Science Entrance Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Resource to Ensure Exam Success!

Mendel used pea plants to study inheritance patterns because they have several distinct traits that can be easily observed, such as flower color, seed shape, and pod form. This allowed him to conduct controlled experiments where he could cross different varieties of pea plants and analyze the results over generations. The specific characteristics of pea plants made it possible for Mendel to formulate his foundational laws of inheritance, including the concepts of dominant and recessive traits, as well as the principles of segregation and independent assortment. His work laid the groundwork for modern genetics by demonstrating how traits are passed from parents to offspring in a predictable manner. Pea plants' ability to self-pollinate and be cross-pollinated also facilitated Mendel's experiments, providing clear and accurate results that contributed significantly to his understanding of heredity.