Exploring the Concepts of Heredity

In the mid-19th century, Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian monk, conducted experiments on pea plants to explore biological inheritance. He discovered that traits are inherited in specific numerical ratios, leading to the concepts of dominance and segregation. Mendel's work laid the foundation for genetics, revealing that traits are determined by pairs of factors, now known as genes. His findings explain how certain characteristics, like Mendelian traits, can reappear in subsequent generations, influencing both innocuous traits and serious genetic diseases.

What was Gregor Mendel's profession?

• Physicist

• Chemist

• Biologist

• Augustinian monk

Why did Mendel choose to work with garden peas?

• They were easy to grow

• They had distinct characteristics

• He found it enjoyable

• They were inexpensive

What did Mendel observe when he crossed a round pea seed with a wrinkled one?

• The offspring were all wrinkled

• The offspring were sterile

• The offspring were a mix of round and wrinkled

• The offspring were all round

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In Mendel's experiments, when did the wrinkled characteristic reappear?

• In the first generation

• In the second generation

• In the third generation

• It never reappeared

What ratio did Mendel find for the wrinkled characteristic in the second generation?

• One-quarter

• One-half

• One-fifth

• One-third

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What biological phenomena did Mendel's experiments reveal?

• Natural selection and evolution

• Dominance and segregation

• Mutation and adaptation

• Genetic drift and gene flow

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What did Mendel call the units that determine inherited characteristics?

• Alleles

• Factors

• Chromosomes

• Genes

What is a Mendelian trait?

• A trait influenced by multiple genes

• A trait caused by a single gene

• A trait that is always dominant

• A trait that is always recessive

Which of the following is an example of a Mendelian trait?

• Freckles

• Height

• Blood type

• Eye color

What serious illness can be caused by a Mendelian trait?

• Asthma

• Heart disease

• Cystic fibrosis

• Diabetes

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