Mendel - Advanced

Douglas Wilkin, Ph.D.

Niamh Gray-Wilson

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Printed: February 1, 2015

AUTHORS
Douglas Wilkin, Ph.D.
Niamh Gray-Wilson

www.ck12.org

C HAPTER

Chapter 1. Mendel - Advanced

Mendel - Advanced

Identify who Gregor Mendel was.

Describe how Mendels study of science and math was important to his success in research.

Why is heredity so important?

Genetics - the study of inheritance. Inheritance - the passing of traits from parents to offspring. How are these traits
"passed"? Through DNA - the genetic material. And it all started with an Austrian Monk named Gregor Mendel and
his vegetable garden.
Gregor Mendel: Teacher and Scientist

"My scientific studies have afforded me great gratification; and I am convinced that it will not be long before the
whole world acknowledges the results of my work." Quote attributed to Gregor Mendel.
For thousands of years, humans have understood that characteristics such as eye color, hair color, or even flower color
are passed from one generation to the next. The passing of characteristics from parent to offspring is called heredity.
Humans have long been interested in understanding heredity. Many hereditary mechanisms were developed by
scholars but were not properly tested or quantified. The scientific study of genetics did not begin until the late 19th
century. In experiments with garden peas, Austrian monk Gregor Mendel described the basic patterns of inheritance.
Keep in mind that while we know about DNA and its role as the genetic material, Mendel did not know of the
existence of DNA. Nor did he understand the concept of the chromosome or the process of meiosis, and yet, he was
still able to correctly describe basic inheritance patterns.
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An introduction to heredity can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEUvRrhmcxM (17:27).

MEDIA
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Gregor Johann Mendel was an Augustinian monk, a teacher, and a scientist ( Figure 1.1). He is often called the
"father of modern genetics" for his study of the inheritance of traits in pea plants. Mendel showed that the inheritance
of traits follows particular laws, which were later named after him. The significance of Mendels work was not
recognized until the turn of the 20th century. The rediscovery of his work led the foundation for the era of modern
genetics, the branch of biology that focuses on heredity in organisms.

FIGURE 1.1
Gregor Johann Mendel The Father of Modern Genetics. 1822-1884.

Johann Mendel was born in 1822 and grew up on his parents farm in an area of Austria that is now in the Czech
Republic. He overcame financial hardship and ill health to excel in school. In 1843 he entered the Augustinian
Abbey in Brnn (now Brno, Czech Republic.) Upon entering monastic life, he took the name Gregor. While at
the monastery, Mendel also attended lectures on the growing of fruit and agriculture at the Brnn Philosophical
Institute. In 1849 he accepted a teaching job, but a year later he failed the state teaching examination. One of his
examiners recommended that he be sent to university for further studies. In 1851 he was sent to the University of
Vienna to study natural science and mathematics. Mendels time at Vienna was very important in his development
as a scientist. His professors encouraged him to learn science through experimentation and to use mathematics to
help explain observations of natural events, which he did. In fact, it was the use of math in his analysis that made
his conclusions much more convincing.
Mendels Pea Plants

In 1853 and 1854, Mendel published two papers on crop damage by insects. However, he is best known for his later
studies of the pea plant Pisum sativum. Mendel was inspired by both his professors at university and his colleagues
at the monastery to study variation in plants. He had carried out artificial fertilization on plants many times in order
to grow a plant with a new color or seed shape. Artificial fertilization is the process of transferring pollen from the
male part of the flower to the female part of another flower. Artificial fertilization is done in order to have seeds that
will grow into plants that have a desired trait, such as yellow flowers. Mendel returned to Brnn in 1854 as a natural
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Chapter 1. Mendel - Advanced

history and physics teacher. A brief biography of Mendel can be found at http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/A
B/BC/Gregor_Mendel.php .
Gregor Mendel - From the Garden to the Genome can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OPJnO9W_
rQ (30:24).

MEDIA
Click image to the left or use the URL below.
URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/278

Blending Theory of Inheritance

During Mendels time, the blending theory of inheritance was popular. This is the theory that offspring have a
blend, or mix, of the characteristics of their parents. Mendel noticed plants in his own garden that werent a blend of
the parents. For example, a tall plant and a short plant had offspring that were either tall or short but not medium in
height. Observations such as these led Mendel to question the blending theory. He wondered if there was a different
underlying principle that could explain how characteristics are inherited. He decided to experiment with pea plants
to find out. In fact, Mendel experimented with almost 29,000 pea plants over the next several years! At the following
link, you can watch an animation in which Mendel explains how he arrived at his decision to study inheritance in
pea plants: http://www.dnalc.org/view/16170-Animation-3-Gene-s-don-t-blend-.html .
Vocabulary

artificial fertilization: The process of transferring pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part
of another flower; done in order to have seeds that will grow into plants that have a desired trait.
blending theory of inheritance: Hypothesis that stated that offspring were a "mix" of their parents.
genetics: The branch of biology that focuses on heredity in organisms; the study of heredity.
heredity: The passing of characteristics from parent to offspring.
Summary

Genetics is the branch of biology that focuses on heredity in organisms.

Modern genetics is based on Mendels explanation of how traits are passed from generation to generation.
Mendels use of mathematics in his pea plant studies was important to the confidence he had in his results.
Explore More

Use this resource to answer the questions that follow.

Gregor Mendel biograpbhy at http://www.biography.com/people/gregor-mendel-39282
1. For what is Gregor Mendel best known?
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2.
3.
4.
5.

What subjects did Mendel excel in academically?

What was special about the St. Thomas Monastery?
Prior to Mendels findings, what was thought about plant hybrids?
Why did Mendel choose to use pea plants?

Review

1.
2.
3.
4.

What is the blending theory of inheritance? Why did Mendel question this theory?
Why was Mendels understanding of mathematics and science important for his research?
What did Gregor Mendel contribute to the science of genetics?
What is artificial fertilization? What plants did Mendel artificially fertilize?

References
1. US National Library of Medicine. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Mendel.png . Public Domain