Question

Which plant species did Mendel primarily use in his hereditary experiments from 1856 to 1863?

Options

• Zea mays (corn)

• Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)

• Pisum sativum (garden pea)

• Triticum aestivum (wheat)

Answer 1

Mendel conducted his systematic hybridisation experiments using garden pea plants (Pisum sativum) from 1856 to 1863. Garden peas were ideal for his research because they had easily observable contrasting traits, could be easily cross-pollinated or self-pollinated, had short generation times, and produced large numbers of offspring for statistical analysis.