What are some examples of inheritance patterns in genetics?

What are some examples of inheritance patterns in genetics?

Inheritance patterns in genetics refer to how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Common examples include Mendelian inheritance, where traits are determined by single genes, and polygenic inheritance, where multiple genes influence a trait.

Can you explain Mendelian inheritance with an example?

Sure! Mendelian inheritance is based on Gregor Mendel's experiments with pea plants. For example, the trait for flower color can be either purple or white, where purple is dominant. If a plant with one purple and one white allele is crossed, about 50% of the offspring will have purple flowers and 50% will have white.

What about polygenic inheritance?

Polygenic inheritance involves multiple genes contributing to a single trait. An example is human height, which is influenced by several genes, resulting in a continuous range of heights rather than distinct categories.

Are there any other inheritance patterns I should know about?

Yes, there are several other patterns, such as incomplete dominance, where the phenotype is a blend of both alleles, and codominance, where both alleles are expressed equally, like in AB blood type.