Which of the statements can be concluded from Gregor Mendel’s experiments with pea plants

Which of the statements can be concluded from Gregor Mendel’s experiments with pea plants?
Offspring inherit two alleles per gene from each parent.
The inheritance of alleles of one gene does not affect the inheritance of alleles of another gene.
For a given trait, two heterozygous parents produce offspring with three possible phenotypes.
Only one allele determines the phenotype in heterozygous individuals.

The Correct Answer and Explanation is :

The correct statements based on Gregor Mendel’s experiments with pea plants are:

1. Offspring inherit two alleles per gene from each parent.
2. The inheritance of alleles of one gene does not affect the inheritance of alleles of another gene.

Explanation:

Gregor Mendel’s foundational experiments with pea plants helped establish the basic principles of heredity, now known as Mendelian inheritance. Let’s go over the accuracy of each statement:

1. Offspring inherit two alleles per gene from each parent.

• This statement is correct. Mendel’s experiments showed that for each trait, offspring inherit one allele from each parent, making up a pair of alleles for each gene. These alleles may be the same (homozygous) or different (heterozygous).

1. The inheritance of alleles of one gene does not affect the inheritance of alleles of another gene.

• This is correct. Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment states that the inheritance of alleles for one gene is independent of the inheritance of alleles for another gene, assuming the genes are located on different chromosomes. This means that the allele a parent passes on for one trait does not influence which allele is passed on for another trait.

1. For a given trait, two heterozygous parents produce offspring with three possible phenotypes.

• This is incorrect. Two heterozygous parents (genotype Aa) for a trait, according to Mendel’s Law of Segregation, would produce offspring with a 1:2:1 genotype ratio, but the phenotypes would follow a 3:1 ratio (dominant to recessive phenotype). The number of phenotypes is dependent on whether the dominant allele masks the recessive one.

1. Only one allele determines the phenotype in heterozygous individuals.

• This is partially incorrect. In heterozygous individuals (e.g., Aa), the dominant allele generally determines the phenotype. However, in cases of incomplete dominance or co-dominance, both alleles can influence the phenotype.

Mendel’s experiments laid the groundwork for understanding how traits are passed down, demonstrating key patterns of inheritance that are still fundamental to genetics today.