Download Notes The Work of Gregor Mendel Mendel studied 7 different pea

Notes
The Work of Gregor Mendel
Mendel studied 7 different pea plant traits. A trait is a characteristic that varies from one
individual to the next, i.e. plant height. Each trait had 2 contrasting forms, i.e. tall or
short. Today, scientists call the chemical factors that determine traits genes. The
different forms of the gene are called alleles.
1. The Principle of Dominance: states that some alleles are dominant and others
are recessive. If an organism carries a single dominant allele, it will exhibit the
trait. In order for the organism to show a recessive trait, the organism must have
2 copies of this allele.
2. The Principle of Segregation: states that alleles are segregated (separated) from
each other so that each gamete carries only a single copy of each gene.
3. The Principle of Independent Assortment: states that genes for different traits
can segregate independently during the formation of gametes.