Mendel's Research and Genetic Inheritance
What explains why Mendel's research is often not reflected in most organisms?
A. Mendel used only observational science, with no mathematical results at all
B. Mendel's phenotypes often reflected the actions of many genes
C. Mendel's traits had continuous variation
D. Mendel used only this or that characters, most organisms have variety
Answer:
Mendel's work is often not reflected in organisms because most traits are influenced by multiple genes (polygenic inheritance) and show a spectrum of variations (continuous variation) rather than distinct classes.
Gregor Mendel's research is often not reflected in most organisms because Mendel's experiments were primarily based on traits that followed simple Mendelian inheritance, exceeding his basic laws. Unlike peas, many traits in other organisms occur due to interaction of many genes or several loci, a concept known as polygenic inheritance. It's also because Mendel worked with traits that had distinct class categories (this or that characters), while many traits in nature show continuous variation, such as height or skin color in human beings, making Mendel's findings less applicable.
Mendel's research, although groundbreaking for its time, has limitations when it comes to explaining the complexity of genetic inheritance in various organisms. Polygenic inheritance and continuous variation play a significant role in determining traits in most organisms, which was not extensively studied by Mendel.