Question

Give the basic features of the mechanism of inheritance.

Answer 1

Hint: The features include properties of the genes, chromosomes, and the patterns that are followed during the inheritance of a gene from one generation to the other generation including the meiosis.

Complete answer:
Inheritance also called heredity is the process of transmission of characters from parents to offspring i.e. from one generation to the next generation. The heredity plays an important role in the formation of new species and hereditary variations refer to the differences in the inherited traits.
It was Mendel who first presented his rules of inheritance in 1865 that was rediscovered in 1900. The essential or basic features of the mechanism of inheritance are –

1) Every trait of character has two alternative forms of a gene and all genetic characters are controlled by particular genes.
2) One alternative form of a trait may express more often the other in which the one expressing more is called a dominant trait and the other one expressing less is called a recessive trait.
3) Any alternate form of a trait may remain unexpressed for several generations.
4) Hidden characters may reappear in the original form again in some generations.
5) Characters of traits of any organism are expressed due to discrete particulate entities which do not get blended or modified.
6) Meiosis occurs during gamete formation and it reduces the chromosome number to half in gametes. 7) After the fusion of male and female gametes during fertilization, the normal chromosome number is restored. This fusion also creates a new combination of genes in zygote contains half sets of chromosomes from each parent.

Note: Many theories have been proposed by the different scientists regarding heredity or inheritance but the most accepted one is given by Mendel. His theory was rediscovered in 1900 by three scientists deVries, Correns and Tschermak.