Question

Why did Mendel select garden pea for his experiments? Explain the characteristics of pea.

Answer 1

Mendel selected garden pea for the experiment as it was an ideal plant for genetic study.

Step by step answer: Garden pea has a presence of observable traits with contrasting forms.
Garden pea produces many offspring in one cross. Garden pea has a short life cycle.
In the garden, pea manipulation can be easily made in fertilization by cross-fertilization as it is a self-fertilizing plant.
Pea plant had the following characteristics :
-Plants were sexually reproducing with bisexual flowers.
-Self-pollination and self-fertilization are possible.
-The life cycle was completed in one season and hybrids were perfectly fertile.
-In garden pea, many varieties were available with well-defined characters.
-The presence of 7 pairs of contrasting characters was an important reason for the selection of garden pea.
Some additional information :
The seven characters that were used by Mendel are as following :
1. Flower colour purple or white.
2. Flower position axial or terminal.
3. Stem length long or short.
4. Seed shape round or wrinkled.
5. Seed colour yellow or green.
6. Pod shape inflated or constricted.
7. Pod colour yellow or green.
Mendel after the experiment proposed three laws of genetics :
Law of dominance Law of segregation and Law of independent assortment.

Note: Mendel was the first scientist to use mathematical analysis in biology. Mendel uses a pure line or true-breeding lines which are self-pollinated for several generations.