Gregor Mendel
Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who discovered the basic principles of heredity through experiments in his garden.
Mendel’s observations became the foundation of modern genetics and the study of heredity, and he is widely considered as ‘The Father of Modern Genetics’.
Early Life
Gregor Johann Mendel was born on July 22, 1822, to Anton and Rosine Mendel, on his family’s farm, in Heinzendorf, Austria. He spent his early youth in that rural setting. In 1840, he graduated from the secondary school in Troppau with honors.
Following his schooling, Mendel graduated from the Philosophical Institute of the University of Olmutz in 1843. That same year, against the wishes of his father, Mendel began studying to be a monk. He joined the Augustinian order at the St. Thomas Monastery.
Scientific Exposure
In 1851, he was sent to the University of Vienna, at the monastery’s expense, to continue his studies in the sciences. While there, Mendel studied mathematics and physics under Christian Doppler, after whom the Doppler effect of wave frequency is named.
He studied botany under Franz Unger, who had begun using a microscope in his studies.
In 1853, upon completing his studies at the University of Vienna, Mendel returned to the monastery in Brno and he began the experiments for which he is best known.
Experiments and Theories
Around 1854, Mendel began to do research on the transmission of hereditary traits in plant hybrids. Mendel’s research continued over as many as eight years and involved tens of thousands of individual plants.
Mendel chose to use peas for his experiments due to their many distinct varieties. After analyzing his results, he reached two of his most important conclusions: the Law of Segregation, which established that there are dominant and recessive traits which were passed on randomly from parents to offspring and the Law of Independent Assortment, which established that traits were passed on independently of other traits from parents to offspring.
In 1865, Mendel delivered two lectures on his findings to the Natural Science Society in Brno. Mendel did little to promote his work. The importance of his work was largely overlooked at that period.
Later life and Legacy
Gregor Mendel died on January 6, 1884, at the age of 61. His work, however, was still largely unknown.
But, decades later, Mendel’s research was recognized by several noted geneticists, botanists, and biologists conducting research on heredity. Its significance was more fully appreciated, and his studies began to be referred to as Mendel’s Laws. His research and theories are considered fundamental to any understanding of the field of genetics, and he is thus considered the ‘Father of Modern Genetics’.
