Which scientist studied the inheritance of traits?

Which scientist studied the inheritance of traits?

• A. Charles Darwin
• B. James Watson
• C. Francis Crick
• D. Mendel

Answer: (D)

This question tests who first demonstrated how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Gregor Mendel carried out meticulous pea plant experiments, starting with true-breeding varieties and performing controlled crosses. By tracking specific traits across generations, he found regular, predictable patterns: a trait that appears in the first generation can reappear in the next in a consistent ratio, which led him to propose that inherited units exist, segregate during gamete formation, and recombine at fertilization. Although the term gene wasn’t used at the time, his work established that inheritance is Mendelian, not blending. The other scientists contributed in different areas: Darwin is famous for natural selection and evolution, not the basic mechanisms of trait transmission observed in controlled crosses; Watson and Crick revealed the structure of DNA and described how genetic information is stored and copied, rather than detailing inheritance patterns from cross-breeding experiments.

This question tests who first demonstrated how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Gregor Mendel carried out meticulous pea plant experiments, starting with true-breeding varieties and performing controlled crosses. By tracking specific traits across generations, he found regular, predictable patterns: a trait that appears in the first generation can reappear in the next in a consistent ratio, which led him to propose that inherited units exist, segregate during gamete formation, and recombine at fertilization. Although the term gene wasn’t used at the time, his work established that inheritance is Mendelian, not blending.

The other scientists contributed in different areas: Darwin is famous for natural selection and evolution, not the basic mechanisms of trait transmission observed in controlled crosses; Watson and Crick revealed the structure of DNA and described how genetic information is stored and copied, rather than detailing inheritance patterns from cross-breeding experiments.