Mendelian Genetics

We are learning to understand what Mendel contributed to our understanding of heredity

I know I am successful if I can...

● Describe the difference between a homozygous and heterozygous individual

● Differentiate an organism's genotype and phenotype.

● How a dominant and a recessive gene affect the phenotype of an individual

● How a “true breed” is different from a “cross breed”

Origin of Genetics
The explanation of the transmission of character traits is the basis
of the branch of science called: Genetics→The study of heredity

The idea that biological traits are inherited existed long before the
mechanisms of inheritance and gene interactions were understood

Gregor Mendel
-The Pioneer of Genetics (1822-1884)

-Austrian monk

-Believed to be the first to scientifically attempt to explain

inheritance

-Worked extensively with garden pea plants… WHY?

Reproduce quickly

Cheap

Sexually reproducing ⇒ Pollination

Traits are expressed 2 ways

 Background of Mendel’s Experiments

Pea plants can be reproduced by

• self fertilization and

• cross fertilization.

Purebred seeds always give rise to phenotypes that

resemble the parent plant

(ex. Seeds from tall plants only produce tall plants)

Hypothesized that the crossing of plants with different

traits would create a blend

For example: crossing a purebred wrinkled seeded plant

with a purebred round seeded plant would produce a
slightly wrinkled seeded pea plant

Mendel’s Hypothesis

However: Mendel disproved his initial thoughts.

His experiments resulted in all round seeded plants

He then repeated this experiment for the other traits and found the same

He concluded that:
For each trait, an individual carries two , one from male parent , one from the female parent.
The dominant gene can “mask over” the recessive gene when both of them exist.

Mendel’s Conclusion

He also concluded that there were alternative forms of a gene (alleles) where the one that appeared the most
often was dominant and the ones that occur less frequent was recessive

round seed = dominant(upper case) R; wrinkled seed = recessive (lower case) r

An individual with the following genotype has the phenotype:

Mendel’s Experiment

P generation: parents that are donating the gametes

F1 generation: first generation of offspring produced from parent

F2 generation: second generation of offspring produced from F1 generation

P generation – crossing purebred of round seed plant with Wrinkled purebred seed plants

F1 generation – all Rr

F2 generation – cross 2 round seeds from F1 generation and results in ¾ round and 1/4 Wrinkled seeds

Mendel’s Law of Segregation

Members of a pair of alleles a given trait are separated when gametes are formed (meiosis)
P RR X rr

F1 Rr Rr

  R r R r
 These are the possible combinations for F2 generation:

F2 RR Rr Rr rr

A Punnet Square is used to predict the genotype and phenotype of the next generation.