Why did Mendel question the blending theory of inheritance?
• Pea plants had purple flowers
• The traits in his pea plants were a combination of those of the parents
• The traits in his pea plants did not seem to be a blend
• He analyzed the DNA of the pea plants
The correct option is "The traits in his pea plants did not seem to be a blend."
Mendel questioned the blending theory of inheritance because he observed that the traits in his pea plants did not appear to be a blend of the parental traits. According to the blending theory, the traits of offspring are a combination or blend of the traits from both parents, which would result in a gradual and continuous variation in traits. However, Mendel's experiments with pea plants showed that certain traits appeared to skip generations and reappear in later generations without blending with other traits. This observation led Mendel to propose the theory of particulate inheritance, which suggested that traits are inherited as discrete units (later known as genes) that remain unchanged and can be passed down from generation to generation.