Basic Concepts
In a nutshell: Mendel's laws explain how traits are passed from parents to offspring.
## The Father of Genetics
Gregor Mendel, a monk in the 19th century, was the first to discover the basic principles of heredity using pea plants.
## Mendel's Laws
Mendel found that traits are inherited as discrete units, now known as genes. He described two key laws:
- **Law of Segregation**: Each parent has two copies of a gene but only passes one to their offspring.
- **Law of Independent Assortment**: Genes for different traits are inherited independently.
## Dominant and Recessive Traits
- **Dominant** traits show up if at least one copy is present (e.g., brown eyes).
- **Recessive** traits only appear if both copies are recessive (e.g., blue eyes).
## Punnett Squares
Scientists use Punnett squares to predict how traits will be inherited.
| | B | b |
|---|---|---|
| B | BB | Bb |
| b | Bb | bb |
This helps us understand the probability of certain traits appearing in the next generation.
Examples
- Crossing a tall pea plant with a short one produces tall offspring, showing dominance.
- A child with two recessive alleles for blue eyes will have blue eyes.