History of DNA: The Father of Modern Genetics

After the Science Fundamentals, I decided to do a series on the history of DNA. DNA day, a celebration of the the history of DNA, is being held on April 25th. The day was chosen as it is the historical date of the publication of the structure of DNA in 1953, and the conclusion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. Therefore I will start with the story with the origin of inheritance, and the Father of modern Genetics.

Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who discovered the basic concepts of inheritance by breeding pea plants; for this, he is often called the father of modern genetics.

Mendel was born as a rural farmer in Austria but quickly showed an aptitude for academic studies. At the urging of his school teacher, he was sent to secondary school and then university. He showed promise in math and physics and tutored other students to pay his bills.

Then, much to his father’s dismay, he refused to take over the family farm. Instead, he joined the Augustinian order and was given the name Gregor. The monastery was the center of learning and culture at the time, and so Mendel was exposed to the cutting edge of research, massive library, and experimental equipment.

After some time, and an illness, Mendel was sent for more education. He studied under Christian Doppler (where we get the Doppler…