Contextualization

Mendel's First Law, also known as the law of segregation of factors, is a fundamental principle in genetics in the discipline of Biology. This law was first published in 1865 by Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, after conducting experiments with pea plants. Mendel observed that biological characters (characteristics such as flower color, seed shape, etc.) are determined by "factors" (now known as genes) that segregate and are transmitted from generation to generation.

Mendel's First Law states that each organism has two copies of each gene, one from each parent, and that these genes separate during the formation of gametes. The result is that each gamete contains only one copy of each gene. More specifically, the law states that for each characteristic of an organism, there are two versions (alleles) of a gene that are inherited from the parents. Each somatic cell of an organism has two copies of each gene, one inherited from the father and one from the mother.

Since these genes can be of two types, dominant and recessive, the interaction between them determines the appearance of an organism. A dominant gene is one that manifests itself both in homozygosis and in heterozygosis, while a recessive gene only manifests itself in homozygosis.

Importance and Real-World Applications

Mendel's First Law has enormous relevance not only in the field of Biology, but also in fields such as medicine, agriculture and psychology. It allows us to understand how characteristics are passed from parents to children and, thus, to predict the genetic outcomes of crosses.

In medicine, Mendel's First Law can help understand the inheritance of genetic diseases and predict the likelihood of a child inheriting a particular condition. In agriculture, understanding genetic inheritance can be used to produce plants or animals with desirable characteristics.

It is also important to understand that genetics plays a fundamental role in our appearance and behavior. Aspects of our personality, such as our predispositions to certain behaviors, are also influenced by our genes.

Practical Activity: The Game of Genetics

Project Objective

The objective of this activity is to understand Mendel's First Law in a practical and fun way, how alleles behave and are passed from parents to children. To do this, students will create a "Genetics Game" where they can apply and visualize in a concrete way the concepts learned about Mendel's law.

Project Description

Each group of 3 to 5 students must create a game that illustrates how genes are transferred from parents to children through generations. Students can use their creativity to create the game, but it must contain the following elements:

• Characters (can be animals, plants, humans, aliens, etc.) that are capable of passing traits to the next generation.
• Each character must have at least three traits, each with a dominant allele and a recessive allele.
• The game must include a way to combine dominant and recessive alleles to determine traits of the next generation.

Materials Required

• Paper and pen for the initial project.
• Cardboard, colored paper, markers, scissors, glue, etc. for the game material.
• Small objects, such as buttons, marbles or pieces of old games, to symbolize the genes.

Step by Step

1. Review Mendel's laws and the concepts of dominant and recessive genes.
2. Discuss and decide on the characters and traits that will be used in the game. Remember, each trait must have a dominant allele and a recessive allele.
3. Create a sketch of the game, including the rules and the dynamics of how the traits will be passed from one generation to the next.
4. Use the craft materials to build the game board, the characters, the small objects that will represent the genes, etc.
5. Test the game to see if it works as expected and make adjustments if necessary.
6. Write the final rules of the game and make sure they are clear.
7. Finally, play the game and see how the traits are transmitted from one generation to another.

Project Delivery

1. Each group must deliver the physical version of the game.
2. In addition, each group must write a report that contains:
   • Introduction: Contextualize Mendel's First Law, explain its relevance and the game's proposal to represent it.
   • Development: Explain the theory of Mendel's First Law and how the game developed relates to it. Describe the activity carried out, the steps taken in the construction of the game, the materials used, the methodology applied and the results obtained.
   • Conclusion: Conclude the report by commenting on the experience of making the game, the difficulties encountered, the lessons learned, what was observed while playing, the surprises that happened and the conclusions drawn about the project.
   • Bibliography: Indicate the source materials used to build the game, such as books, websites, videos, among others.

Remember, the report should show how the activity helped in understanding Mendel's First Law and what skills were developed during the process. The important thing is that the game and the report demonstrate the group's understanding of genetic inheritance and how it can be predicted and replicated in a playful context.