Gregor Mendel: Father of Modern Genetics

Early Life

• Birth: 1822, Austria (now Czech Republic)
• Family: Poor background, injury to father which limited financial support
• Education: Educated by family efforts until father's injury, later joined the Augustinian monastery

Path to Science

• Monk life: Joined monastery at Brno in 1843
• Education: Free college education through monastery
• Initial career: Failed science teacher, began garden experiments with peas

Scientific Experiments

• Background knowledge: Limited understanding of cell division, heredity was more like blending parents' traits
• Choice of peas: Ideal for experiments due to single-gene traits for flower color and pea texture

Key Discoveries

1. Inheritance of Traits

• Consistent Ratios: Noted white flowers appear 1/4th of the time
• Conclusion: Traits inherited via pairs of genetic 'factors' (alleles)

2. Dominant and Recessive Traits

• Dominance: Purple (dominant) vs. White (recessive)
• Random Inheritance: Dominance impacts expression, not inheritance frequency

3. Law of Segregation

• Explained: Each individual possesses two alleles; inheritance is random, and dominant traits outshow recessive unless both alleles are recessive.

4. Law of Independent Assortment

• Traits: Pea color and texture traits are inherited independently
• Cross Breeding: Smooth yellow with green wrinkly peas experiments reveal independence in inheritance

Publications and Reception

• Pioneering Work: Published paper "Experiments about Plant Hybrids," not initially recognized
• Delayed Recognition: Work became significant around 1900, recognizing Mendel as the father of genetics
• Scientific Shrine: Revered posthumously, with pilgrimages to his garden at the monastery

Mendel-Fisher Controversy

• Ronald Fisher: In 1936, questioned statistical perfection in Mendel's data
• Data Fiddling: Suggests data may have been selectively reported, stirring debate during Mendel centennial in the 1960s
• Current Perspectives: Mendel-Fisher controversy still discussed, no definitive resolution

Legacy

• Fundamentals: Established core understanding for genetic inheritance
• Mendelian Traits: Traits explained by Mendel's laws, such as albinism
• Impact: Foundation for 20th-century discoveries in chromosomes and DNA

Engagement

• Audience Interaction: Inviting suggestions for future profiles, offering a shout-out or a bag of shaved whiskers as a reward