Reginas Biology Blog What is Mendels Law of Segregation?
What is Mendel’s Law of Segregation? Friday September 5, 2008#spacer{clear:left}#abc #sidebar{margin-top:1.5em}zSB(3,3) © Steve Berg The principles that govern heredity were discovered by a monk named Gregor Mendel in the 1860’s. One of these principles, now called Mendel’s law of segregation, states that allele pairs separate or segregate during gamete formation, and randomly unite at fertilization. There are four main concepts involved in this principle: • A gene can exist in more than one form. • For each characteristic or trait, organisms inherit two alternative forms (alleles) of that gene. • When gametes (sex cells) are produced, allele pairs separate leaving them with a single allele for each trait. • When the two alleles of a pair are different, one is dominant and the other is recessive. These four concepts are demonstrated in the image.
