Question

What advantages were provided by Mendel's choice of the garden pea in his experiments?

Short answer

Answer: The advantages of Mendel's choice of the garden pea included ease of cultivation, visible trait variations, option for controlled pollination, clear-cut trait dominance, and large sample size, which contributed to the success of his work and the establishment of the foundation for the modern field of genetics.

Step-by-step solution

Advantage 1: Easy to Cultivate

One advantage of the garden pea was its ease of cultivation. The pea plants grew quickly, were easy to care for, and produced a large number of offspring. This allowed Mendel to perform multiple generations of experiments in a relatively short amount of time.

Advantage 2: Visible Trait Variations

The garden pea provided Mendel with a variety of easily observable traits, such as seed color, seed shape, flower color, and stem length. These traits could be easily distinguished visually, enabling Mendel to quickly and accurately categorize and record the traits displayed by the plants in each generation.

Advantage 3: Both Self-Pollination and Cross-Pollination

Garden pea plants have the unique ability to self-pollinate or be cross-pollinated. This allowed Mendel to closely control which plants were mating with each other and ensure that he was studying the inheritance of specific traits. By focusing on purebred lines, he could accurately predict and document the results of his crosses.

Advantage 4: Clear-cut Trait Dominance

Mendel's experiments relied on understanding the dominant and recessive traits in the garden pea. Luckily, the traits he chose displayed clear-cut dominance and recessiveness, making it easier to confirm his predictions and develop his theories on inheritance.

Advantage 5: Large Sample Size

The garden pea plants produced a large number of offspring, allowing Mendel to work with a substantial sample size for each experiment. This helped him to demonstrate the consistency of his findings and the accuracy of his theories.

Conclusion

Overall, Mendel's choice of the garden pea as the subject of his experiments was highly advantageous due to its ease of cultivation, visible trait variations, option for controlled pollination, clear-cut trait dominance, and large sample size. These factors contributed to the success of Mendel's work and the establishment of the foundation for the modern field of genetics.