Then
Published in 1866, his work was largely ignored until 1900, when scientists rediscovered it while examining heredity afresh.
Timeline of Discovery · 18 / 30
Gregor Mendel
1822 - 1884 · Austro-Hungarian Empire (Czech lands)
Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian monk, discovered the basic laws of inheritance by patiently counting pea plants — laying the foundation of genetics.
- Biology
- Industrial & Modern
Lived
1822 - 1884
Era
Industrial & Modern
Primary field
Biology
Signature idea
Laws of Inheritance; father of modern genetics
Their place in history
1822 - 1884
The question they asked
Do traits blend away, or are they passed in discrete, predictable units?
The Contribution
What this scientist actually did — precisely and plainly.
He showed that traits such as seed colour follow clear patterns of dominance and segregation in a 3:1 ratio, revealing “factors” we now call genes.
How the Work Advanced Knowledge
The tools, experiments and reasoning behind the discovery.
He controlled breeding, chose traits that varied cleanly, counted thousands of offspring in large samples and used simple mathematics to find the pattern.
Why It Mattered Then / Today
From their own moment in history to the world we live in now.
Today
Mendelian genetics underlies inheritance counselling, plant and animal breeding, and how every genetics classroom introduces DNA.
Important Works or Discoveries
Landmarks that carried the idea into the world.
- Experiments on Plant Hybrids (1866)
- Law of segregation and law of independent assortment
- Breeding studies with peas
Sources
Where this profile was verified.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-22
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