Mendel's Peas

Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics, was a monk who grew tens of thousands of pea plants in the small garden of his monastery. To study the laws of inheritance, he would spend his days with a small brush, moving through the lush green pea fields, meticulously pollinating each pea flower, and recording in a small notebook whether they bloomed red or white, and whether the seeds were round or wrinkled. Other monks in the monastery often saw this kind, portly monk crouching among the flowers, whispering to the pea sprouts. Mendel treated these peas as his 'little plant children,' spending countless peaceful and warm afternoons in the sun-drenched garden, laying the foundation for modern genetic science.