Gregor Mendel discovered the basic rules of heredity: that traits are passed from parents to offspring in discrete units (now called genes), following predictable patterns.

Quick Scoop: What did Mendel actually discover?

  • Traits are not blended but inherited as separate “particles” (genes).
  • Some forms of a trait are dominant (they show up), others are recessive (they can be hidden but passed on).
  • When hybrids (F₁) self‑fertilize, traits reappear in a fixed 3:1 ratio in the next generation (F₂).
  • From his pea-plant crosses, he formulated what we now call:
    • Law of Segregation
    • Law of Independent Assortment
    • Law of Dominance

These ideas are the foundation of modern genetics and explain how everything from eye color to many plant and animal traits are inherited.

In simple terms: Mendel showed that inheritance works like passing on “units of information,” not like mixing paints.