Mendel's Laws

Mendel’s Rediscovery (1900)

Mendel’s work was rediscovered by Hugo De Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich Von Tschermak-Seysenegg in 1900 after being ignored since its publication in 1866.

Law of Segregation

Each organism has two alleles per gene, which separate during meiosis so each gamete gets one allele.

Law of Independent Assortment

Genes for different traits assort independently during meiosis because genes on different chromosomes separate independently.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, represented as PP, Pp, or pp.

Phenotype

The physical characteristic or trait of an organism, such as purple or white flowers.

Impact on Darwin’s Theory

Mendel's work could have helped Darwin understand heredity better, potentially leading to earlier acceptance of his theory of natural selection.

Alleles

Different versions of a gene that can exist at a specific locus.

Gamete

A reproductive cell that carries half the genetic information needed to form a new organism.

Homologous Chromosomes

A pair of chromosomes containing the same gene sequences, one from each parent.

Modern Genetics

The field that emerged from restating Mendel’s laws in terms of genes and alleles.