Teaching Mendelian inheritance with a herediscope

The herediscope is a useful teaching aid. Unlike some of the more sophisticated new computer teaching aids it clearly demonstrates Mendelian inheritance and sampling variation. The herediscope is easy to construct and costs little. Students can perform numbers of trials, and quickly demonstrate to themselves the variability associated with Mendelian inheritance for both single and multiple qualitative traits, and multigene quantitative traits. Instructors should consider the use of the herediscope as a possible teaching aid when teaching Mendelian inheritance.