Question

Comment briefly upon the contribution of Mendel.

Hint:

Mendel's laws are applicable to all sexually reproducing organisms.

Answer 1

Step 1: Introduction.
Gregor Johann Mendel, known as the "Father of Genetics," performed hybridization experiments on pea plants (Pisum sativum). His work explained how traits are passed from one generation to the next.

Step 2: Experimental Work.
- Mendel chose pea plants because they had distinct, contrasting traits (like tall/dwarf, round/wrinkled).
- He conducted monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.
- By analyzing the offspring, he discovered patterns of inheritance.

Step 3: Contributions (Laws).
1. Law of Segregation: Each individual carries two alleles for a trait, which segregate during gamete formation, ensuring each gamete receives one allele.
2. Law of Independent Assortment: Alleles of different traits assort independently during gamete formation.
3. Law of Dominance: When two contrasting alleles are present, one dominates (dominant trait) while the other is masked (recessive).

Step 4: Impact.
Although Mendel's work was initially ignored, it was rediscovered in 1900 by Hugo de Vries, Correns, and von Tschermak. His principles became the foundation of classical genetics.

Final Answer:
\[ \boxed{\text{Mendel discovered the fundamental laws of inheritance through pea plant experiments.}} \]