Mendel and Inheritance

Mendel's pioneering work on inheritance laid the foundation for modern genetics. Through experiments with pea plants, he discovered that traits are passed from one generation to the next via genes. He formulated three key principles: the law of segregation, the law of independent assortment, and the law of dominance. These principles explain how alleles, or gene variants, are inherited and expressed. Mendel's research has profoundly influenced our understanding of genetic inheritance, earning him the title of the father of modern genetics.

What did Mendel use to study the transmission of genetic traits?

• Bacteria

• Corn plants

• Pea plants

• Fruit flies

According to the law of segregation, how many alleles does each offspring inherit for a given gene?

• None

• One from one parent

• Two from each parent

• One from each parent

What does the law of independent assortment state about the separation of alleles?

• It occurs only in plants

• It is the same for all traits

• It is dependent on other genes

• It is independent of other genes

In the law of dominance, what happens when two alleles for a gene are different?

• Both alleles are expressed equally

• Neither allele is expressed

• The dominant allele is expressed

• The recessive allele is expressed

Who is known as the father of modern genetics?

• Francis Crick

• Charles Darwin

• Gregor Mendel

• James Watson