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Correct Answer: gregor mendel.
gregor mendel is widely recognized for laying the foundational principles of modern genetics through his work with pea plants. born in 1822 in what is now the czech republic, mendel was a monk in the augustinian order. his experiments in the monastery's garden led to the formulation of what we now refer to as the laws of genetic inheritance.
mendel's methodical approach involved cross-breeding pea plants with different characteristics and observing the traits of their offspring over several generations. he focused on seven distinct traits, such as plant height, seed shape, and flower color, which were easily identifiable as either dominant or recessive. his careful tracking and quantification of these traits allowed him to see patterns in the way traits were passed from one generation to the next.
from his experiments, mendel deduced two fundamental principles, later termed mendel's laws of inheritance. the first is the law of segregation, which states that the two copies of a gene separate from each other during the formation of gametes (egg and sperm cells). each gamete then carries only one copy. the second is the law of independent assortment, indicating that genes for different traits are passed independently of one another from parents to offspring. this means that receiving a particular allele of one gene does not influence the inheritance of an allele for another gene.
mendel published his findings in 1866, but they remained largely unnoticed by the scientific community until they were rediscovered in 1900. his work contrasted with the views of blending inheritance prevalent at the time, which held that offspring were a simple, intermediate mix of parental traits. instead, mendel showed that traits are inherited as discrete units (genes), and this revelation paved the way for the development of genetics as a scientific discipline.
due to his pioneering work, mendel is often called the "father of genetics." his principles, commonly known as mendelian genetics, not only apply to pea plants but also to a wide range of organisms, making his discoveries universally significant in biology. thus, when asked who worked out the fundamental basis of genetics, the correct answer is unequivocally gregor mendel.
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