Mendel studied what he called characters and traits. What is the relationship between these terms?
A) Characters are heritable characteristics; traits are alternative forms of these characters.
B) Traits are heritable characteristics; characters are alternative forms of these traits.
C) Characters are the unknown packages transferred to the next generation; traits result from this transfer.
D) Characters are passed to the next generation; traits are never passed to the next generation.
E) Characters and traits are synonymous in Mendel's writings.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Characters refer to the general category of heritable features (such as flower color), while traits are the specific manifestations of these characters (such as red or white flowers). Mendel's work distinguished between these concepts to explain how different versions of a characteristic can be passed from parents to offspring.

Mendel Studied What He Called Characters and Traits