Genetics in Action: Mendel's Work Reviewed

Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, laid the foundation for genetics through his experiments with pea plants in the 1860s. He proposed that traits are determined by two factors, now known as genes, which are inherited from each parent. These genes can exist in different forms called alleles. In pea plants, the allele for tallness is dominant over the allele for shortness, which is recessive. Mendel's groundbreaking concepts were not fully appreciated until the early 20th century.

Who was Gregor Mendel and what was his contribution to science?

• An English physicist famous for gravity

• A German scientist who discovered DNA

• An Austrian monk who laid the foundation for genetics

• A French biologist known for evolution theory

What are genes according to Mendel's hypothesis?

• The basic unit of life

• The basic unit of energy

• The basic unit of heredity

• The basic unit of matter

What are alleles?

• Different stages of growth

• Different species of plants

• Different types of cells

• Different forms of a gene

In Mendel's experiments, which trait was dominant in pea plants?

• Shortness

• Shape

• Tallness

• Color

When did Mendel's discoveries gain full recognition?

• In the 1950s

• At the turn of the 20th century

• In the 21st century

• In the 1860s