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Ch. 3 - Mendelian Genetics
Klug - Essentials of Genetics 10th Edition
Klug10th EditionEssentials of GeneticsISBN: 9780135588789Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 5

Which of Mendel's postulates are illustrated by the pedigree that you constructed in Problem 3? List and define these postulates.

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1
Recall Mendel's three main postulates: the Law of Segregation, the Law of Independent Assortment, and the Law of Dominance.
Examine the pedigree you constructed in Problem 3 to identify patterns of inheritance, such as whether traits appear in every generation or skip generations, and whether traits are inherited independently or together.
Determine if the Law of Segregation is illustrated by observing that each individual inherits one allele from each parent, which explains how traits can reappear after skipping a generation.
Check if the Law of Independent Assortment is demonstrated by seeing if different traits are inherited independently of each other, which would be evident if the pedigree shows no consistent linkage between traits.
Identify if the Law of Dominance applies by noting whether one trait consistently masks the presence of another in heterozygous individuals, as shown by dominant and recessive phenotypes in the pedigree.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Mendel's Law of Segregation

This postulate states that each individual has two alleles for each gene, which segregate during gamete formation so that each gamete carries only one allele. It explains how traits are inherited as discrete units and is fundamental to understanding inheritance patterns shown in pedigrees.
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Mendel's Laws

Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment

This law states that alleles of different genes assort independently of one another during gamete formation. It accounts for the genetic variation seen in offspring and helps interpret how multiple traits may be inherited separately in a pedigree.
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Mendel's Laws

Mendel's Concept of Dominance

Mendel proposed that some alleles are dominant and mask the expression of recessive alleles in heterozygotes. This concept is crucial for understanding how traits appear in pedigrees, especially when dominant and recessive phenotypes are tracked across generations.
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Variations on Dominance