How did Gregor Mendel study inheritance in plants?

Gregor Mendel studied inheritance in plants by performing carefully controlled breeding experiments using pea plants (Pisum sativum) in the mid-1800s. His work laid the foundation of modern genetics.

Here’s how he studied inheritance, explained :

1. Choice of pea plants
   Mendel chose pea plants because they had clear, contrasting traits (like tall or short plants, green or yellow seeds) and could self-pollinate or be cross-pollinated easily.
2. Selection of traits
   He focused on seven observable traits, such as:
   • Flower color (purple or white)
   • Seed color (yellow or green)
   • Plant height (tall or short)
     Each trait had two contrasting forms, making it easy to track inheritance.
3. Controlled pollination
   Mendel manually transferred pollen from one plant to another to control which parents produced offspring. This allowed him to cross plants with specific traits and observe the results.
4. Study of generations
   • The parent plants were called the P generation.
   • The first offspring generation was the F₁ generation, which often showed only one of the two traits (e.g., all tall plants).
   • When he allowed the F₁ plants to self-pollinate, the F₂ generation showed both traits again, in a 3:1 ratio (e.g., three tall for every one short).
5. Counting and analysis
   Mendel counted thousands of plants and carefully recorded his results. He noticed consistent numerical patterns in how traits appeared and disappeared in each generation.
6. Formulation of Mendel’s Laws
   From his experiments, Mendel proposed two key principles:
   • Law of Segregation: Each trait is controlled by two factors (genes), and these separate during gamete formation, so each offspring gets one from each parent.
   • Law of Independent Assortment: Genes for different traits are inherited independently of one another (if they are on different chromosomes).
7. Significance of Mendel’s work
   Mendel’s experiments showed that inheritance follows predictable patterns. Although his work was not recognized during his lifetime, it later became the foundation of modern genetics.

In summary:
Gregor Mendel studied inheritance in pea plants by cross-pollinating varieties with contrasting traits, recording how traits appeared in later generations, and using mathematical analysis to discover the basic laws of heredity that explain how traits are passed from parents to offspring.