Inheritance and Variation in Biology Quiz

Basic Unit of Heredity

• The basic unit of heredity is a gene.
• Genes are segments of DNA that code for specific traits.

Genetic Makeup

• The term for the genetic makeup of an organism is genotype.
• Genotype refers to the specific combination of alleles an organism possesses.

Father of Genetics

• Gregor Mendel is known as the "Father of Genetics".
• Mendel conducted groundbreaking experiments with pea plants, laying the foundation for our understanding of inheritance.

Law of Independent Assortment

• The law of independent assortment states that each pair of alleles segregates independently of other pairs during gamete formation.
• This means that the inheritance of one trait does not influence the inheritance of another trait.

Autosomal Recessive Disorders

• Autosomal recessive disorders are characterized by the need for two copies of the recessive allele for the disorder to be expressed.
• These disorders often skip generations and are more likely to appear among siblings

Pleiotropy

• Pleiotropy describes the phenomenon where a single gene influences multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits.
• This means that a mutation in a single gene can lead to a range of diverse effects on an organism's appearance, physiology, and behavior.

Test your knowledge of inheritance and variation in biology with this quiz! Answer questions about the basic unit of heredity, the genetic makeup of organisms, and the scientist known as the 'Father of Genetics.'