Why did Gregor Mendel use pea plants?

Answer 1

Gregor Mendel chose the pea plants for his experiments because the garden pea is an ideal subject in the study of genetics for the following reasons:

-- presence of observable traits with contrasting forms

-- produces many offspring in one cross

-- short life cycle

-- ease in manipulating pollination (cross pollination)

Pea plants had the following chacracteristics:

1. plants were sexually reproducing with bisexual flowers
2. self pollination and self fertilization is possible
3. the life cycle was completed in one season
4. hybrids were perfectly fertile
5. many varieties with well-defined characters were available i.e. presence of seven pairs of contrasting or allelomorphic characters

Pea plants (leguminosae) have an irregular flower in which the top part of the corolla is much larger than the lower part (Hitchcock and CronquistFlora of the Pacific Northwest p228). If you haven't ever seen a pea flower, it looks much like a snap dragon bloom. This feature keeps the flowers from freely pollinating each other by wind, as they are tightly shut. If protected from pollinating insects, they will only self pollinate, or if the anthers are clipped off they can be very selectively pollinated by a person. This gave Mendel much tighter control over the crossbreeding of the plants.

Because pea plants are easy to propagate and have 7 observable traits like Seed Shape, seed color, Seed coat color, pod shape, flower position and stem length

This can be speculated, but pea plants were probably picked because of their ability to reproduce quickly. If Gregor Mendel had used an animal, he would have had to wait many years before being able to study the passing on of traits.
He chose them because they are quick and easy to grow and several peas are produced in each pod. It is fortunate that he chose the plant that he did, and that he chose the characteristics he did to observe. Some plants would have been much more difficult to work with.

Answer 2

Gregor Mendel used pea plants because they were less complicated genetic wise than an animal or other organism, they grew quickly so he could see the results of his experiment sooner, and he had more control over them (he could choose self polliantion or cross polination and could physically do it)