gen-briefly-explain-mendelian-inheritance-and-one-common-misconc-8246

Briefly explain Mendelian inheritance and one common misconception about it.

## Mendelian Inheritance **Basic principle:** Mendelian inheritance describes how traits are passed from parents to offspring through discrete units (genes) that come in different versions (alleles). Offspring inherit one allele from each parent, and these alleles can be dominant or recessive, determining which traits are expressed. The core patterns include: - **Dominant/recessive inheritance** (one allele masks another) - **Segregation** (allele pairs separate during reproduction) - **Independent assortment** (different traits are inherited independently) ## Common Misconception **"Dominant traits are more common in populations"** Many people assume dominant alleles will naturally become more frequent and recessive ones will disappear, but this isn't true. Allele frequencies remain stable across generations (Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium) unless acted upon by forces like selection, mutation, or genetic drift. For example, polydactyly (extra fingers/toes) is caused by a dominant allele but is quite rare, while blue eyes (recessive) are common in some populations. Dominance describes how alleles *interact* within an individual, not how common they are in a population.