Which of the Following Produces a Mendelian Pattern of Inheritance

Question

Which of the following produces a Mendelian pattern of inheritance?
A) genomic imprinting
B) a mitochondrial gene mutation
C) a chloroplast gene mutation
D) viral genomes that inhabit egg cytoplasm
E) a trait acted upon by many genes

Accepted Answer

A Mendelian pattern of inheritance refers to the principles first described by Gregor Mendel in the 19th century, which involve traits controlled by single genes with two alleles, one of which may be dominant over the other. A trait acted upon by many genes (polygenic inheritance) does not fit the classic Mendelian single-gene inheritance pattern, but it is the closest option given. The other options involve non-Mendelian inheritance patterns: genomic imprinting, mitochondrial and chloroplast gene mutations involve maternal inheritance or epigenetic modifications, and viral genomes in egg cytoplasm do not follow Mendelian inheritance.