Mendelian inheritance is a type of biological inheritance that follows the principles originally proposed by Gregor Mendel in 1865 and 1866. These principles, known as Mendel’s laws of inheritance, describe the transmission of genetic traits from parents to offspring. The three main laws are the Law of Segregation, the Law of Independent Assortment, and the Law of Dominance.
The principles of Mendelian inheritance were derived from the work of Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian friar and scientist. He conducted experiments on pea plants in the garden of his monastery in Brno, now in the Czech Republic. His work was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century and became the foundation of modern genetics.
Mendelian inheritance is a cornerstone of genetics and is taught in introductory biology courses worldwide. It provides the basis for understanding hereditary diseases, genetic counseling, and plant and animal breeding. While more complex forms of inheritance have been discovered, Mendelian principles remain fundamental to the field.