Running head: GENETICS 1

Genetics

Student Name

Institutional Affiliation
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Genetics - Lost and Found

The video “Genetics - Lost and Found” encompasses a video that was written and filmed

at Missoula in a studio belonging to Dr. Cheryl C. Kinney. The video was then presented by

Kathleen Yale. Notably, the video expounds on genetics which entails a central pillar in biology.

In the presentation, Yale asserts that multiple scientists worldwide have done intense

revolutionary work as far as genetics is concerned. Noteworthy, he explains the work of Gregor

mendel, the perceptions of Charles Darwin and the perspectives of classical genetics. Kathleen

noted the assertions of Darwin that organisms encompasses slightly different characteristics. He

explains how traits are passed from the parent to the offspring. It is noteworthy that genes

influence certain traits that an individual possesses. Gregor Mendel was born in a poor family in

Czech Republic the then Austrian Empire. The presenter notes that Mendel got fascinated in bee

keeping and growing plants. Mendel studied physics and philosophy at Palacky University and

later studied the natural variation of English peas in his experimental garden. Mendel studied

several traits of plants including seed color, flower color, seed shape, plant height, seed pod

shape and flower location.

Kathleen Yale describes that the traits was independently inherited and thus the traits was

essential for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Moreover, Mendel started to work on peas and

discovered that some traits was passed down often while others disappeared after generations.

Mendel did some statistics and found that out of four plants, one had purebred recessive

characteristics while two had both dominant and recessive traits. Yale asserts that Mendel

formulated three general claims that culminated to Mendelian laws of Inheritance. The first law

entails the Segregation laws which states that genes controlling characteristics are distinct. The

independent assortment of genes which is the second law states that when organisms bred, the
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specific genes that control diverse traits are switched around. The third laws states that some

characteristics are dominant while others are recessive. Noteworthy, the video describes that the

major goal of Gregor was to better plant breeding. Markedly, other that pea plants, Mendel

modeled hawkweed plants whose reproduction was asexually. After working on multiple plants

and making major discoveries, Mendel died but he left a mark and numerous discoveries in the

field of genetics. Yale, the presenter of the video notes that genetics was lost after the dead of

Mendel but was rediscovered later. He notes that multiple researchers worldwide worked on the

heritability of various traits and realized how critical Mendel`s pea experiments was. The

researchers later became the science behind heredity. Yale notes that the rediscovery of Mendel`s

work led to formulation of copious research strategies by geneticists to advance the

understanding of genetics.

The video describes that the approach to isolate traits that was formulated by Mendel was

rediscovered by a Dutch botanist named Hugo de Vries. Besides, another botanist of the German

origin named Carl Correns rediscovered the work of Mendel. In 1900, drought-resistant hybrid

crops was developed by an Austrian agronomist who rediscovered Mendel. After multiple

decades of genetic discoveries Gregor Mendel was retroactively named the “father of Genetics”.

Historians of biology formulated a debate of the title Mendel was given but generally, the legacy is

left was safeguarded by de Vries and all his contemporaries. Yale asserts that multiple controversies

in life sciences emanated from the accomplishments of the first people to study genetics. Vries was

experienced in plant breeding and thus he asserted the work of Mendel. The presenter notes that

numerous scientists began studying genetics using various model organisms such as mice, bread

mold, flies, rabbits, monkeys, pigs and rats.

Essentially the interesting points in the presentation that I find valuable is the work of

scientists that rediscovered the work of Mendel. The rediscoveries is being used currently to study
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genetics. Notably, the presentation of Mendelian genetics relates to the content in the course.

Mendel`s theory illustrated in the course is well expounded by Kathleen Yale, the presenter of the

video. Moreover, Mendel`s dominant and recessive traits explained in the course is well illustrated in

the video. Intuitively, the part of the video that I feel it is controversial is the part that some

individuals formulated a debate against Mendel being named the father of genetics. Moreover, I

think that the presenter could have illustrated with diagrams how Mendel performed the crossing

experiments.