Gregor Mendel

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) was an Austrian monk and scientist whose experiments with pea plants established the basic laws of inheritance. By cross-breeding pea plants and analyzing the traits in offspring, Mendel discovered that traits are inherited as discrete units (genes) with dominant and recessive forms. He is often called the "father of genetics" for formulating the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.

• Mendel's work demonstrated that inheritance is particulate (not a blending of traits). For example, a white-flower trait could disappear in one generation and reappear in the next, which Mendel explained with dominant and recessive alleles.
• He performed thousands of crosses and kept careful counts of offspring phenotypes, which allowed him to see consistent 3:1 and 9:3:3:1 ratios - evidence for his genetic laws.
• Mendel's discoveries weren't appreciated in his lifetime; they were "rediscovered" around 1900, providing the foundation for modern genetics.

• Mendel is frequently referenced in genetics questions. An exam might ask who first explained inheritance patterns (answer: Gregor Mendel) or invoke "Mendelian ratios" (like 3:1 or 9:3:3:1) in genetic problems.
• His name is also used as an adjective - e.g., "Mendelian inheritance" refers to traits that follow the simple dominant/recessive patterns he observed. Be ready to identify scenarios that exemplify Mendelian inheritance.