Which discovery did Gregor Mendel make?

Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk and scientist, is best known for his foundational work in the field of genetics. His most significant discovery was the principles of inheritance through his experiments with pea plants. Mendel's key contributions can be summarized as follows:

1. Law of Segregation: Mendel discovered that during the formation of gametes (sperms and eggs), the alleles for a trait separate, meaning each gamete carries only one allele for each gene. This explains how offspring inherit one allele from each parent.

2. Law of Independent Assortment: He also found that the inheritance of one trait generally does not affect the inheritance of another trait, leading to the conclusion that alleles for different traits are distributed to gametes independently.

3. Genotype and Phenotype: Mendel distinguished between an organism's genotype (the genetic makeup) and its phenotype (the physical expression of the genes).

Mendel's meticulous experiments laid the groundwork for the field of genetics and helped establish the rules of heredity, which were largely unrecognized until they were rediscovered in the early 20th century. His work ultimately formed the basis for our understanding of genetic inheritance, influencing biology, agriculture, and medicine.