CHAPTER 1 LESSON 2: THE BEGINNING OF GENETICS

1.Why is Gregor Mendel considered the “Father of Genetics”?

Gregor Mendel was born in Northern Moravia, the Czech Republic, and raised by an
underprivileged family who valued education but had little resources to send him to school so
he struggled for his education. He was admitted to Augustinian monks in Brunn to support his
passion for science, research, and education.
Later on, he entered a university named the University of Vienna and found his teaching
interest. He failed twice (2) in the teaching certificate examination, he is being remembered as a
very shy and quiet person who’s anxious in the oral examination but loves to plant flowers,
record meteorological and astronomical data. He spent most of his time as a teacher, monk, and
plant enthusiast who’s always at the monastery's botanical garden breeding fuchsias and pea
plants.
In connection, he conducted the first well-controlled and brilliantly designed experiments in
genetics by breeding hybrid pea plants that yield to established the principles of inheritance,
coined the terms dominant and recessive, and was the first to use statistical methods to analyze
and predict hereditary information.
He presented his study, "Experiments on Plant Hybridization," to Brunn Society for Natural
Science but no one supported and appreciated his work because it greatly contrasts the popular
belief in hereditary during that time. For Thirty (30) years, he dedicated his life to cross-
breeding experiments with hawkweed and bees while maintaining his data about astronomical
events. He then became a political activist and died of kidney failure. From then on, his works
began to recognize and give him appropriate credits.

2.The Human Genome Project is challenged by several issues, what is your stand on
this and why?
There are many challenges encounter in the Human Genome Project (HGP). Particularly, lack
of financial and resources fund that hinders the process of making this experiment more
possible and convenient in the side of man power and operating heads. Of course, huge amount
of financial fund is indeed needed and other complex technical tools was not available during
that time that affects the environmental workplace. Also, a vast amount of scope study that
prolong the length of experiment. But despite all of this, they strive and continue, creating
advance milestone and breakthrough in the human genetics.