Question

What were Mendel's first three postulates?

Answer 1

Mendel's first three postulates include the Principle of Segregation, the Principle of Dominance, and the Principle of Independent Assortment, which laid the foundations of classical genetics and our understanding of inheritance.

Step-by-step explanation:

Gregor Mendel's first three postulates, formulated from his pea-plant experiments, are fundamental to understanding classical genetics. These postulates are:

1. The Principle of Segregation: Each organism carries two alleles for a given trait, and these alleles separate during the formation of gametes (egg and sperm cells), meaning that each gamete carries only one allele for each trait.
2. The Principle of Dominance: When two different alleles for a single trait are present in an organism, one allele may be expressed over the other, which is then said to be recessive. The expressed allele is considered dominant.
3. The Principle of Independent Assortment: The distribution of alleles for one trait is independent of the distribution of alleles for other traits, indicating that genes for different traits can segregate independently during the formation of gametes.

Although more complex patterns of inheritance have been discovered since Mendel's time, the understanding of these basic principles is essential for studying inheritance patterns and serves as an excellent starting point for genetics education.