In his experiments, Mendel controlled pollination by preventing self-pollination and manually cross-pollinating plants. Here's a breakdown of how he did it:
1. Preventing self-pollination: Mendel removed the male parts (anthers) of the flowers to prevent them from self-pollinating. This ensured that the plants could not fertilize themselves.
2. Manual cross-pollination: After removing the anthers to prevent self-pollination, Mendel manually transferred pollen from one plant to the stigma of another plant. This process allowed him to control which plants were being cross-pollinated.
By following these steps, Mendel was able to carefully control the pollination process in his experiments and observe the outcomes with precision. This method helped him establish the principles of inheritance and develop his groundbreaking theories in genetics.
