Mendelian Genetics: Key Concepts and Inheritance Patterns

Who is Gregor Mendel?

A scientist known as the father of modern genetics who studied inheritance patterns in pea plants.

What theory did Mendel propose?

The Particulate Theory of Heredity, which states that parental contributions remain separable and are passed from generation to generation.

What was the popular belief about inheritance before Mendel?

The Blending Theory, which suggested that traits from parents permanently mixed in offspring.

What are the seven characteristics Mendel studied in pea plants?

Traits such as flower color, seed shape, and pod color, among others.

What is a 'true-breeding' line?

A line of plants that consistently produce offspring with the same traits when self-crossed.

What was Mendel's observation regarding trait blending?

He observed no blending in the next generation; offspring resembled one of the parents.

What ratio did Mendel find in the F2 generation for flower color?

A 3 purple to 1 white ratio.

What are alleles?

Alternate forms of a gene that determine specific traits, such as purple or white flowers.

What does the Law of Segregation state?

Alleles separate independently during meiosis and enter separate gametes.

What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?

Genotype is the genetic makeup (alleles), while phenotype is the observable appearance resulting from the genotype.

What is the typical ratio of phenotypes Mendel observed?

A 3:1 ratio for dominant to recessive traits.

What is the significance of meiosis in genetics?

Meiosis reduces the chromosomal number by half and increases genetic variety through the separation of alleles.

What does 'dominant' and 'recessive' mean in Mendelian genetics?

Dominant alleles are expressed in the phenotype, while recessive alleles are masked unless both alleles are recessive.

What is the role of gametes in Mendelian genetics?

Gametes carry alleles that combine during fertilization, leading to genetic diversity in offspring.

What is the expected outcome of a Punnett Square analysis?

It predicts the possible combinations of alleles and the resulting phenotypes in offspring.

What is the importance of Mendel's experimentation?

He introduced quantitative analysis to genetics, providing a foundation for understanding inheritance patterns.

What does the term 'homozygous' mean?

An organism with two identical alleles for a specific trait.

What does the term 'heterozygous' mean?

An organism with two different alleles for a specific trait.

What is the outcome of fertilization in terms of genetic makeup?

Fertilization combines alleles from two parents, resulting in a diploid organism (2n).

What is the significance of the F1 generation in Mendel's experiments?

The F1 generation consists of offspring from the parental generation, showing traits that may mask others.

What is the next topic to study after Mendelian genetics?

Punnett Square Analysis and the Law of Independent Assortment.