Biology Notes
BLUEPRINT OF LIFE: CHAPTER 2
GENETICS
Gregor Mendel’s experiments helped advance our knowledge of the inheritance of characteristics
2.1 GREGOR MENDEL AND THE BIRTH OF GENETICS
Gregor Mendel (1822-84) – ‘the father of genetics’
Born in Austria
He was an Augustinian monk
He worked as a teacher and as an investigator
He observed the growth of peas
He recorded the ratios of characteristics that appeared in the offspring
His discovery stated he observed a pattern in the inheritance of characteristics by offspring from their parents
He proposed the “model of inheritance”
Used mathematics to calculate ratios
Mendel’s Laws derived from the formulation of principles of inheritance
These laws are used today to determine hereditary and variation known as genetics
Mendel was creating principles based on inheritance whilst
Charles Darwin was writing his theory of evolution
Alfred Wallace was developing his theory of evolution
2.2 MENDEL’S EXPERIMENTS
Outline the experiments carried out by Gregor Mendel
What Mendel studied: experiment outline
Mendel observed pea plants to understand the characteristics that were passed down to offspring
Pea plants were chosen because they’re easily grown, cross-bred, have a short life cycle and both male and female parts are present in the flowers
Traits he studied:
- Stem length: tall or short
- The colour of the seed contents: yellow or green
- The colour of the seed coat: grey or white
- The shape of the seed: round of wrinkled
- The colour of the unripe pod: yellow or green
- Flower position: axial or terminal
- Pod shape: inflated or constricted
He studied each trait individually
How Mendel studied these traits
For 2 years he established pure breeding lines that he cross bred to study the inheritance of their characteristics
At the time people believed that if parents had contrasting characteristics their offspring would adopt a blend between each
Mendel observed different results, the
GENETICS
Gregor Mendel’s experiments helped advance our knowledge of the inheritance of characteristics
2.1 GREGOR MENDEL AND THE BIRTH OF GENETICS
Gregor Mendel (1822-84) – ‘the father of genetics’
Born in Austria
He was an Augustinian monk
He worked as a teacher and as an investigator
He observed the growth of peas
He recorded the ratios of characteristics that appeared in the offspring
His discovery stated he observed a pattern in the inheritance of characteristics by offspring from their parents
He proposed the “model of inheritance”
Used mathematics to calculate ratios
Mendel’s Laws derived from the formulation of principles of inheritance
These laws are used today to determine hereditary and variation known as genetics
Mendel was creating principles based on inheritance whilst
Charles Darwin was writing his theory of evolution
Alfred Wallace was developing his theory of evolution
2.2 MENDEL’S EXPERIMENTS
Outline the experiments carried out by Gregor Mendel
What Mendel studied: experiment outline
Mendel observed pea plants to understand the characteristics that were passed down to offspring
Pea plants were chosen because they’re easily grown, cross-bred, have a short life cycle and both male and female parts are present in the flowers
Traits he studied:
- Stem length: tall or short
- The colour of the seed contents: yellow or green
- The colour of the seed coat: grey or white
- The shape of the seed: round of wrinkled
- The colour of the unripe pod: yellow or green
- Flower position: axial or terminal
- Pod shape: inflated or constricted
He studied each trait individually
How Mendel studied these traits
For 2 years he established pure breeding lines that he cross bred to study the inheritance of their characteristics
At the time people believed that if parents had contrasting characteristics their offspring would adopt a blend between each
Mendel observed different results, the