Gregor Mendel (Austrian monk)

Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk and scientist who is known as the father of modern genetics. Through experiments with pea plants, he discovered how traits such as color and height are inherited from one generation to the next. Mendel identified that traits are controlled by factors—now called genes—that come in different forms, or alleles. His work established the basic principles of inheritance, including the concepts of dominant and recessive traits, and the predictable patterns of how genes are passed down. Mendel’s findings laid the foundation for understanding genetics and heredity in all living organisms.