Chapter 1, Problem 1PDQ

Describe Mendel's conclusions about how traits are passed from generation to generation.

Summary Introduction

To review:

Mendel’s conclusion about the mechanism by which traits are passed from generation-to-generation.

Introduction:

Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who proved that traits are passed through a certain unit of heredity from one generation to another. He conducted experiments using pea plants with different variants. Before Mendel, people had a concept that the traits were inherited by the next generation due to the blending of parental characters just like colors.

Explanation of Solution

Mendel conducted experiments using pea plants with variants such as variation in flower color, pod color and shape, seed color, and many other characters. That was a long series of experiments. Mendel got various results, which indicated that traits are transferred from one generation to another in a specific way that can be predicted.

He concluded that there are certain factors responsible for passing traits to offspring from the parents. These factors control the traits. This means each trait is controlled by a pair of a factor. These factors were later known as genes. At the time of gamete formation, the gene pair gets separated from each other. For a single trait, the offspring get one gene from each parent and have the pairing of two genes. Thus, the traits are transferred through genes.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that according to Mendel, traits from the parents to offspring are transmitted through predictable factors known as genes.