Mendelian gene:
A Mendelian gene refers to a gene that follows the principles of inheritance first described by Gregor Mendel in the mid-19th century. Mendel's work laid the foundation for classical genetics, and the key principles are now known as Mendel's laws of inheritance:
Law of Segregation: Each individual has two alleles for each gene, one inherited from each parent. These alleles segregate (separate) during the formation of gametes (sperm and egg cells), so each gamete carries only one allele for each gene.
Law of Independent Assortment: Genes for different traits can segregate independently during the formation of gametes. This means the inheritance of one trait generally does not affect the inheritance of another trait.
Law of Dominance: When an individual has two different alleles for a trait, one allele can mask the expression of the other. The allele that is expressed is called dominant, and the allele that is masked is called recessive.
Mendelian genes are typically associated with traits that are determined by a single gene with clear dominant and recessive alleles. Examples include:
- Pea Plant Traits: Mendel originally studied pea plants, examining traits such as seed shape (round or wrinkled) and flower color (purple or white).
- Human Traits: Some human traits, like blood types and certain inherited diseases (e.g., cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia), follow Mendelian inheritance patterns.
Mendelian genetics provides the basic framework for understanding how traits are passed from parents to offspring, though modern genetics has revealed that many traits are influenced by multiple genes (polygenic inheritance) and environmental factors.
Gregor MendelInheritance
Alleles
Dominant
Recessive
Genotype
Phenotype
Segregation
Independent Assortment
Pea Plants
Hybridization
Monohybrid Cross
Dihybrid Cross
Punnett Square
Genetic Traits
Heredity
Mendelian Disorders
Homozygous
Heterozygous
Genetic Variation
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