Gregor Mendel© Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4423Visit www.newpathlearning.com for Online Learning Resources.Significance of Mendel’s ExperimentsIn the mid 1800s, Gregor Mendel performed pea plant experiments to learn about heredity and traits. These experiments laid a foundation for our modern understanding of genetics. Who is Gregor Mendel?Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), an Austrian monk, is known for his pea plant experiments that demonstrated the process of heredity. His discoveries form the foundation of genetics – the study of heredity.Why Use the Pea Plant?Mendel used the garden pea plant for breeding experiments because it had easy to recognize traits and reproduced quickly. The pea plant could also produce offspring using self-pollination or cross-pollination. seedshapepodcolorflowercolorplant heightPea Plant Characteristicsself-pollinationpea plant flowercross pollinationTwo Forms of Pea Plant CharacteristicsMendel initially focused on the inheritance of single characteristics that only occurred in two different forms. For example, pea plants were either tall or short. Mendel’s HypothesisMendel hypothesized that for each characteristic, plants inherit a unit of information from each parent. These units of information control the form of the characteristic in the offspring. We now understand that these units of information are genes and they exist in pairs called alleles. The form of the characteristic is known as a trait.stigmastamenpollenpollenovaryIn the mid 1800s, Gregor Mendel performed pea plant expeeerrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnntttttttttttttttttssssssssssss ttttto learn about heredity and traits. These experiments laid a fffoooooooooooooooouuuunnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooonn fffffffffffffffoooooooooooor our modern understanding of genetics. Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), an Austrian monk, is known for his pea plant experiments that demonstrated the process of heredity. His discoveries form the foundation of genetics – the study of heredity.Mendel used the garden pea plant for breeding experimmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnntttttttttttttttsssssssss becaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssssssssseeeeeeee iitttttttttt hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad easyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ttttttttooooooooooooo rrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeecccccccccccccooooooooooooooooggggggggggggggggnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiize traits and reproduced quickly. The pea plant could also produce offfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffssssssssssspppppppppppppprrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiing usiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggg sssssssssssssssseeeeeeeelf-ppppppppppppppppppppooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiooooooon or cross-pollination. seedshapeppppppppppppoddddddddddddddccccooooooooolllllllllloooooooooooorrrrrrrrrpflflflflflflflflflflflflowwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrcccccccoooooooooooooolllllllllooooooooooorppppppppppppppplllllllaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnttttttttttttttttt hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeightsssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllffffffffffff-------ppppppppppppppppppoooooooooooooolllllllinattttttiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnpea plant flowercross pollinationMendel initially focuseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddd onnnn ttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeerriiiiiiiittance of singlleeeeeeeeeeeeeeee cccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccccctttttttteeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssstttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiics that only occurred in two different forms. For example, pea plants wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeee eiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr tall or short. Mendel hypothesized that for each characteristic, plants inherit a unit of information from each parent. These units of information control the form of the characteristic in the offspring. We now understand that these units of information are genes and they exist in pairs called alleles. The form of the characteristic is known as a trait.stigmastamenpollenp l nlllllleeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnppppoooolllllllllllllllp llllllllllppoooooooooooooooolllovaryo
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