Gregor Mendel is often called the "Father of Genetics." He changed how we look at heredity with his important experiments in the 19th century.
Mendel studied how traits pass from parents to their kids using pea plants. His work is the base for what we now call Mendelian genetics.
Mendel focused on specific traits. Some examples are flower color, seed shape, and pod color. By breeding these plants carefully, he found out that traits are passed down from parents to offspring in predictable ways.
From his work, he came up with two key ideas:
Dominant Traits: These are traits that show up if at least one dominant gene is present.
Recessive Traits: These traits only show up if both genes are recessive.
From his experiments, Mendel created two important laws:
Law of Segregation: Every individual has two genes for each trait, but can only pass one on to their offspring.
Law of Independent Assortment: Genes for different traits are passed on separately from one another.
To help us understand how traits are inherited, Mendel’s ideas led to the creation of Punnett squares.
A Punnett square is a chart that helps us guess the traits of offspring based on the parents' genes. For example, if we cross a pea plant with two dominant genes (TT) with a plant that has two recessive genes (tt), the Punnett square would look like this:
In this case, all the offspring will show the dominant trait because they all have at least one T (dominant gene).
Mendel’s studies not only explained how traits are inherited but also helped build the foundation for modern genetics. This knowledge helps us understand things like hereditary diseases and how to breed plants and animals.
Gregor Mendel is often called the "Father of Genetics." He changed how we look at heredity with his important experiments in the 19th century.
Mendel studied how traits pass from parents to their kids using pea plants. His work is the base for what we now call Mendelian genetics.
Mendel focused on specific traits. Some examples are flower color, seed shape, and pod color. By breeding these plants carefully, he found out that traits are passed down from parents to offspring in predictable ways.
From his work, he came up with two key ideas:
Dominant Traits: These are traits that show up if at least one dominant gene is present.
Recessive Traits: These traits only show up if both genes are recessive.
From his experiments, Mendel created two important laws:
Law of Segregation: Every individual has two genes for each trait, but can only pass one on to their offspring.
Law of Independent Assortment: Genes for different traits are passed on separately from one another.
To help us understand how traits are inherited, Mendel’s ideas led to the creation of Punnett squares.
A Punnett square is a chart that helps us guess the traits of offspring based on the parents' genes. For example, if we cross a pea plant with two dominant genes (TT) with a plant that has two recessive genes (tt), the Punnett square would look like this:
In this case, all the offspring will show the dominant trait because they all have at least one T (dominant gene).
Mendel’s studies not only explained how traits are inherited but also helped build the foundation for modern genetics. This knowledge helps us understand things like hereditary diseases and how to breed plants and animals.