Question

Why did Mendel selected garden peas for his experiments?

Answer 1

Gregor Mendel chose the pea plants for his experiments because the garden pea is an ideal subject in the study of genetics for the following reasons:

1. presence of observable traits with contrasting forms
2. produces many offspring in one cross
3. short life cycle
4. ease in manipulating pollination (cross-pollination)
   

Pea plants had the following characteristics:-

1. plants were sexually reproducing with bisexual flowers
   
2. self-pollination and self-fertilization is possible
   
3. the life cycle was completed in one season
   
4. hybrids were perfectly fertile
   
5. many varieties with well-defined characters were available i.e. presence of seven pairs of contrasting or allelomorphic characters