Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics

In 1865, Gregor Mendel reported the results of plant hybridizing experiments and laid out the basic laws of inheritance—offering an insightful sketch of how physical traits are passed from one generation to the next. This ground-breaking work was ignored until the turn of the century, when it was rediscovered and confirmed by other researchers.

Since then, Mendel has come to be recognized as the father of genetics, although the story of how he accomplished that remains relatively unknown today.

Heredity Science Before Mendel
Discover how people’s ideas about heredity changed over thousands of years.

Gregor Mendel’s Life
In an abbey garden, Gregor Mendel laid the foundations for the science of heredity

The Famous Pea Experiment
How did Mendel do it? Through carefully planned, painstaking research that meticulously followed the scientific method.

What Mendel Discovered
Review Mendel’s most important findings.

The Rise of Genetics
Trace the milestones of this powerful science through the 20^th century—from the discovery of chromosomes to the DNA double-helix structure.

Meet Modern Mendels
See how scientists today are using genetics to tackle cutting-edge questions in evolution, conservation, and crop cultivation.

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