Mendel’s work really changed the game in science during his time. Here’s how:
The Blending Theory: Before Mendel, people thought that offspring were just a mix of their parents’ traits. But Mendel’s experiments with pea plants showed that traits are passed down separately, not blended together.
Quantitative Methods: He used careful math to study how traits were passed down through generations. This was a big deal! His ratios, like the famous 3:1 ratio for dominant to recessive traits, helped combine math and biology.
Particulate Inheritance: Instead of vague ideas, Mendel suggested that traits come from separate units, which we now call genes. This challenged the old belief that traits were passed directly from parent to child.
Mendel really set the stage for modern genetics, completely changing how we think about heredity!
Mendel’s work really changed the game in science during his time. Here’s how:
The Blending Theory: Before Mendel, people thought that offspring were just a mix of their parents’ traits. But Mendel’s experiments with pea plants showed that traits are passed down separately, not blended together.
Quantitative Methods: He used careful math to study how traits were passed down through generations. This was a big deal! His ratios, like the famous 3:1 ratio for dominant to recessive traits, helped combine math and biology.
Particulate Inheritance: Instead of vague ideas, Mendel suggested that traits come from separate units, which we now call genes. This challenged the old belief that traits were passed directly from parent to child.
Mendel really set the stage for modern genetics, completely changing how we think about heredity!