Who is the father of modern genetics?
The correct answer and explanation is :
The father of modern genetics is Gregor Mendel. He was an Austrian monk and scientist who conducted pioneering experiments with pea plants in the mid-19th century, which laid the foundation for the study of genetics.
Mendel’s key contribution to genetics was his discovery of the basic laws of heredity. His work was based on experiments that he conducted in the garden of his monastery, where he carefully crossbred pea plants with different traits, such as flower color, seed shape, and plant height. Through these experiments, Mendel uncovered the patterns of inheritance that govern how traits are passed down from one generation to the next.
Mendel formulated two fundamental principles that are still central to modern genetics:
- The Law of Segregation: This law states that for any given trait, each organism carries two alleles (variants of a gene), one from each parent. These alleles segregate (separate) during gamete formation, so each gamete (egg or sperm) contains only one allele for each trait.
- The Law of Independent Assortment: Mendel’s second law states that genes for different traits are inherited independently of each other. This means the inheritance of an allele for one trait does not affect the inheritance of an allele for another trait, although this principle holds true primarily for genes located on different chromosomes.
Mendel’s work was largely ignored during his lifetime, but decades later, scientists such as Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich Tschermak rediscovered his research. His findings, combined with the advent of molecular biology, provided the framework for the study of genetics and were instrumental in understanding how traits are inherited in living organisms.
Mendel’s principles continue to form the bedrock of modern genetics, influencing everything from evolutionary biology to medical research and genetic engineering.