Gregor Mendel is super important for students studying Biology for a few key reasons:

1. The Start of Genetics: Mendel did experiments with pea plants that helped create the rules for genetics we use today.

   • He found out about the Laws of Inheritance:
     • Law of Segregation: Every person has two versions (called alleles) for each trait. These alleles separate when forming reproductive cells.
     • Law of Independent Assortment: Alleles for different traits mix and match independently.

2. Dominance: Mendel figured out which traits are dominant and which are recessive.

   • For example: In peas, yellow seeds (Y) are dominant over green seeds (y). This means that if you cross them, you usually get three yellow seeds for every one green seed.

3. Counting and Analysis: Mendel looked at a large number of plants—more than 28,000! This helped him get reliable data and showed how important it is to use numbers in science.

By understanding Mendel, we can better grasp how traits are passed down and why genetics matter today.