ABSTRACT
This short chapter briefly introduces the reader to Gregor Mendel, whose observations on heredity with pea plants led him to posit his famous laws of inheritance, which fundamentally altered the field of genetics. Also described is how Mendel’s supporter, William Bateson, helped disseminate what is known today as Mendelian genetics. Further support of Mendelian genetics from the work of the great cytologists and cell biologists, including Theodor Boveri, Walter Sutton, Nettie Stevens, and Edmund Wilson, is also discussed. Key concepts addressed include the gene, recessive traits, regression to the mean, and discontinuity in evolution.
