CONTRIBUTIONS OF GREGOR MENDEL

 Genetics is one among the most interesting branch of science, as it explains how traits are passed through generations. Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian monk is considered as the father of Genetics. Mendel's studies shaped the way we view genetics. Mendel's contribution to science has been left ignored for many decades. His findings, life and philosophy can be a proof that he was a poineer in the world of science.

                                             Much has been written about Gregor Mendel, posthumously recognised as the Father of Genetics. A man of many talents and inclinations including Augustinian friar, botanist, horticulturist, meterologist, apiculturist, viticulturist, astronomer,teacher and mentor, clearly a multi faceted individual and a true renaissance man. Mendel's enduring legacy is formulating the laws of inheritance and coining the terms dominant, recessive and discrete factor (a predecessor to the concept of gene) all inferred from the experiments carried out with his famous garden peas ( Pisum sativum). It is hard to consider any other as the father of genetics other than Mendel as he layed the foundation for genetics through his studies. The combination of Mendel's laws of inheritance along with Darwin's theory of Natural selection lead to the formation of Evolutionary Biology.  

        BIOGRAPHY

                                Gregor Johann Mendel was born as Johann Mendel on July 22 1822 in the village of Heinzendorf in Austria to a soldier named Anton Mendel and his wife Rosiny. He had two sisters, Veronica and and Theresa. Mendel spent most of his childhood in the rural settings of Austria where he lived in a farm with his family. Gregor Mendel later become a Monk in Brno to get away from poverty. He didn't like monastery life as stated in his autobiography that he had no calling to the church. In 1843, Mendel entered an Augustinian monastery in Brno, where he began his life as monk and adopted the name Gregor. Mendel started his studies on plants during this time and cultivated more than thirty thousand plants there. Being an enthusiastic researcher he spent most of his time studying Meterology and Bee keeping. He also focused on growing several types flowering plants. In his last words Mendel stated that "although I have had to live through many bitter moments in my life, I must admit with gratitude that the beautiful and good prevailed, my scientific work brought me much satisfaction and I am sure it will be soon recognized by whole world." This qoute shows how much his work meant to him. 

MENDEL AND HIS PEAS

                                  Blending theory , which states that hereditary traits of offsprings were the results of diluted blending of whatever traits were present in parents, was the most accepted theory in the earlier times. It was also commonly accepted that over, generations a hybrid would revert back to its original form. Farmers had known for millennia that selective breeding yielded favourable outcomes. Mendel was interested in knowing how hybridization techniques worked. It appears that Mendel was not actually trying to prove laws of inheritances, rather he worked with peas to develop new colour variants and to examine the effects of hybridization. Mendel choosed peas as they could be easily produced, cross fertilized and had many distinct characters. Mendel's selection of peas were quite serendipitous for reasons known and unknown to him. Peas exist in pure, seperate lines; they are hermaphrodites and are capable of self fertilization even before the bud opens and a large number of them can be bred in a small space. The characters he chose were not subjected to linkage disequilibrium and most of them are on seperate homologous chromosomes. This made the analysis and conclusions made from them straight forward. The experiments with peas continued for more than eight years and more than fifteen thousand plants were studied, which is even by today's standards are astounding. His works were completed in 1863. The final analysis and work on laws of heredity were submitted to Versuche uber pflnzen Hybridin (Experiments in plant hybridization) to the proceedings of the Natural History Society of Brno in 1865 to be published n 1866. Mendel's paper had limited recognition upon its initial publication. It was mentioned in several publications over the next thirty four years but its importance was never understood until later, sixteen years after Mendel's death, in what is commonly known as rediscovery.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MENDEL

                                During the time of Mendel Blending theory which states that offsprings have a blend of the characteristics of their parents, was the most popular theory. But during his studies with peas, Mendel noted several observations which was contradictory to the above theory. For example when a tall plant is crossed with a dwarf one, the offsprings according to the Blending theory  should be medium in height, but where either tall or short but never medium sized. Such observations lead Mendel to doubt Blending theory. Based on his experiments with Garden pea, Mendel formulated two laws which formed basis for Genetics.

LAW OF SEGREGATION :- It states that there are two factors controlling a character one of which dominates the other and these factors seperate and goes to different gamates during gametogenesis.

LAW OF INDEPENDENT ASSORTMENT :- It states that factors controlling different character are inherited independently of each other.

                                                Mendel through his experiments discovered fundamental laws of inheritance. He inferred that Discrete factors ( as he called Genes ) come in pairs and are inherited as distinct units. He was also the first among to lay mathematical foundation of science of Genetics.

                                             He was the first one to discover 'Genes' the basic factor responsible for the phenomena of inheritance of characters. As the architect of genetic experimental and statistical analysis, Mendel remains the acknowledged Father of Genetics. The invention of this particular field of science have helped the world in a numerous ways. Without Mendel's contributions Charles Darwin's theory of  Evolution wouldn't make any sense. He was the first to make a connection between an expressed trait and its determinant or otherwise the phenotype and the  genotype. Later scientists like William Bateson  expanded and revised Mendel's theories of inheritance. The combination of Mendel's work with that of Darwin has laid the foundation for modern study of genetics, biology and evolution.Without Mendel there might well not be a study of genetics.Without the study of Genetics, humans would lack the capabilityto better understand and intervene workings of biological inheritance. There are several diseases and disorders that happens due to complications in gene transfer or within genes like Heamophilia, Sickle cell anaemia all of which are caused by defects in gene. with the help of Genetics we are now able to find solutions to such disorders and also to take measures to eradicate all such conditions. we are also able to produce high yielding and disease resistant varieties of crops using genetic engineering. All of these are possible because of the discovery of genes by Mendel . He also was the first to use statistical analysis to simplify results. With just one discoevery  he was able to revelutionize the whole world.

                                       Gregor Johann Mendel is considered as the father of Genetics.A multi faceted person, he was the one to formulate the principles of genetics and also the first to discover the Genes. Although his work remained unrecognised for a long time it's rediscovery revelutionised the world.His discoveries lead to a new branch of biology :- GENETICS. Without Mendel we might not even discover genes. If that was the case we all still be living with several genetic disorders without even knowing the reason for it. The discovery of genes helped us to understand and address many types of genetic disorders and also helped to find remedies through genetic interventions. The discovery of genes even helped in agriculture field to produce high yielding and disease resistant crops. Mendel's another contribution was the application of statistical analysis to biological field.