How did Mendel novel approach contribute to his success in describing how traits are inherited
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Here are some sites for you:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heredity (at the bottom, be sure to click for additional information on G. Mendel)
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendelian_inheritance
3. http://anthro.palomar.edu/mendel/mendel_1.htm
4. http://anthro.palomar.edu/mendel/mendel_3.htm
5. (Broken Link Removed) (a pdf file to download)
I still can not find the answer for these questions though.
Pay particular attention to #3.
P.S. Here is a pdf file to download:
business.kingston.ac.uk/research/intbus/evlearn.pdf
To understand how Mendel's novel approach contributed to his success in describing how traits are inherited, we first need to know the key aspects of his approach.
Gregor Mendel was an Austrian scientist who conducted experiments on pea plants in the mid-19th century. He is known as the father of modern genetics because his work laid the foundation for the field. Mendel's approach involved careful observation, meticulous record-keeping, and the formulation of clear and testable hypotheses.
Here are the main features of Mendel's approach that contributed to his success:
1. Choice of an ideal experimental organism: Mendel chose pea plants because they were easy to grow, had distinct and easily observable traits, and could self-fertilize or be cross-fertilized by hand.
2. Controlled breeding experiments: Mendel carried out controlled breeding experiments by manually selecting which plants to mate, ensuring the traits of interest were pure in the parents. This allowed him to have control over the inheritance patterns he observed.
3. Quantitative analysis: Mendel carefully counted and recorded the number of plants exhibiting specific traits in different generations of his experiments. He used statistical analysis to determine if the observed ratios followed predictable patterns.
4. Formulation of laws: Based on his quantitative analysis of the data, Mendel formulated three key laws that describe how traits are inherited: the law of segregation, the law of independent assortment, and the law of dominance.
5. Publication and dissemination of results: Mendel presented and published his findings in 1865, but unfortunately, they were largely ignored by the scientific community of his time. It was only later, after his death, that his work was rediscovered and recognized for its significance.
By using these innovative methods, Mendel was able to discern the patterns of inheritance and lay the groundwork for our understanding of genetic inheritance. His attention to detail, experimental control, and statistical analysis were essential to his success in describing how traits are inherited.