Mendel's insights started with his approach of analyzing discrete traits, leading to the idea of "particulate" rather than "blending" inheritance
Yet this was an uncommon way to view the inheritance of traits because many found it counterintuitive or contrary to experience. How so?
Experience with breeding pets or livestock, or even having children, suggests that parental traits seem to blend together in the offspring. This is because most traits that breeders considered are complex, polygenic traits. By focusing on simple discrete traits, Mendel was able to show that his "unit factors" simply combined and recombined in pairs each generation and were not blended away.
You might also like to view...
A ________ assay is most useful for determining the viability of a viral preparation.
A. PCR B. plaque C. hemagglutination D. direct (electron microscopic) count
Vectors can transfer ____
a. DNA sequences into bacterial host cells for cloning b. DNA sequences into viral host cells for cloning c. cloned viral cells into a bacterial host for cloning d. cloned mitochondria from donor cell to host cell e. cloned chromosomes from the nucleus of a cell into its cytoplasm
Stomatal opening requires each of the following conditions, except
A. expenditure of energy. B. a reduction of turgor in the guard cells. C. water entering the guard cells by osmosis. D. a lower water potential in the guard cells. E. pumping of potassium ions into the guard cells.
Melanin absorbs UV radiation and can therefore protect against some forms of skin cancer. Which type of cells produce melanin?
A. melanocytes B. chondrocytes C. actinocytes D. lymphocytes E. osteocytes