Introduction
This tutorial emphasizes the work of Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics.
Mendel was the first scientist to examine, in a quantitative manner, the
behavior of traits between generations. By looking at the proportions of
different traits in the offspring of a particular genetic cross, he was able
to infer the basic tenets of modern genetics.
By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to
- Describe the experiments that Mendel did in garden peas to determine the pattern of inheritance for the characters he studied, using correct terminology
- Explain the phenomenon of complete dominance
- Create and use Punnet Squares to make predictions about patterns of inheritance
- Determine possible offspring types and phenotypic ratios resulting from a genetic cross
- Make a Punnett square to determine the expected genotypes and phenotypes for a monohybrid cross
- Explain the application of a test cross to determine the genotype of a phenotypically dominant individual
- Explain the relationships between meiosis and both of Mendel’s laws (Segregation and Independent Assortment)