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The first step that takes place in reproduction is for the sex cells in plants to
divide into two halves, called gametes. The next step is for the gametes from
the male plant to combine with the gametes of the female plant to produce a
fertilized egg. That fertilized egg is called a zygote. A zygote contains genetic
information from both parents.
For example, a zygote might contain one allele for white flowers and one
allele for red flowers. The plant that develops from that zygote would said to
be heterozygous for that trait since its gene for flower color has two different
alleles. If the zygote contains a gene with two identical alleles, it is said to be
homozygous.
Mendel's laws
Mendel's law of segregation describes what happens to the alleles that make
up a gene during formation of gametes. For example, suppose that a pea
plant contains a gene for flower color in which both alleles code for red. One
way to represent that condition is to write RR, which indicates that both
alleles (R and R) code for the color red. Another gene might have a different
combination of alleles, as in Rr. In this case, the symbol R stands for red color
and the r for "not red" or, in this case, white. Mendel's law of segregation
says that the alleles that make up a gene separate from each other, or
segregate, during the formation of gametes. That fact can be represented by
simple equations, such as:
RR R + R or Rr R + r
Mendel's second law is called the law of independent assortment. That law
refers to the fact that any plant contains many different kinds of genes. One
gene determines flower color, a second gene determines length of stem, a
third gene determines shape of pea pods, and so on. Mendel discovered that
the way in which alleles from different genes separate and then recombine is
unconnected to other genes. That is, suppose that a plant contains genes for
color (RR) and for shape of pod (TT). Then Mendel's second law says that the
two genes will segregate independently, as:
RR R + R and TT T + T
Mendel's third law deals with the matter of dominance. Suppose that a gene
contains an allele for red color (R) and an allele for white color (r). What will
be the color of the flowers produced on this plant? Mendel's answer was that
in every pair of alleles, one is more likely to be expressed than the other. In
other words, one allele is dominant and the other allele is recessive. In the
example of an Rr gene, the flowers produced will be red because the allele R
is dominant over the allele r.
Importance of Medellian law of inheritance
Mendel's great contribution was in the concept of genetic inheritance.
Knowing that traits are hereditary has helped farmers, and every type of
animal breeder. In addition, people can now learn what diseases, etc. they
may pass on to their young or what genetic conditions to which they may be
susceptible. For instance, if one's father has hemophilia, a person can go to a
genetics clinic and learn if his/her offspring could have the same disease.
SUBJECT: - AGRIC
CLASS: - SS2