Understanding Mendelian Genetics

Who is considered the father of genetics?

• Charles Darwin

• Isaac Newton

• Gregor Mendel

• Albert Einstein

What concept did Mendel propose to explain heredity?

• Gene theory

• Blending hypothesis

• Chromosome theory

• Evolution theory

Why did Mendel choose pea plants for his experiments?

• They have many observable traits

• They are difficult to cross-pollinate

• They have a long generation time

• They are rare and valuable

What is an example of a trait that Mendel studied in pea plants?

• Leaf size

• Stem thickness

• Flower color

• Root length

What does the law of segregation imply?

• Each parent contributes one allele for a trait

• Traits are blended in offspring

• Alleles are not separated during gamete formation

• Offspring inherit only the dominant trait

What is the phenotypic ratio in the F2 generation for a monohybrid cross according to Mendel?

• 9:3:3:1

• 3:1

• 1:1

• 2:1:1

What phenomenon explains the presence of traits that were not visible in the F1 generation but reappeared in the F2 generation?

• Independent assortment

• Segregation

• Dominance and recessiveness

• Blending inheritance

What does the law of independent assortment state?

• Each trait is determined by single alleles

• Traits are inherited together

• Alleles for different traits are distributed independently of one another

• Only dominant traits are inherited

What is the phenotypic ratio for a dihybrid cross in the F2 generation?

• 3:1

• 1:2:1

• 9:3:3:1

• 1:1:1:1

What does it mean when an organism is homozygous for a trait?

• It expresses only the dominant trait

• It can produce offspring with varied traits

• It has two different alleles for a trait

• It has two identical alleles for a trait