Gregor Mendel is the founder of genetics

Mendel was a monk and with great pleasure conducted classes in mathematics and physics at a school that was nearby. But he failed to pass the state certification for the position of a teacher. The abbot of the monastery saw his craving for knowledge and very high abilities of the intellect. He sent him to the University of Vienna for higher education. There Gregor Mendel studied for two years. He attended classes in the natural sciences, mathematics. This helped him to formulate the laws of inheritance.

Difficult academic years

Gregor Mendel was the second child in a family of peasants who have German and Slavic roots. In 1840, the boy graduated from six classes in the gymnasium, and the next year entered the philosophical class. But in those years, the financial condition of the family deteriorated, and the 16-year-old Mendel had to take care of his own food alone. It was very difficult. Therefore, after graduating from the philosophical classes, he became a novice in the monastery.

By the way, the name given to him at birth is Johann. Already in the monastery he was called Gregor. He did it for good reason, as he received patronage, as well as financial support, which enabled him to continue his studies. In 1847 he was ordained a priest. During this period he studied at the theological school. There was a rich library here, which had a positive effect on learning.

Monk and teacher

Gregor, who did not yet know that he was the future founder of genetics, taught in the school and after the failure of the certification came to the university. After his graduation, Mendel returned to the city of Briinn and continued to teach natural history and physics. He again tried to pass attestation for the position of teacher, but the second attempt was also a failure.

Experiments with peas

Why is Mendel considered the founder of genetics? Since 1856, he began to conduct extensive and carefully thought-out experiments in the monastery garden, connected with the crossing of plants. On the example of peas, he revealed the patterns of inheritance of various traits in the offspring of hybrid plants. After seven years, the experiments were completed. And a couple of years later, in 1865, at the meetings of the Society of Naturalists Brunn he made a report on the work done. A year later he published his article about experiments on plant hybrids. It was thanks to her that the foundations of genetics as an independent scientific discipline were laid. Thanks to this, Mendel is the founder of genetics.

If earlier scientists could not put everything together and form principles, Gregor managed to do it. He created scientific research rules and descriptions of hybrids, as well as their descendants. A symbolic system was developed and applied to indicate signs. Mendel has formulated two principles, through which you can make predictions about inheritance.

Later recognition

Despite the publication of his article, the work had only one positive feedback. The German scientist Negeli, who also studied hybridization, was supportive of the work of Mendel. But he also had doubts about the fact that laws that are revealed only on peas can have a universal character. He advised Mendel, the founder of genetics, to repeat experiments on other types of plants. Gregor agreed with this respectfully.

He tried to repeat experiments on the hawk, but the results were unsuccessful. And only many years later it became clear why it happened. The point was that in this plant the seeds are formed without sexual reproduction. There were also other exceptions to the principles that the founder of genetics brought forth. After the publication of articles by famous botanists, who confirmed the studies of Mendel, since 1900, the recognition of his works has taken place. For this reason, it is precisely the year 1900 that is considered the year of the birth of this science.

All that Mendel discovered, convinced him that the laws he described with the help of peas, have a universal character. It was only necessary to convince other scientists. But the task was as difficult as the scientific discovery itself. And all because knowledge of the facts and their understanding are completely different things. The fate of the discovery of genetics, that is, a 35-year delay between the discovery itself and its public recognition, is not a paradox. In science this is quite normal. A century after Mendel, when genetics had already blossomed, the same fate befell the discoveries of McClintock, who did not admit to 25 years.

Heritage

In 1868, a scientist, the founder of Mendel's genetics, became a rector in a monastery. He almost completely stopped studying science. In his archives were found notes on linguistics, the breeding of bees, as well as meteorology. On the site of this monastery is now a museum named after Gregor Mendel. Also in his honor is named a special scientific journal.