Why did Mendel choose the pea plant for his experiments?
Answer
Mendel chose the garden pea plant because it has clear contrasting traits, a short life cycle, is easy to grow, and can be both self-pollinated and cross-pollinated.
The working
Clear contrasting traits
The pea plant shows several easily observable traits with distinct alternative forms, such as tall/short and round/wrinkled seeds.
Short life cycle
Pea plants grow quickly and produce many seeds, so several generations could be studied in a short time.
Controlled pollination
The flowers are normally self-pollinating, but Mendel could also cross-pollinate them by hand, giving him full control over breeding.
Easy to grow
Pea plants are easy to cultivate and maintain, which made large-scale experiments practical.
Stuck on something else?
Type your own doubt into the solver and get the full working in seconds — free, for physics, chemistry, maths and biology.
Open the solverRelated doubts