What characteristic of sexual reproduction did Mendel investigate that resulted in offspring expressing characteristics that differed from their parents?
Mendel investigated the characteristic of inheritance, specifically the "Law of Segregation," which explains how the offspring inherit traits from their parents. Through his experiments with pea plants, he observed that when two parents with different traits were crossed, the offspring expressed characteristics that differed from both parents. This observation led Mendel to propose the existence of discrete hereditary factors, now known as genes, that can be passed from parents to offspring and can be expressed in different combinations, resulting in offspring with unique characteristics.
Mendel investigated the characteristic of inheritance known as "Segregation" or "Independent Assortment" which led to the offspring expressing characteristics that differed from their parents. This characteristic refers to the separation and independent distribution of genetic information (alleles) during the formation of eggs and sperm. Mendel's experiments with pea plants showed that each parent contributes one allele for each trait to their offspring, and the combination of alleles from each parent can result in new and different traits in the offspring. This process allows for genetic variation and the expression of traits that are different from those of the parents.
