Question

In which of the following plants has Mendel performed his experiment?

• A. Mustard
• B. Cycas
• C. Pigeon pea
• D. Pea

Hint:

Mendel used pea plants for his experiments due to their easy-to-track traits, which led to the formulation of the laws of inheritance.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics, performed his famous experiments on inheritance using pea plants (Pisum sativum). He selected pea plants due to their distinct characteristics and easy self-pollination. Mendel was able to study the inheritance of traits like seed color, seed shape, and flower position, leading to the formulation of the laws of inheritance.

Step 1: Mustard.
Mustard is not the plant Mendel used for his experiments. While mustard is a common plant for various studies, Mendel did not use it for his work on inheritance. Therefore, option (A) is incorrect.

Step 2: Cycas.
Cycas is a type of gymnosperm and is not used in Mendel's experiments. Mendel’s studies were conducted on angiosperms, specifically pea plants, so option (B) is incorrect.

Step 3: Pigeon pea.
Pigeon pea is also not the plant Mendel used in his experiments. Mendel focused on pea plants, not pigeon pea. So, option (C) is incorrect.

Step 4: Pea.
Mendel performed his experiments on pea plants (Pisum sativum). Pea plants have several advantages, including distinct characteristics that could easily be tracked across generations. Therefore, option (D) is the correct answer.

Step 5: Conclusion.
Mendel's experiments were performed on pea plants, making (D) the correct answer.