Genetics

Study of heredity and variation in living organisms.

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Advanced Topics

Non-Mendelian Inheritance

Beyond Simple Dominance

Not all traits follow Mendel’s basic laws. Some show more complex patterns of inheritance.

Types of Non-Mendelian Inheritance

  • Incomplete Dominance: The offspring’s trait is a blend of the parents’ traits (e.g., red flower + white flower = pink flower).
  • Codominance: Both traits are fully shown (e.g., a cow with both red and white patches).
  • Multiple Alleles: Some genes have more than just two versions (alleles), like human blood types (A, B, O).
  • Polygenic Inheritance: Many traits, such as height and skin color, are controlled by several genes working together.

Why Does This Matter?

These patterns explain the wide variety of traits seen in nature and why predicting inheritance isn’t always simple.

Real-Life Implications

Understanding these patterns helps doctors and scientists predict, diagnose, and treat complex genetic conditions.

Examples

  • A child with type AB blood inherits an A allele from one parent and a B from the other, showing both types.

  • A pink snapdragon flower results from incomplete dominance between red and white flower genes.

In a Nutshell

Non-Mendelian inheritance describes genetic patterns that don't fit simple dominant-recessive rules.

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