Mendel's laws of inheritance describe how traits are passed from one generation to the next. These laws are based on experiments he conducted on pea plants. There are two main laws:
1. Law of Segregation:
This law states that every individual has two alleles for each gene, one inherited from each parent. These alleles segregate (separate) during the formation of gametes, so each gamete receives only one allele for each gene. When two gametes fuse during fertilization, the offspring inherits one allele from each parent.
2. Law of Independent Assortment:
This law states that genes for different traits assort independently of one another during gamete formation. This means the inheritance of one trait is not influenced by the inheritance of another. For example, the gene for seed color and the gene for seed shape assort independently during gamete formation.
Suitable Diagram for Mendel’s Laws: Conclusion:
Mendel’s laws laid the foundation for the study of genetics, helping us understand how traits are inherited.
