Correct option is A
Gregor Mendel is known as the Father of Genetics for his pioneering work on inheritance patterns in pea plants. Mendel conducted experiments in the mid-19th century, where he identified how traits are passed from one generation to the next through discrete units, now known as genes. His principles of segregation and independent assortment laid the foundation for modern genetics. Despite his work being overlooked during his lifetime, it became widely recognized in the early 20th century, shaping the field of genetics.
Information Booster
- Mendel formulated the Laws of Inheritance, including the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.
- His experiments focused on seven traits of pea plants, such as seed shape, flower color, and plant height.
- He introduced the concept of dominant and recessive traits.
- Mendel's work demonstrated that inheritance is particulate, not blending.
- His findings were rediscovered in 1900 by scientists like Hugo de Vries and Carl Correns.
- His contributions have been instrumental in understanding genetic disorders, plant breeding, and biotechnology.
Additional Knowledge
(B) Thomas Hunt Morgan: Known for his work on fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), Morgan discovered that genes are located on chromosomes and that traits are linked to specific chromosomes. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for his discoveries.
(C) James Watson: Along with Francis Crick, Watson discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, which explained the molecular basis of inheritance. This discovery built upon Mendel’s foundational work.
(D) Charles Darwin: Darwin is known as the "Father of Evolution" for his theory of natural selection, detailed in On the Origin of Species. While his work complements genetics by explaining how traits evolve, he did not discover the mechanisms of heredity.