Question

Why did Mendel choose pea plant for his experiments?

NCERT Class X
Science - Exemplar Problems

Chapter_Heredity and Evolution

Answer 1

Mendel is known as father of modern genetics due to this genetic experiment with Pea (Pisum Sativum). 

Main reasons of choosing Pea plant were
- Very easy to cultivate and grow
- Many visible distinguishnh characters such as height, flower type, seed color, seed coat etc. 
- Easy to obtain pure breed plant through self fertilization
- Easy cross polination and fertilization

Answer 2

Gregor Johannes Mandel was a great biologist. He selected the pea plant for the following reasons:-

1. Pea plants have a large no. of contrasting characters.

2. The lifespan of pea plant is quite small which makes it suitable for carrying out experiments.

3.It is easier to cross pollinate and self pollinate pea plants.

4. They have good resistance to diseases and have an ideal survival rate.

5. They are easy to emasculate and cultivate.