Final answer:
The sub-discipline of genetics that focuses on how an individual organism inherits and passes on its genes is known as transmission genetics, also referred to as Mendelian genetics. Option 4 is correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Genetic Inheritance
The concept of genetic inheritance is central to the field of Biology, and there are several sub-disciplines within genetics that explore different aspects of how organisms inherit genes. When focusing specifically on how an individual organism inherits and passes on its genes to the next generation, we refer to the sub-discipline known as transmission genetics.
Transmission genetics, also called Mendelian genetics, is the study of how the genes and traits of an organism are transferred from one generation to the next. It delves into patterns of inheritance, underlying principles laid down by Gregor Mendel through his experiments with pea plants, and how traits are expressed through different generations. Topics such as Pedigree analysis, Punnett Squares, and Mendel's Laws are foundational within this sub-discipline, enabling us to predict trait inheritance and understand genetic disorders.
The other options provided represent different areas of genetics: Molecular genetics focuses on the molecular structure and function of genes, Genetic engineering involves the direct manipulation of an organism's genome, and Population genetics examines the genetic composition of populations and how it changes over time. Therefore, the correct answer to the question Which of the following sub-disciplines of genetics focuses on how an individual organism inherits and passes on its genes to the next generation? is option 4) Transmission genetics.