Examine individual changes

'{{Expand section|date=March 2009}} [[File:Mendel.png|right|thumb|[[Gregor Mendel]], the Father of Genetics]] '''Particulate inheritance''' is a pattern of inheritance discovered by [[Mendelian]] theorists (or by [[Gregor Mendel]] himself) showing that characteristics can be passed from generation to generation through "discrete particles" (now known as [[genes]]). These particles can keep their ability to be expressed while not always appearing in a descending generation.<ref>[http://www.webref.org/anthropology/p/particulate_theory_of_inheritanc.htm "Particulate theory of inheritance"], WebRef</ref> == Scientific developments leading up to the theory == Early in the 19th century, scientists had already recognized that Earth has been inhabited by living creatures for a very long time. On the other hand, they did not understand what mechanisms actually drove [[Biodiversity|biological diversity]]. They also did not understand how [[Trait (biology)|physical traits]] are inherited from one generation to the next. [[Blending inheritance]] was the common ideal at the time, but was later discredited by the experiments of Gregor Mendel. Mendel proposed the theory of '''particulate inheritance''' by using [[pea]] plants (''Pisum sativum'') to explain how variation can be inherited and maintained over time. === Blending Model vs. Particulate Model === * '''Blending Model:''' ** offunkspring are a blend of both parents (i.e. in modern terms, alleles would blend together to form a completely new allele) ** The characteristics of the blended offspring are passed on to the next generation ** Variation is washed out over time<ref>[http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?q=particulate+model+of+inheritance&dpg=2 Particulate Model of Inheritance], ''BioEd Online''</ref> * '''Particulate Model:''' ** Offspring are a combination of both parents ** The characteristics of both parents are passed on to the next generation as separate entities ** Variation is maintained over time<ref>[http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?q=particulate+model+of+inheritance&dpg=2 Ibid.]</ref> == Mendel's Methods == === Mendel's Laws === Since Mendel used experimental methods to devise his particulate inheritance theory, he developed three basic laws of inheritance: the [[Law of Segregation]], the [[Law of Independent Assortment]], and the [[Law of Dominance]]:<ref>[http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?q=particulate+model+of+inheritance&dpg=2 Ibid.]</ref> ==== Law of Segregation ==== Mendel's experiment with tall and short pea plants demonstrates how each individual plant has two particles called [[alleles]]. When a pea plant produces [[gametes]] (reproductive cells), it segregates one allele to each one. ==== Law of Independent Assortment ==== The law states that when the parents differ from each other in two or more pairs of contrasting characters, the inheritance of one pair of character is independent to that of the other pair of character.<br/> ==== Law of Dominance ==== In the pea plants, Mendel observed that the "T" allele ([[dominance (genetics)|dominant]]) masked the effects of the "t" allele ([[recessive]]). The terms "dominant" and "recessive" are used for the masking and the covered allele, respectively. All offspring from this cross are [[heterozygotes]] in terms of their [[genotypes]]. They also are tall (because the allele for tall masks the allele for short) in terms of their "[[phenotype]]".<ref>[http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?q=%22law+of+dominance%22&dpg=6 Ibid.]</ref> == See also == * [[Blending inheritance]] * [[Mendelian inheritance]] * [[Modern synthesis]] == Notes == <references/> == References == * Campbell, N. E. & Reece, J. B. (2002). ''Biology'' (6th ed.). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. * "Particulate inheritance." ''BioEd Online''. Retrieved 3-5-2009 from [http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?tk=60 BioEd Online Slides] {{evolution}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Particulate Inheritance}} [[Category:Genetics]] [[Category:History of evolutionary biology]]'