1822-1884

Austrian Monk, Biologist and Botanist

In the quiet setting of a monastery garden, Gregor Mendel bred pea plants in an attempt to understand heredity, or how characteristics are passed from parent to offspring. After more than seven years of research, Mendel deciphered the basic principles governing heredity (now called Mendelian laws). Although Mendel's work was not appreciated until 16 years after his death, the results of his experiments and his interpretation of those results ultimately provided the foundation for the field of genetics, and he is considered the father of the discipline.

Gregor Mendel was born Johann Mendel in Heinzendorf, Moravia, in 1822. He was the second child of Anton and Rosine Mendel, who were peasant farmers. In order to be educated, Mendel joined an Augustinian monastery in Brünn, Austria (now Brno, Czech Republic) in 1843, and there he took the name of Gregor and...