What is Genetic Inheritance?
Genetic inheritance is a fundamental principle of genetics and explains how characteristics and traits are transmitted from parents to their progeny. It occurs when parents pass down genes to their offspring. These genes, encoded within DNA, determine various traits such as eye color, blood type, and susceptibility to certain diseases.
The Basics of Mendelian Inheritance
Named after Gregor Mendel, Mendelian inheritance follows principles that deal with the predictable patterns in which traits are passed down. Key concepts include:
- Dominant and Recessive Alleles: Dominant alleles express the trait even if only one copy is present, while recessive alleles require two copies to exhibit the trait.
- Phenotype and Genotype: The phenotype is the observable trait, while the genotype is the genetic makeup that leads to the phenotype.
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