Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

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Prepare for the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam with our comprehensive quiz. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with detailed hints and explanations, to increase your readiness and confidence for the test!

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What basic genetic principles were developed by Gregor Mendel?

Recessiveness, segregation, independent assortment
Dominance, segregation, independent assortment
Dominance, recombination, independent segregation
Segregation, inheritance, mutation

The correct answer is: Dominance, segregation, independent assortment

Gregor Mendel, often referred to as the father of genetics, conducted foundational experiments with pea plants that led to the development of key genetic principles. The correct option includes dominance, segregation, and independent assortment. Dominance refers to the phenomenon where certain alleles can mask the expression of others. This concept explains why some traits can prevail over others in offspring when different alleles are inherited from parents. Segregation is the principle that states that allele pairs separate during gamete formation, meaning that each gamete carries only one allele for each gene. This principle is crucial in understanding how traits are transmitted from parents to offspring. Independent assortment is the principle that states that the alleles of different genes independently separate during the formation of gametes. This means that the inheritance of one trait will not affect the inheritance of another trait, allowing for genetic diversity. In summary, these three principles — dominance, segregation, and independent assortment — form the bedrock of Mendelian genetics, explaining how traits are inherited and expressed in offspring.