Mendelian Inheritance

Mendelian inheritance is a biological pattern which was proposed by Gregor Johann Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian monk and founder of modern science of genetics. Specifically, Mendel’s discoveries are governed by the following:

• Traits are distinct - Characteristics are discrete. For instance, the combination of alleles in having blue eyes is different from the combination involved in having brown eyes.

• Traits have alternate forms - This means that a gene displays separation of two alleles. For instance, an individual’s height is influenced by the genes from his mother and father.

• One allele is dominant over the other - The dominant allele is manifested. For instance, having brown eyes is more common than having green eyes because the former is passed on through a dominant gene.

• Gametes are formed through random segregation - The specific combinations of the cells from the sperm cell and the egg cell are unpredictable.

• Various traits have independent assortment - The genes are unlinked in the sense that the biological selection of a certain trait is not influenced by other selections. For instance, people with blue eyes do not always have blonde hair.