Mate selection is the process of choosing a suitable and ideal partner either for companionship or to start a relationship. The process begins with identifying a potential partner with whom you are attracted to the physical and behavioral characteristics.
Lessons learned from the website
The website states that the first step to identifying a partner is listing one’s traits and the traits of the potential partner. The list should comprise both the physical traits, personality traits, interests, hobbies, and affiliation to a religion. Whereas the list has a cultural view, it can be thought of as a biological case. The information on the website proves the fact that there exist biological and evolutionary differences in the traits of different individuals. The traits express themselves physically and in the personality.
In the case described in the website, the probability space for the expected outcome is expansive due to biological evolutions which lead to variations in the traits of individuals. The phenotypic traits include height, body size, complexion, sex, hair color, eye shape, and body hair. Personality traits include openness, extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. All these traits are contained in the genes of human beings and are passed on from parental genes to offspring (Liang 2016).
Biological analysis of the case
Genes are contained in the chromosomes of male and female sex cells. When the cells fuse during fertilization, they are separated randomly so that they can comprise genes from both parents. The genetic material for each trait is grouped together such that the inheritance of a particular trait does not affect the inheritance of another. As such, there are no individuals who resemble one another completely. In cases where different genes that control a particular trait are present, only the dominant gene is expressed in the phenotype of the offspring. However, the recessive gene is contained in the individual, but it cannot be expressed physically. Recessive genes, like dominant genes, are also passed from the parent cells to offspring.
Biological analysis of my mate
Height
I chose a tall mate. In human beings, the gene for tallness is dominant over the gene for shortness. For my mate to have a tall height, the parents must be both tall, or one of the parents is tall and the other one short. In cases where both parents are tall, the mate will only possess the dominant gene for tallness (Gabler 2015). In cases where one of the parents is short, the mate will possess the recessive gene for tallness hence there is a 50% probability of our offspring being short.
Complexion
I chose a dark mate. Complexion in human beings is controlled by presence or absence of melanin in the parental genes (Jones 2015). Dark skin in human beings is contained in MCR1 gene. In cases where both parents have the pigmentation, the offspring adopts a dark pigmentation. However, lack of pigmentation on either parent makes the offspring light skinned. Therefore, my mate’s parents are both black, but none of our offspring will have a dark pigmentation.
Eye color
I chose a mate with blue eyes. In human beings, the color of eyes is controlled by a polygenic trait, which means that multiple genes control it. Initial research showed that brown eyes are dominant over blue eyes as in the principles of Mendel. However, recent research proves that blue eyes are as a result of mutation and replication of melanin in the eyes to cause albinism (Shufaro 2010). Therefore, my mate has heterozygous alleles of the C gene that causes pigmentation in the eyes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that human beings exhibit a wide range of variables both physically and psychologically. The variables are controlled by genetic factors contained in the parent cells. The genetic materials are transferable from the individuals to their offspring.
Works Cited
Liang, Q.F. “Synthetic biology and rearrangements of microbial genetic material.” Hereditas
(Beijing), vol. 33, no.10, 2011, pp.1102-1112.
Gabler, H.W. “The Draft Manuscript as Material Foundation for Genetic Editing and Genetic
Criticism.” Variants, vol.4, no. 12-13, 2016, pp. 65-76.
Jones, G.D. “Genetic privacy and the use of human archival material in genetic studies –
current perspectives.” Medicolegal and Bioethics, vol.6, no. 2, 2015, pp.43.
Shufaro, Y. “Cryopreservation of human genetic material.” Annals of the New York Academy of
Sciences, vol. 1205, no. 1, 2010, pp.220-224.
