Who is credited with discovering the effects of genetics on plant characteristics?

Gregor Mendel is credited with discovering the effects of genetics on plant characteristics through his groundbreaking work on pea plants in the mid-19th century. Mendel carefully studied how traits such as flower color, seed shape, and pod color were inherited from one generation to the next. He conducted systematic experiments and kept meticulous records of his findings, which led to the formulation of the laws of inheritance.

His experiments established the foundational principles of heredity, revealing how traits are passed down from parent plants to their offspring through discrete units of inheritance, which we now know as genes. Although Mendel’s work was largely ignored during his lifetime, it was later recognized as the foundation of modern genetics, fundamentally altering our understanding of plant breeding and genetics.

The other individuals mentioned have made significant contributions to science, but their focus was on different fields. For instance, Charles Darwin contributed to the theory of evolution, Louis Pasteur is famous for his work in microbiology and immunology, and James Watson is known for co-discovering the structure of DNA. Their work does not specifically address the direct relationship between genetics and plant characteristics as Mendel’s does.