Mendel's Law of Segregation

How are traits passed from parents to offspring? 

The answer is by gene transmission.

Genes are located on chromosomes and consist of DNA. 

They are passed from parents to their offspring through reproduction.

The principles that govern heredity were discovered by a monk named Gregor Mendel in the 1860's. 

One of these principles, now called 

Mendel's law of segregation, states that 

allele pairs separate or segregate during gamete formation, and randomly unite at fertilization.

There are 4 main concepts related to this principle. They are as follows:

• A gene can exist in more than one form.
  
• Organisms inherit two alleles for each trait.
  
• When gametes are produced (by meiosis), allele pairs separate leaving each cell with a single allele for each trait.
  
• When the two alleles of a pair are different, one is dominant and the other is recessive.