Transmission Of Characters From Generation To Generation: Gregor Mendel

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Hello steemians, welcome to another edition. Today we will be looking on the reasons why Gregor Mendel choice of pea plant. 

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Gregor Mendel decided to use the pea plant for his experiment because of the following reasons: 

1. Peas are usually self-pollinating and he could pollinate them by himself.
2. They have a very short life span because they are annual plants. 
3. The pea plant was known to have several unique characteristics which exist in contrasting pairs such as:

• Some seeds were round while others were wrinkled.
• Some plants were tall while others while were short.
• Some seeds were yellow while others were green. 
• Some flowers were axial while others were terminal.
• Some pods were green while some were yellow.
• Some flowers were white while some were red.
• Some pods were smooth while some were constricted. 

Methods used by Mendel in his experiment  

Gregor Mendel used two major methods in conducting his experiments. These methods were grouped into monohybrid inheritance and dihybrid inheritance. 

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Monohybrid inheritance  

Mendel used artificial method to cross two different plants, at a time, which differed in one pair of contrasting characters, e.g. tall and short plants. This procedure was called a monohybrid inheritance and it was an example of complete dominance.  

He carried out the experiment in the following order:

• He planted tall plants for several generations and discovered that the plants produced were all tall plants. In the same way, he planted short plants for several generations and discovered that the plants produced were all short.
• He proceeded to plant tall plants and short plants. By the time the flowers were produced, he collected the pollen grains of the tall plants tagged the male and pollinated the stigma of the short plant tagged the female. He also collected the pollen grains of the shirt plant and place them on the stigma of the tall plant. Mendel then covered the artificially pollinate flowers with small paper bags to prevent the chance of natural pollination by insects.
• Mendel once again picked the seeds formed after the cross. When he planted the seeds, the plants obtained were all tall plants. These he referred to as the first filial generation or F1

      

                    First filial generation       

• Mendel then crossed the f1 plant collected their seeds and sowed them. The plants he got from these tall and short plants were in a ratio of 3:1 respectively. He then called these stage the second filial generation or F2 

    

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Thanks for your time,hoping to see you next time.

References

1. Khanacademy.org: Mendel and his peas
2. Tutorvista.com: Monohybrid Inheritance
3. Indiana.edu: Mendels Experiment
4. Nature.com:  Gregor Mendel and the Principles of Inheritance
5. Biology-online.org: First Filial Generation
6. Study.com: Gregor Mendel & Genetics: Experiments, Laws & Discovery