Question
(a) What is heredity? (b) Mention the different laws of Mendel.
Answer
(a) Heredity is the process by which traits or characteristics are passed from one generation to the next through the transmission of genetic information.
(b) The three laws of Mendel are:
- Law of Segregation: Each individual has two alleles for a given trait, and these alleles segregate (separate) during the formation of gametes. Each gamete receives only one allele from each parent.
- Law of Independent Assortment: Genes for different traits are inherited independently of each other. In other words, the inheritance of one trait does not affect the inheritance of another.
- Law of Dominance: In a heterozygous individual (one with two different alleles for a trait), the dominant allele will be expressed while the recessive allele will be masked.
