This document provides an overview of basic genetics concepts including:
- Genetics is the study of heredity and traits are characteristics that vary between individuals.
- Genes determine traits and alleles are different versions of genes.
- Gregor Mendel established laws of inheritance through pea plant experiments.
- Dominant and recessive alleles determine phenotypes according to genotypes. Punnett squares can predict offspring genotypes and phenotypes from parental crosses.
- Other inheritance patterns include incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, and polygenic traits controlled by multiple genes.