Development of teaching materials for the comprehensive understanding of Mendelian inheritance and the further understanding of genetic independence, linkage and recombination by using Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract

The present course of study for high school deals with heredity by focusing on genes and their function, though the previous one treats it based on the Mendelian inheritance. However, to understand the content is indispensable for understanding biological diversity. This study has developed the teaching materials by connecting important subjects such as genetic independence, linkage and recombination withMendelian inheritance by using Drosophila melanogaster. Then, we made three hoursclasses about heredity by using these teaching materials. As a result, we have foundthat the principle about the Drosophila techniques has attracted the students tounderstanding Mendelian inheritance. Moreover, we have found that notation of genotype as used in Drosophila genetics has helped them to further understand mutation.