Question

Explain how the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance helped to advance our understanding of genetics.

a) It connected the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis to Mendel's principles.
b) It introduced the concept of DNA replication.
c) It emphasized the role of RNA in genetic inheritance.
d) It proved the existence of dominant and recessive alleles.

Answer 1

The Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance advanced our understanding of genetics by connecting chromosome behavior to Mendel's principles, introducing the concept of DNA replication, and proving the existence of dominant and recessive alleles.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance helped to advance our understanding of genetics in several ways:

1. It connected the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis to Mendel's principles: The observation that chromosomes segregate and assort independently during meiosis provided a physical basis for Mendel's laws of inheritance.
2. It introduced the concept of DNA replication: While the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance did not specifically address DNA replication, it established chromosomes as the carriers of genetic information, which paved the way for the discovery of DNA replication.
3. It proved the existence of dominant and recessive alleles: By studying the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis, scientists were able to determine that different forms of a gene, known as alleles, could independently segregate and lead to the expression of dominant or recessive traits.