Mendelian Inheritance in gaming.

This post marks the “official” start of my science based scenarios. We’ll be using Minecraft for this scenario with the mod Advanced Genetics. This will cover Chugach standards 9.6-9.9, which ask for the explanation of basic genetic principles: Mendelian, genetic errors, applied genetics, and how DNA relates to inheritance. Since we’ll be using Minecraft I’ve created a guide for installing Minecraft and Minecraft mods here.

Mendelian Inheritance is a genetic theory developed in 1865 and 1866 by Gregor Johann Mendel who initially derived three laws of inheritance. He experimented with pea plants, cross-breeding them to determine what traits passed down through their generations. After roughly 5000 trials he wrote two papers describing a limited yet initial scientific understanding of modern genetics. The three laws of inheritance are; the law of segregation, the law of independent assortment, and the law of dominance.

The law of segregation states that each parent carries two alleles per gene trait that are randomly chosen and passed down to the offspring. Meaning that both the sperm and egg carry one alleles and when those meet the offspring is united with both alleles. Meaning that the offspring receives one gene trait from both mother and father. The law of independent assortment states that each pair of alleles segregates separately of other alleles. Meaning that each gene trait chosen does correspond in anyway with other chosen gene traits. Alleles possess either dominant or recessive traits, if a trait possess a dominant type then it will override recessive traits, this is known as the law of dominance.

Going smaller, DNA is also important in inheritance. Since it’s the brain of each cell, holding the information needed to create life. DNA from both parents is split in half, giving the child one half from each parent making a similar DNA strand, but completely different. Of course as people progress through life their DNA copies itself onto each new cell that it replicates, copying itself eventually leads to a mistake. which is generally caused by an external environment and or just a mishap. Leading to a mutation in the DNA that can be harmful or beneficial for the subject- and passed down to future offspring.

Humans can also manipulate DNA through science, this process is called applied genetics. It’s used to create bacteria, modify viruses, adapt plants to new environments and even breed animals for certain qualities. This has been done for thousands of years through animal and plant breeding programs. We can now do this in the laboratory directly. Slowly, over time this progression has allowed for humans to strategically modify DNA to meet human needs.

This leads perfectly into Minecraft’s handy dandy Advanced Genetics Mod. The mod allows you to scrape skin scales off of any mob in game, giving that mobs certain skin scale. And once you bring those skin scales through the plethora of gene extracting and copying machines you can synthesize that mobs unique ability, like exploding, flying, more health, so on and so forth.

The players goal in game is to collect all of the skin scales and absorb their powers through using the newly added machines. However, to tie this into standards the players must research on Applied Genetics and understand how the machines ( which are simulated after real life machines) work in game. I’ve created an Advanced Genetics mod guide here. The guide goes into great detail on how to use each function of the Advanced Genetics mod and if that doesn’t answer your technical questions their wiki should, which can be found here. As a side note, I didn’t explain the mod here because I thought the post would grow too big and cumbersome. If you would rather me explain in here, just post in the comments below and I’ll see what I can do.