Mendel's law
noun
Men·del's law
ˈmen-dᵊlz- 
1
: a principle in genetics: hereditary units occur in pairs that separate during gamete formation so that every gamete receives but one member of a pair
called also law of segregation
2
: a principle in genetics limited and modified by the subsequent discovery of the phenomenon of linkage: the different pairs of hereditary units are distributed to the gametes independently of each other, the gametes combine at random, and the various combinations of hereditary pairs occur in the zygotes according to the laws of chance
called also law of independent assortment
3
: a principle in genetics proved subsequently to be subject to many limitations: because one of each pair of hereditary units dominates the other in expression, characters are inherited alternatively on an all-or-nothing basis
called also law of dominance
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Cite this Entry
“Mendel's law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mendel%27s%20law. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Mendel's law
noun
Men·del's law
ˌmen-dᵊlz-
1
: a principle in genetics: paired inherited units that control the expression of a character (as height or seed color) separate during germ cell formation so that each sperm or egg receives only one member of each pair
called also law of segregation
2
: a principle in genetics that has exceptions due to the discovery of linkage: the members of two or more different pairs of inherited units are passed on to a germ cell independently of each other and the various sperms and eggs unite according to the laws of chance sometimes resulting in new combinations of inherited units and of the characters they control
called also law of independent assortment
3
: a principle in genetics that has many exceptions: when the two members of a pair of inherited units are different, the dominant one controls the expression of the character
called also law of dominance
Medical Definition
Mendel's law
noun
Men·del's law
ˌmen-dᵊlz-
1
: a principle in genetics: hereditary units occur in pairs that separate during gamete formation so that every gamete receives but one member of a pair
called also law of segregation
2
: a principle in genetics limited and modified by the subsequent discovery of the phenomenon of linkage: the different pairs of hereditary units are distributed to the gametes independently of each other, the gametes combine at random, and the various combinations of hereditary pairs occur in the zygotes according to the laws of chance
called also law of independent assortment
3
: a principle in genetics proved subsequently to be subject to many limitations: because one of each pair of hereditary units dominates the other in expression, characters are inherited as alternatives on an all-or-nothing basis
called also law of dominance
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