Mendelian Genetics Flashcards
Who is known as the father of Mendelian genetics?
Gregor Mendel
An Austrian monk who conducted experiments with pea plants.
What observation did Mendel make while growing pea plants?
Crossing red and white flowered pea plants did not produce pink flowers
This observation led him to further investigate inheritance patterns.
In what year did Mendel publish his work on genetics?
1866
His work was not recognized during his lifetime due to the lack of understanding of genes and chromosomes.
What was a key finding of Mendel’s experiments regarding traits?
Each parent has 2 factors for the same trait
This was foundational for understanding inheritance.
What happens to the factors during gamete formation?
Each gamete receives only 1 of the factors
One unit from each parent is inherited.
How is the selection of which factor a gamete receives described?
Random
This randomness is a key concept in genetic variation.
What are the two types of genetic factors identified by Mendel?
Dominant and recessive
Dominant factors can mask the presence of recessive factors.
Fill in the blank: Offspring inherit ‘_______’ from each parent.
hereditary units
These units are responsible for the traits observed in offspring.
True or False: Mendel’s laws of inheritance were widely accepted during his lifetime.
False
His work gained recognition only after the discovery of genes and chromosomes.
What are Mendels laws of inheritance? (3)
- Each gamete receives only 1 of the factors, one unit from each parent
- Which factor the gamete receives is random
- Some factors are dominant, others are recessive, these can’t be mixed together
