Gregor Mendel
Backbone of genetics testing
Gregor Mendel
Sucesses
Mendel earned top marks in his mathematics and science classes. He had great relationships with his teachers. Mendel tutored students to pay for his school. I thought that was a great accomplishment.
Struggles
Mendel lived with a poor family and his parents could not afford school. When he tutored students to pay for his school, it came to a surprise to me that he failed many exams time and time again.
Experimental Design
Mendel studied pea plants and the traits passed down from generation to generation. For example Mendel figured out that the traits of offspring were from both parents not just one or the other.
Data
Specific examples:
-Some pea plants had yellow peas.
-Other pea plants had green peas.
-Green peas showed up from two yellow peas but majority were yellow.
This data proves that genes can be hidden for a generation or more and show up in later offspring.
Scientists Reactions of Mendel's Studies
Mendel had published his work and it wasn't read for quite some time, even after his death. Thirty-five years after Mendel's death three scientists found his books and this jump-started the progress of genetics testing. Genetics Scientists even today refer to Mendel's work.
Foundation
After the rediscovery of Mendel's work, the conclusions made by him were named Mendel's Laws. These Laws were always referred to by genetics scientists and were the backbone of genetics testing.