Genes are the blueprint of our bodies. The nucleus contains this information in the form of genes, which are specific patterns of nitrogenous bases coding for particular sequences of amino acids. These sequences help form specific proteins, and the expression of these genes leads to different phenotypic features in the progeny.
Inheritance follows a specific pattern determined by a set of rules called Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance, formulated by Gregor John Mendel in the 19th century. These laws are universal and generally followed, with some exceptions. Each variation of a gene is called an allele . The two copies of a gene contained in your chromosomes influence how your cells work. The two alleles in a gene pair are inherited, one from each parent. Alleles interact with each other in different ways, known as inheritance patterns. There are four main types of inheritance patterns: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive, and mitochondrial inheritance. There are two types of chromosomes: