Mendelian Genetics

Mendelian genetics refers to the principles of inheritance as observed by Gregor Mendel in his experiments with pea plants in the mid-19th century. His work laid the foundation for modern genetics, highlighting the patterns of inheritance for specific traits. Mendel's experiments involved crossing plants with different characteristics and studying the offspring to discern patterns of inheritance. This led to the formulation of key principles, such as the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment. The law of segregation states that each individual possesses two alleles for each trait, with these alleles segregating during gamete formation. The law of independent assortment explains how different traits are inherited independently of one another. Understanding Mendelian genetics is crucial for MD students, as it forms the basis for studying more complex genetic phenomena.