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Multiple Choice
Which statement about inheritance is true according to Mendel's experiments?
A
Traits are inherited independently of each other.
B
Recessive traits are never expressed in offspring.
C
Dominant traits are always more common in a population.
D
All traits are inherited in a blended manner.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment: This law states that alleles for different traits are distributed to sex cells (& gametes) independently of one another. This means the inheritance of one trait generally does not affect the inheritance of another.
Consider the concept of dominant and recessive traits: Dominant traits are those that are expressed in the phenotype even if only one allele is present, while recessive traits require two copies to be expressed. Recessive traits can be expressed in offspring if both parents contribute a recessive allele.
Evaluate the statement about dominant traits: Dominant traits being more common is not necessarily true. The frequency of a trait in a population is influenced by various factors, including genetic drift, selection, and mutation, not just dominance.
Examine the idea of blended inheritance: Mendel's experiments contradicted the idea of blended inheritance, which suggested that offspring are a mix of parental traits. Instead, Mendel showed that traits are inherited as discrete units (genes).
Conclude with Mendel's findings: Based on Mendel's experiments, the true statement is that traits are inherited independently of each other, supporting the concept of independent assortment.