classical genetics

Classical genetics, the foundation of the field, explores how genetic traits are passed down in organisms. This area of study began with Gregor Mendel's experiments on garden peas in the 1800s. Mendel discovered the basic principles of heredity and formulated laws like the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment, collectively known as Mendelian inheritance.123

A gene is a unit of hereditary information, and alleles are different versions of a gene. These alleles can be dominant, recessive, or intermediate, influencing observable traits. Mendel's laws, initially demonstrated in peas, have since been found to apply to the inheritance of traits in nearly all organisms, including humans. Genetics continues to be crucial for gene discovery and understanding biological properties.415