B6: HISTORY OF GENETICS AND EVOLUTION

Question 1

What was Lamarck’s theory?

Answer 1

changes that occur in an organism during its lifetime can be inherited

Question 2

Why was Lamarck’s theory rejected?

Answer 2

experiments didn’t support hypothesis

Question 3

What did theory Wallace independently propose?

Answer 3

theory of evolution by natural selection

Question 4

What did Wallace’s research include?

Answer 4

-warning colouring in animal
-theory of speciation

Question 5

What experiments did Gregor Mendel carry out?

Answer 5

breeding experiments on pea plants

Question 6

What did Mendel conclude from his experiments?

Answer 6

-characteristics are determined by hereditary ‘units’
-hereditary units passed on to offspring from parents unchanged

Question 7

What was the importance of Mendel’s work?

Answer 7

-late 19th century- behaviour of chromosomes during cell division observed
-early 20th century- it was observed that chromosomes and Mendel’s ‘units’ behaved in similar ways whcich led to the idea that ‘units’ (now named genes) were located on chromosomes
-mid 20th century- structure of DNA determined and mechanism of gene function worked out