PHYSICS 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Heredity, Genetic Variation, Dna Replication
Document Summary
Explain how mendelian genetics led to a revision of darwin"s theory of evolution. Describe what gene flow is and how it is important for evolution. Characterize how genetic drift, including the founder effect, are vital alternatives to selection. Gregor mendel (1822-1884) was an australian monk who studied inheritance in pea plants. He discovered the law of inheritance, but during mendel"s time his work was mostly unrecognised and ignored. His work was rediscovered in the early 20th century. Offspring traits are a blend of parent"s traits. This means that favourable traits would be diluted in a population over several generations and darwin"s theory of evolution should not really work. Mendel between 1856 and 1863 cultivated and studied approximately 30 000 pea plants. He found that plant offspring retained traits of their parents and that physical traits are retained by particles . Can be grown in a small area. Reproduce parental traits when allowed to self-pollinate.
