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Do You Realize Two Basic Questions in Genetics?DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1104396, PP. 1-6 Subject Areas: Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology Keywords: Hereditary, Germplasm, Gene, Template, Genetics Abstract
There are two basic questions in genetics. The “first question” inquires about the
germplasm that is capable of producing an individual. It asks “Who produces the
individual?”
Preformation, Darwin’s Pangenesis, and Weisman’s Germ-plasm theories are all
attempts to answer the “first
question”. The “second question” usually arises in
sexually reproducing species. Because there are two parents (dad and mom) that
form the producer (germplasm), one question arises: which pattern (dad or mom)
appears in the offspring? It asks “What thing stimulates dad (or mom) to
produce offspring having their own pattern?” As in his experiments, Mendel
assumed that “the tall (short) variety contains something that makes the plants
tall (short)”. “Blending
inheritance”, which
has been popular in history, is an attempt to answer the “second question”. In
short, the “first
question” is a
matter of the germplasm; and the “second question” is a matter of the template.
Mendel’s experiments are typical “second
question”
experiments. Therefore, the gene found by Mendel is the template that promotes
the formation of the individual (traits) rather than the producer. However, the
basis of genetics should be the germplasm (producer) rather than the template.
Zhou, M. (2018). Do You Realize Two Basic Questions in Genetics?. Open Access Library Journal, 5, e4396. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104396. References
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