Johann Gregor Mendel

The Father of Genetics

Early Life

• Born July 22, 1822• In Heinzendorf,

Austrian Silesia• Now Hyncice, Czech

Republic• Cobbler’s son• Many siblings• Bright child

His Training

• Entered Augustinian monastery in 1843

• Brunn (Brno), Austria• Classically trained for

the priesthood• Ordained in 1847• Failed as parish priest• Potential recognized

by Prelate

Further Training

• Prelate entered him at the U. of Vienna

• 1851-1854• Trained in mathematics

and natural sciences• Returned to Brunn to

teach the boys in the secondary school

• 1854-1868

The monastery garden then……..

The monastery garden in Brno today

His Epic Experiments

• Monastery garden• Pea plants• Controlled crosses• Recorded results• Studied 7 traits• 1856-1864• Reported to Brunn

Natural History Society in 1865

“Experiments with Plant Hybrids”

• The Principle of Segregation

• Principle of Independent Assortment

• Law of Dominance

• Law of Unit Characters

Law of Unit Characters

• An organism receives two characters (genes) for every trait

• One character comes from each parent

Law of Dominance

• In pairs of factors there may be different forms

• One form always makes its effect known over the other

• One is “dominant” while the other is “recessive”

Law of Segregation

• Pairs of factors are separated during the formation of gametes (sex cells)

• A sperm or an egg will carry just one factor (gene)

Law of Independent Assortment

• Characteristics are inherited independently from one another

• Where a blue eyed gene goes will not affect where a skin color gene goes

• Exception – gene linkage (genes closely located on same chromosome)

• Like passengers on the same bus!

Final Chapter

• Selected as abbot of monastery in 1868• Planned experiments put aside• Unrecognized in his own day• Recognized in 1900 by 3 independent

researchers: Hugo DeVries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak

• Credited as discoverer of laws of heredity• Died January 6, 1884