Which statement best represents Mendel’s experiments with garden peas?
A.
As a result, Mendel developed several theories that have since been disproved.
B.
Mendel realized he was on an incorrect track, which led him to other experimental media
C.
As a result, Mendel developed foundational conclusions that are still valued and followed today.
D.
Mendel collaborated with others interested in genetics to develop heredity guidelines we still use today
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is C. As a result, Mendel developed foundational conclusions that are still valued and followed today.
Gregor Mendel’s experiments with garden peas laid the foundation for modern genetics, making his conclusions essential to understanding heredity and genetic inheritance. In the 1850s and 1860s, Mendel studied pea plants to investigate how traits were passed from one generation to the next. He focused on specific traits, such as plant height, seed color, and flower position, and meticulously controlled how the plants were cross-pollinated.
One of Mendel’s most critical findings was the concept of dominant and recessive traits. By crossing plants with different traits, he observed that certain traits would consistently appear in the first generation (F1), while others would seemingly disappear. However, in the second generation (F2), the “disappeared” traits reappeared in a predictable 3:1 ratio. This led to Mendel’s development of the Law of Segregation, which states that each organism inherits two alleles for each trait, one from each parent, and these alleles separate during the formation of gametes.
Mendel also formulated the Law of Independent Assortment, which posits that genes for different traits are inherited independently of one another. This was a groundbreaking discovery because it contradicted the idea that traits were blended and instead suggested that traits are passed on as discrete units (genes).
Though Mendel’s work was initially overlooked, it was rediscovered in the early 20th century, and his principles became the cornerstone of classical genetics. His experiments provided the framework for understanding genetic inheritance, leading to advancements in biology, medicine, and agriculture. Mendel’s laws still hold relevance today and form the basis of our understanding of genetic disorders, trait inheritance, and evolutionary biology.