Mendel - Genetic Inheritance Flashcards
Genetics
is the study of heredity in general and of genes in particular
e.g eye colour, hair colour
Heredity
the passing of traits from parent to offspring (INHERITANCE)
Phenotype
individual’s observable traits (such as height, eye colour, etc)
Genotype
the set of genes in our DNA which are responsible for a particular trait
traits (phenotype) are influenced by MULTIPLE genes and the environment
patterns of inheritance are complex and unpredictable
A small number of traits are influenced primarily by a single gene
They have predictable patterns of inheritance (Mendel’s laws of heredity)
Mendel
documented the mechanism of inheritance genetic in sexually reproducing organisms
In order to study inheritance, Mendel chose to use peas:
> they are easy to cultivate
Available in many varieties
Produce large numbers of offspring
Strict control over the mating/breeding
Only study traits can be OBSERVED / obvious
Pea colour – green vs yellow, with no other variants
True breeding
When the plants self-pollinate, all their offspring are of the same variety
Hybridisation
Mating, or crossing, of two varieties
Monohybrid cross
A cross between two parents that breed true for different versions of a single trait
P generation
True breeding parents
F1 generation
(first filial) Hybrid offspring of the P generation
F2 generation
(second filial) Offspring from the self-fertilisation of the F1 hybrids