Download Mendel and Heredity

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11/12/11 3:46 PM
Texas - Grade 7
Concept Review: Mendel and Heredity
What is heredity and who first proposed it?
Gregor Mendel first proposed the theory of heredity. Heredity occurs when parents pass genetic information to
their offspring, which results in the offspring having physical traits similar to their parents’ traits.
How do organisms inherit traits from their parents?
Organisms inherit genetic information from their parents in the form of alleles. An organisms inherited genetic
information, or genotype, is responsible for an organisms physical characteristics, or phenotype.
How do scientists predict which genes an organism will inherit?
Scientists use a Punnet Square to predict the possible genotypic and phenotypic outcomes that may occur
during sexual reproduction.
Why are some physical traits more common than others?
An organism’s physical traits are determined by its genetic makeup. Most organisms inherit two versions of a
gene for each physical trait. Sometimes, one gene is “dominant” over another “recessive” gene. When and
organism inherits two dominant genes or a dominant gene and a recessive gene, their phenotype will reflect
the dominant trait. When an organism inherits two recessive genes, their phenotype will reflect the recessive
trait.
How do humans select for certain traits in some organisms?
Humans breed animals with certain traits by selecting parent animals with desirable traits. When the selected
parent animals have offspring, these offspring are more likely to have the desired trait than offspring
produced through random mating. This process is called artificial selection.
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