Gregor Mendel

Gregor Mendel

Zawadzki and Mendel

Gregor Johann Mendel (20 July 1822 – 6 January 1884) was a scientist and Augustinian friar who gained posthumous fame as the founder of the modern science of genetics. Mendel's pioneering work on the inheritance of traits in pea plants laid the foundation for the laws of Mendelian inheritance.

Early Life and Education

Mendel was born in Heinzendorf bei Odrau, in the Austrian Empire (now part of the Czech Republic). He was the son of Anton and Rosine Mendel, and he grew up on the family farm. Mendel showed an early aptitude for learning, which led him to pursue studies at the Philosophical Institute in Olomouc.

In 1843, Mendel entered the Augustinian Abbey of St Thomas in Brno, where he was given the name Gregor. The abbey was a center of learning and scientific inquiry, which provided Mendel with the resources and environment to pursue his scientific interests.

Scientific Work

Mendel's most famous experiments were conducted between 1856 and 1863, during which he cultivated and tested some 29,000 pea plants. Through these experiments, Mendel discovered the fundamental laws of inheritance. He observed that traits are inherited in discrete units, which we now call genes.

Mendelian Inheritance

Mendelian inheritance

Mendel's work led to the formulation of the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment. The Law of Segregation states that each individual has two alleles for each trait, which segregate during gamete formation, so that each gamete carries only one allele for each trait. The Law of Independent Assortment states that alleles for different traits are distributed to gametes independently.

Mendel's findings were initially met with skepticism and were largely ignored by the scientific community. It was not until the early 20th century that his work was rediscovered and recognized as the foundation of modern genetics.

Later Life and Legacy

After completing his experiments, Mendel became the abbot of the monastery in 1868. His administrative duties limited his scientific work, and he did not continue his research on genetics. Mendel died in 1884, largely unrecognized for his contributions to science.

Today, Mendel is celebrated as the "father of genetics," and his work is considered a cornerstone of biology. His principles of inheritance are taught in biology courses around the world, and his legacy continues to influence the field of genetics.

Related Pages

• Genetics
• Mendelian inheritance
• Law of Segregation
• Law of Independent Assortment