We have known for centuries that traits are passed from parents to offspring. What has not always been understood is how traits are determined. One explanation that appealed to scientist for many centuries was that traits of parents were blended, or mixed in offspring. The blending hypothesis accounted for many observable traits and was widely accepted for many years. However, the idea of blending could not account for the appearance of unexpected traits in some offspring. It was not until scientist discovered the cellular basis of life that the inheritance of traits was better understood.
The first clues to understanding inheritance came from Gregory Mendel, one of the most outstanding scientists in the field of genetics. Mendel, an Austrian monk, began his work in the 1860's. He used garden pea plants to study how traits were passed from one generation to another.
The structure of the pea flower enabled Mendel to isolate an important variable, fertilization. In fertilization,......
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