Arabidopsis thaliana, a model system for plant research, serves as the ideal organism for teaching a variety of basic genetic concepts including inheritance, genetic variation, segregation, and dominant and recessive traits. Rapid advances in the field of genetics make understanding foundational concepts, such as Mendel's laws, ever more important to today's biology student. Coupling these concepts with hands-on learning experiences better engages students and deepens their understanding of the topic. In our article, we present a teaching module from the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center as a tool to engage students in lab inquiry exploring Mendelian genetics. This includes a series of protocols and assignments that guide students through growing two generations of Arabidopsis, making detailed observations of mutant phenotypes, and determining the inheritance of specific traits, thus providing a hands-on component to help teach genetics at the middle and high school level.
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April 2018
Research Article|
April 01 2018
Following Phenotypes: An Exploration of Mendelian Genetics Using Arabidopsis Plants
Courtney G. Price,
Courtney G. Price
8COURTNEY PRICE (corresponding author), Education Specialist, [email protected].
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Emma M. Knee,
Julie A. Miller,
Julie A. Miller
6JULIE MILLER, Program Coordinator, [email protected].
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Diana Shin,
Diana Shin
5DIANA SHIN, Associate Curator, [email protected].
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James Mann,
Deborah K. Crist,
Deborah K. Crist
3DEBORAH CRIST, Database and Financial Manager, [email protected].
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Erich Grotewold,
Erich Grotewold
2ERICH GROTEWOLD, Co-Director, [email protected].
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Jelena Brkljacic
Jelena Brkljacic
1JELENA BRKLJACIC (corresponding author), Associate Director, [email protected]. All are with The Ohio State University, Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center.
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The American Biology Teacher (2018) 80 (4): 291–300.
Citation
Courtney G. Price, Emma M. Knee, Julie A. Miller, Diana Shin, James Mann, Deborah K. Crist, Erich Grotewold, Jelena Brkljacic; Following Phenotypes: An Exploration of Mendelian Genetics Using Arabidopsis Plants. The American Biology Teacher 1 April 2018; 80 (4): 291–300. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2018.80.4.291
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