Today, scientists who study patterns of inheritance, which is called the study of genetics, would not use Mendel’s methods. Mendel’s methods would take too long to get results. Mendel’s pea plants only produced two or three generations of plants each year, so it took him seven years to collect data. Modern laboratories and scientific equipment are much more expensive to operate than growing plants in a garden, but scientists use organisms that reproduce much faster. Two organisms that are often used are fruit flies and bacteria. Fruit flies reproduce in about two weeks, and bacteria reproduce in three to five hours, so scientists can see many more generations of those organisms in a much shorter period of time.

Question

Today, scientists who study patterns of inheritance, which is called the study of genetics, would not use Mendel’s methods. Mendel’s methods would take too long to get results. Mendel’s pea plants only produced two or three generations of plants each year, so it took him seven years to collect data. Modern laboratories and scientific equipment are much more expensive to operate than growing plants in a garden, but scientists use organisms that reproduce much faster. Two organisms that are often used are fruit flies and bacteria. Fruit flies reproduce in about two weeks, and bacteria reproduce in three to five hours, so scientists can see many more generations of those organisms in a much shorter period of time.

Modern scientists now know much more about genetics, the important data gained from Mendel's work provided the foundation for the field. You have seen the patterns, and you know that instructions for traits do get passed on from generation to generation.

Now that you have started thinking about how instructions for traits get passed on from generation to generation, do you think that you have enough information to explain how that happens? Is there anything else you need to know to complete your answer?

Answer 1

While I have a basic understanding of how traits are passed on from one generation to the next through genetics, there is still much more to learn. For example, I would like to understand more about the role of DNA and how it carries genetic information. Additionally, I am interested in learning about how genetic mutations occur and can lead to variations in traits. Overall, there is always more to explore and discover in the field of genetics, and I look forward to continuing to expand my knowledge in this area.