Determine the gender of your baby. Remember: males have an X and a Y chromosome, females have two X
chromosomes. Knowing this, the gender of the baby is determined by the father. For this characteristic only
the “father” flips the penny. If heads come up, the father gave the Y chromosome. If tails is flipped, the
father gave the baby the X chromosome. NAME YOUR CHILD!!
4. Now determine the genotype for the other characteristics. Refer the reference sheet at the end of this
document to determine the phenotype that corresponds to the genotype. Record your genotypes in Table 1.
5. For hair color and eye color, we will assume that only two-gene pairs control these traits. For the first gene
pair, flip the pennies and record the results (AA, Aa, aa). For the second gene pair, again flip your pennies and
record your results (BB, Bb, bb). Now, combine the two gene pairs. Refer to the charts below for the
phenotypes.
Hair Color
Eye Color
Gene Pairs Hair Color Gene Pairs Eye Color
AABB Black AABB Deep Brown
AABb Black AABb Deep Brown
AAbb Red AAbb Brown
AaBB Brown AaBB Greenish Brown
AaBb Brown AaBb Brown
Aabb Regular Blond Aabb Gray-Blue
aaBB Dark Blond aaBB Green
aaBb Regular Blond aaBb Dark Blue
aabb Pale Blond aabb Pale blue
Results:
Complete table 1
Draw a picture of your baby—Remember to draw a BABY not a child or adult
Conclusions: Use complete sentences to answer the following questions.(use the space below the picture of your baby)
1. Which traits showed complete dominance?
2. Which traits showed incomplete dominance?
3. Which traits were multiple allele traits?
4. Define Genotype.
5. Define Phenotype.
6. What percentage of the genotype does each parent give to the offspring?
7. What happens to the traits for incomplete dominance? Which gene is expressed?

TABLE 1
Mothers Name:______________ Fathers Name:_______________
Child’s Name: ________________
TRAIT
FATHER’S
ALLELE
MOTHER’S
ALLELE
GENOTYPE
PHENOTYPE
Gender
Face Shape
Chin Shape
Dimple in Chin
Freckles
Dimples in Cheek
Lip Thickness
Eye Brows
Eye Shape
Eyelashes
Ear Shape
Ear Lobes
Widow’s Peak
Hair Shape
Color of Eyebrows
Eye Distance
Eye Size
Mouth Size
Nose Size
Birth Mark (mole)
Hair Color
Eye Color
Use the next sheet of paper to draw and color your offspring based on the data you collected.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________