B15.1 The history of genetics Flashcards
Who discovered that characteristics were inherited in a clear predictable pattern?
Gregor Mendel - who was a monk
What led to Mendel’s discovery?
He experimented on peas - he used different variations of pees: e.g smooth/wrinkled peas and counted the different offspring carefully
What did Mendel discover?
Realised some characteristics were dominant over others and that they never mixed together
What is the yellow colour and green colour in peas?
Yellow - dominant
Green - recessive
Why was Mendel’s work not accepted?
When he presented his work to other scientists he did not communicate it well so they did not really understand it
it was published in a scientific journal that was not well known so not many people read it
he could not explain the science behind why characteristics were inherited
And he was a monk
What are units
Genes
What led to people changing their minds of Mendel’s theory?
Development of the microscope
Microscopes enabled people to see chromosomes cell nucleus and observe chromosome movement in meiosis.
This proved the mechanism for Mendel’s
principles of inheritance, promoting their acceptance.
What happened in the early 20th century?
It was observed that chromosomes and Mendel’s unit behaved in similar waves
Who was involved in the discovery of the structure of DNA?
Maurice Wilkins
Rosalind Franklin
James Watson and Francis Crick
Who was trying to build a 3-D model of DNA and the picture of DNA using X-rays?
Wilkins and Franklins - X-rays
Watson and Crick - 3D modle
Who discovered DNA?
Watson and Crick due to using Franklin’s X-ray result without her permission
Who did not receive the Nobel prize?
Rosalind Franklin who died of cancer
What do genes code for?
Proteins
Describe the discovery of the DNA double helix?
Wilkins and Franklin examined the structure of DNA using X-rays.
Watson and Crick worked on a 3‑D DNA model to explain how it works.
Watson and Crick ultimately developed a double helix structure for DNA molecules
based on Franklin’s X-ray results.
