Gregor Mendel

1865

A 19th century monk, Gregor Mendel, is considered the father of modern genetics. Mendel worked in his monastery's garden, where he conducted experiments with pea plants. He cross-pollinated plants showing different traits, such as yellow versus green or smooth versus wrinkled peas, and kept records of the traits expressed by each generation of the plants. Mendel's experiments explained the basic patterns of inheritance of dominant and recessive genes. He presented his findings at a scientific meeting in 1865, but the significance of his findings was not realized until his work was "rediscovered" in the early 20th century, when scientists realized that Mendel's findings explained some of the mechanisms of Darwin's natural selection.

Our Thoughts?
Gregor Mendel had at least two great skills: he was exceedingly patient, and he saw patterns in the apparent chaos of plant life.