(Almost) Everything You Learned About Genetics is Wrong

What did Gregor Mendel call the physical units responsible for passing traits from parents to offspring?

• Genes

• Alleles

• Hereditary factors

• Chromosomes

When Mendel crossed a purebred purple pea plant with a purebred white pea plant, what was the color of the flowers in the first generation of offspring?

• All white

• All purple

• Half purple, half white

• A mix of purple, white, and pink

What is the primary reason a pea plant with two copies of the "little p" gene (pp) produces white flowers?

• The "little p" gene produces a broken enzyme that cannot make purple pigment.

• The "little p" gene produces a white pigment.

• The "little p" gene prevents the absorption of light, making the flowers appear white.

• The "little p" gene causes the flowers to reflect all colors of light.

What term describes a trait, like human eye color, that is determined by multiple genes rather than a single gene?

• Monogenic

• Recessive

• Polygenic

• Dominant

What is incomplete dominance?

• Both alleles are fully expressed side-by-side.

• One allele completely masks the other.

• Both genes contribute a little, resulting in a blend of traits.

• Multiple genes interact to produce a complex trait.

Which genetic phenomenon describes two versions of a gene being fully expressed side-by-side?

• Incomplete dominance

• Codominance

• Recessive inheritance

• Polygenic inheritance

Why is tongue rolling not considered a simple genetic trait controlled by a single gene?

• It is influenced by environmental factors like diet.

• Many people can learn to roll their tongue later in life, and identical twins can differ.

• It is a sex-linked trait, making its inheritance pattern complex.

• It is a mutation that only appears in a small percentage of the population.

Which human trait is presented as a rare example of a trait controlled by a single gene with two alleles?

• Hair color

• Tongue rolling

• Earwax type

• Cilantro taste perception