List Two Characteristics Of Mendel's Garden Pea Plant
list Two Characteristics Of Mendels Garden Pea Plant Pisum Sativum
List two characteristics of Mendel’s garden pea plant, Pisum sativum, that make it an ideal organism for genetic experiments and why these characteristics are useful. Your response should be at least 75 words in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.
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Gregor Mendel chose Pisum sativum, the garden pea, as an ideal organism for his genetic experiments due to several distinctive characteristics that facilitate the study of inheritance patterns. Firstly, peas exhibit clear, contrasting traits such as seed shape (round or wrinkled) and seed color (yellow or green). These discrete, easily distinguishable characteristics enable Mendel to observe and record inheritance patterns accurately. Secondly, pea plants are capable of self-pollination and cross-pollination, allowing for controlled breeding experiments. The ability to self-pollinate ensures the production of purebred lines, which are essential for analyzing hereditary traits across generations. Moreover, cross-pollination can be manually performed to study the inheritance of specific traits, making the experiment highly controlled and reproducible. These features, combined with a relatively short generation time, make Pisum sativum an ideal model for studying inheritance, as they allow for clear observation of dominant and recessive traits and simplify the genetic analysis of multiple generations (Griffiths et al., 2015). Overall, Mendel’s selection of this plant was crucial for establishing foundational principles of genetics, which continue to underpin our understanding of inheritance today.
What phase is shown in this mitosis cell drawing, and how many chromatids and chromosomes are present?
Without the actual drawing, based on typical characteristics of mitotic phases, if the cell shows chromosomes aligned at the cell’s equator, it is in metaphase. In metaphase, chromosomes are fully condensed and aligned at the metaphase plate. Each chromosome consists of two sister chromatids, so the number of chromatids is twice the number of chromosomes present. If, for example, the cell in the diagram shows six chromosomes, then there are 12 chromatids. The total number of chromosomes each daughter cell will have after division will be identical to the original, which in humans is 46; in pea plants, it is 14. The exact number depends on the organism but remains consistent through mitosis, ensuring each daughter cell receives a complete set of genetic material (Alberts et al., 2014).
How does a man with red/green color blindness have a daughter who is not color blind, but a grandson who is?
Red-green color blindness is a sex-linked trait, inherited through genes located on the X chromosome. Men have one X and one Y chromosome, while women have two X chromosomes. A man with red-green color blindness possesses a defective allele on his single X chromosome. Since males cannot be carriers—they are either affected or not—the affected man passes his Y chromosome to his sons and his X chromosome with the defective gene to his daughters. Consequently, his daughters will inherit one normal X chromosome from their mother and the affected X from their father but will typically be carriers without showing symptoms because they have a normal copy of the gene. The grandson inherits the Y chromosome from his father and the affected X chromosome if he is the son of the daughter, who is a carrier. If the grandson inherits the affected X, he will be color blind. Therefore, the inheritance pattern shows that a carrier female can have non-affected daughters but can pass the affected gene to her sons, making them color blind. This pattern explains why a man with color blindness can have a nondisabled daughter but a color-blind grandson (Griffiths et al., 2015). Genetic testing can further clarify the carrier status of females in such inheritance scenarios.
Analyzing the origin of the phrase “dumb jock” and calculating the odds of a person having both above-average intelligence and athletic prowess
The phrase “dumb jock” historically reflects societal stereotypes associating athletic ability with lack of intelligence. Although this is a stereotype, it historically served to perpetuate the notion that individuals excelling physically may not excel academically. The phrase emerged from cultural narratives and media portrayals emphasizing this dichotomy, often implying that athletic prowess is incompatible with intellectual ability. Sociologically, “dumb jock” underscores the stereotypical divide between brain and brawn, despite numerous examples disproving this misconception. The phrase encapsulates societal judgments and perceptions that have persisted through popular culture, reinforcing gender roles and educational expectations (Kozol, 1991).
To evaluate the odds of a person possessing both above-average intelligence and superior athletic prowess, we use probability theory. Suppose that the probability of a child having above-average intelligence is 25 out of 100, or 0.25, and the probability of a child exhibiting superior athletic ability is 1 out of 50, or 0.02. If we assume independence—that is, the traits do not influence each other—the probability of both traits occurring simultaneously is the product of their individual probabilities: 0.25 × 0.02 = 0.005. This translates to a 0.5% chance, or 1 in 200, that a randomly selected individual will have both above-average intelligence and superior athletic prowess.
This calculation helps illustrate the relative rarity of individuals who excel simultaneously in both domains, aligning with societal stereotypes but emphasizing the statistical improbability of such dual excellence occurring by chance alone. However, it is essential to recognize that real-world traits may not be entirely independent, as environmental factors, education, and access to resources can influence their development. Additionally, multiple traits and their interactions complicate simplistic probability models. Nonetheless, this calculation provides a quantitative perspective on the likelihood of dual exceptionalism, challenging or reinforcing stereotypes depending on the context of societal perceptions (McGue & Lykken, 1992; Plomin & DeFries, 1985).
References:
- Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Morgan, D., Raff, M., Roberts, K., & Walter, P. (2014). Molecular biology of the cell. Garland Science.
- Griffiths, A. J. F., Wessler, S. R., Carroll, S. B., & Doebley, J. (2015). Introduction to genetic analysis. W. H. Freeman.
- Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools. Crown.
- McGue, M., & Lykken, D. (1992). Genetic and environmental influences on human behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 43, 29-60.
- Plomin, R., & DeFries, J. C. (1985). Behavior genetics. W. H. Freeman.
- Griffiths, A., Wessler, S., Carroll, S., & Doebley, J. (2015). Introduction to genetic analysis. W. H. Freeman.
- Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Morgan, D., Raff, M., Roberts, K., & Walter, P. (2014). Molecular biology of the cell. Garland Science.
- Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools. Crown.
- McGue, M., & Lykken, D. (1992). Genetic and environmental influences on human behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 43, 29-60.
- Plomin, R., & DeFries, J. C. (1985). Behavior genetics. W. H. Freeman.