MCQ Detailed View

The title “Father of Genetics” is given to Gregor Mendel (1822–1884), an Austrian monk and scientist whose experiments laid the foundation of modern genetics. Mendel worked with pea plants (Pisum sativum) in his monastery garden and carefully observed how traits such as flower color, seed shape, and plant height were passed from one generation to the next.

Through his experiments, Mendel proposed the Laws of Inheritance:

1. 
   

   Law of Segregation – Each organism carries two alleles for a trait, which separate during the formation of gametes. Offspring thus inherit one allele from each parent.

   
   


2. 
   

   Law of Independent Assortment – Traits are passed independently of one another, meaning the inheritance of one trait does not affect the inheritance of another.

   
   


3. 
   

   Law of Dominance – Some traits (dominant) mask the presence of others (recessive) when both are present in a hybrid.

   
   

Mendel’s work was largely ignored during his lifetime, but in 1900, scientists Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak rediscovered his research and confirmed its accuracy. This marked the beginning of classical genetics.

Mendel’s findings explained how characteristics are transmitted through genes, even though the concept of DNA was unknown at his time. Later, with the discovery of the DNA double helix by Watson and Crick in 1953, Mendel’s laws became the foundation of modern molecular genetics.

Key Facts about Gregor Mendel:

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  Born: 1822 in Austria

  
  


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  Profession: Monk and Scientist

  
  


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  Experiments: Cross-breeding pea plants (1856–1863)

  
  


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  Contribution: Formulated the Laws of Inheritance

  
  


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  Recognition: Known today as the Father of Genetics

  
  

Thus, the correct answer is Gregor Mendel