Mendel conducted experiments crossing pea plants that differed in distinct traits like seed color and shape. He discovered that traits are transmitted from parents to offspring through discrete units called genes located on chromosomes. His laws of heredity showed that for each trait there are two alleles that separate during gamete formation, with one randomly passed from each parent. The dominant allele will be expressed in offspring while the recessive is not. Additionally, different genes assort independently during gamete formation and fertilization.

1. Mendel’s Laws of
Heredity
Why we look the way
we look...

2. What is heredity?
The passing on of
characteristics (traits)
from parents to offspring
Genetics is the study of
heredity

3. Mendel used peas...
They reproduce sexually
They have two distinct,
male and female, sex cells
called gametes
Their traits are easy to
isolate

4. Mendel crossed them
Fertilization - the uniting
of male and female
gametes
Cross - combining gametes
from parents with
different traits

5. Questions
What did Mendel cross?
What are traits?
What are gametes?
What is fertilization?
What is heredity?
What is genetics?

6. What Did Mendel Find?
He discovered different
laws and rules that explain
factors affecting heredity.

7. Rule of Unit Factors
Each organism has two
alleles for each trait
– Alleles - different forms of
the same gene
– Genes - located on
chromosomes, they control
how an organism develops

8. Rule of Dominance
The trait that is observed
in the offspring is the
dominant trait (uppercase)
The trait that disappears
in the offspring is the
recessive trait (lowercase)

9. Law of Segregation
The two alleles for a trait
must separate when
gametes are formed
A parent randomly passes
only one allele for each
trait to each offspring

10. Law of Independent
Assortment
The genes for different
traits are inherited
independently of each
other.

11. Questions...
How many alleles are there
for each trait?
What is an allele?
How many alleles does a
parent pass on to each
offspring for each trait

12. Questions...
What do we call the trait
that is observed?
What case (upper or lower)
is it written in?
What about the one that
disappears?
What case is it written in?

13. Phenotype & Genotype
Phenotype - the way an
organism looks
– red hair or brown hair
genotype - the gene
combination of an organism
– AA or Aa or aa

14. Heterozygous & Homozygous
Heterozygous - if the two
alleles for a trait are
different (Aa)
Homozygous - if the two
alleles for a trait are the
same (AA or aa)

15. Dihybrid vs Monohybrid
Dihybrid Cross - crossing
parents who differ in two
traits (AAEE with aaee)
Monohybrid Cross -
crossing parents who
differ in only one trait
(AA with aa)

16. Questions...
What is the phenotype?
What is the genotype?
What is homozygous?
What is heterozygous?
What is monohybrid
crossing?