Ever wonder why a wizard is a wizard and a muggle is a muggle? You've come to the right place. But before we get deep into the genetics of Harry Potter, let's start by defining the word genetics.
Genetics: noun: The scientific study of how DNA interacts with other forms of DNA.
Now let's define genetic terms.
Genetic Terms
* Acquired Trait: noun: a trait**** that is passed on from parents to offspring***.
* Baby Boomer: noun: A generation** born between 1946 and 1954.
* DNA: noun: The thing in your bloodstream that shapes your personality, appearance, and gender.
* Double Helix: noun: A formation made by DNA*
* Gene: noun: What makes up DNA*
* Generation: noun: A group of people who were born in a certain range of years.
* Generation Jones: A generation** born between 1955 and 1965.
* Generation X: noun: A generation** born between 1966 and 1976.
* Generation Z: noun: A generation** born between 1995 and 2012.
* Learned Trait: noun: A trait**** that offspring*** has to acquire by performing an action.
* Millennium: noun: A generation** born between 1977 and 1994.
* Offspring: noun: The product of two organisms, one male and one female.
* Punnet Square: noun: A square divided into 4 sections that contains 1 variable in each section. The variables in the top section are abbreviations of certain traits**** and spill into the bottom section based on which traits**** offspring would acquire from their parents.
* Trait: noun: A property of offspring***.
* X chromosome: noun: An X-shaped object in your body that gives you intelligence. Females have 2 and males have 1.
* Y chromosome: noun: A Y-shaped object in a male's body.
*= See 3rd bullet.
**= See 6th bullet.
***= See 12th bullet.
****= See 14th bullet.
Now that you know what genetics is and what has to do with it, we will explore the world of Harry Potter. If you have not read Harry Potter, it is a novel and movie series about a boy named Harry Potter who attends a school called Hogwarts where he learns how to use and control magic. In Harry Potter, there are 4 types of people. They are:
* Pure-Bloods, who are born from a wizard and a witch. They are extremely rare.
* Half-Bloods, who are born from a wizard and a muggle^ or a witch and a muggle^. They are common.
* Muggles, who are not born from a wizard or a witch and are not related to one. Therefore, they will not have the ability to preform magic no matter what and are more common than Half-Bloods^^.
* Squibs, who are not muggles^, but do not have the ability to preform magic. They are rarer than Pure-Bloods^^^.
^=See 3rd bullet.
^^= See 2nd bullet.
^^^= See 1st bullet.
What does this have to do with genetics? Well, we can draw punnet squares representing each of these 4 types of people, which will give you a good understanding of how they relate to each other.
Pure-Blood Punnet Square:
w= witch or wizard
Half-Blood Punnet Square:
w= witch or wizard
m= muggle
Muggle Punnet Square:
m= muggle
Squib Punnet Square:
w= witch or wizard
n= non-magical
Want to learn more about Harry Potter and genetics? Click this link.
http://www.sciencealert.com/how-to-teach-kids-genetics-using-harry-potter
