Gregor Mendel and His Discoveries in Genetics

Who was Gregor Mendel and what did he study?

Gregor Mendel is known for his contributions in genetics. He studied:

a. the breeding of cows

b. evolution

c. genetics

d. DNA

Answer: c. a man who studied genetics

Gregor Mendel was an Austrian scientist and a friar who is recognized as the founder of the modern science of genetics. He conducted experiments with pea plants in the mid-19th century and discovered the basic principles of heredity. Mendel's work laid the foundation for the field of genetics as we know it today.

Mendel's experiments involved cross-breeding different varieties of pea plants and carefully observing the traits that were passed down from one generation to the next. Through his meticulous work, Mendel formulated two fundamental laws of inheritance - the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.

The Law of Segregation states that each individual carries two copies of each gene, which are separated during the formation of reproductive cells. The Law of Independent Assortment explains how different genes are inherited independently of each other.

Mendel's discoveries were not widely recognized during his lifetime, but his work was later rediscovered and gained prominence in the scientific community. Today, he is hailed as the Father of Genetics for his groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of heredity and inheritance.