Module 6 Mendelian Genetics

Lesson 3.6.1

Get Focused

A prize pumpkin at a county fair must be large, well-shaped, have good orange colour, and be disease-free. These descriptors are called characteristics, and gardeners that wish to compete in these competitions are constantly selecting plant seeds that come from vines that demonstrate more of these qualities than others. Breeding plants or animals to reflect desired features or behaviours is called selective breeding, and has been going on for as long as history has been recorded.

Just how those characteristics are passed on from one generation to the next has not been known for nearly as long. How characteristics are passed on is the focus of genetics, the study of inheritable traits.

In this lesson, you will explore and become familiar with the language of genetics. You will be introduced to a 19th century monk, Gregory Mendel and learn why he is considered the Father of Genetics.

In this lesson, the following focusing questions will be examined:

• What is the basic language of genetics?

• How does the work of Mendel explain the basics of Classical Genetics?

This lesson will take approximately 60 minutes to complete.

 There is no assignment for this lesson. 

The other questions and activities in this lesson are not marked by the teacher; however, you should still attempt all of the work offered here. They are designed to help you review important information and build key concepts that may be applied in future lessons.

Here is a tutorial video for this lesson that you can watch if it suits your learning style.  Bio30 tut#3.6.1 Mendelian Genetics