A pea plant which is homozygous for green pods which are inflated [GGII] is crossed with a homozygous plant for yellow pods which are constricted [ggii]. Answer the following questions:
What is the scientific name of the plant which Mendel used for his experiments on inheritance?
Topic: Pisum sativum
Answer
PISUM SATIVUM (the garden pea).
Write it correctly: the GENUS begins with a CAPITAL letter and the SPECIES with a small letter, and the whole name is ITALICISED in print or UNDERLINED in handwriting. So in your answer script, write it and underline it.
WHY MENDEL CHOSE THE PEA, which is worth knowing because examiners ask: it has clear CONTRASTING characters — tall or dwarf, round or wrinkled seeds, green or yellow pods, with no intermediates it is normally SELF-POLLINATING, so pure lines are easily maintained it can also be CROSS-POLLINATED by hand when required it has a SHORT LIFE CYCLE and produces many offspring, so several generations can be studied quickly
That combination is why his results were clear enough to reveal the laws of inheritance.