Mendel's laws of inheritance were groundbreaking because he was the first to:
- A. Discover that traits are inherited independently of each other.
Mendel's experiments with pea plants showed that traits are inherited independently, meaning the inheritance of one trait does not influence the inheritance of another trait. This concept was a key discovery in understanding genetic inheritance.
- B. Discover the existence of chromosomes and DNA.
Although Mendel's work predates the discovery of chromosomes and DNA, his principles laid the foundation for later scientists to understand how genetic information is passed down through generations.
- C. Discover that an offspring's traits are a blend of its parents' traits.
Contrary to this statement, Mendel's work actually demonstrated that offspring inherit specific traits from each parent independently, following predictable patterns of inheritance rather than a simple blend of traits.
