Gregor Mendel

The theory of natural selection was at odds with the prevailing view of inheritance-blending. Blending would produce uniform populations that could not evolve. Many observations did not fit blending. For example, a white horse and a black horse did not produce only gray ones.

You have all probably heard of Gregor Mendel, the Austrian monk, who experimented with peas growing in his monastery garden and from which he gained insight into patterns of inheritance. Gregor Mendel used experiments in plant breeding and a knowledge of mathematics to form his hypotheses.

Mendel used the garden pea in his experiments. This plant can fertilize itself and true-breeding varieties were available to Mendel. Peas can also be cross-fertilized (also called cross pollenation) by human manipulation of the pollen. Mendel found indirect but observable evidence of how parents transmit genes to offspring.

This video (Audio - Important) describes cross-fertilization .

Mendel cross-fertilized true-breeding garden pea plants having clearly contrasting traits. For example: white versus purple flowers.

REVIEW: Which organism did Mendel use to work out the laws of segregation and independent assortment?
Answer the garden pea