Module 6 Lesson 1 - 1

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

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

This lesson explores the language of genetics. You will be introduced to a 19th century monk, Gregory Mendel, and you will learn why he is considered the Father of Genetics.

In this lesson, the following focusing questions are examined:

• What is the basic language of genetics?

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