Mendel selected ___ for his experiment.

Options

A. 14 true breeding pea plant varieties
B. 7 true breeding pea plant varieties
C. 14 hybrid pea plant varieties
D. 7 hybrid pea plant varieties

Answer

To solve the question "Mendel selected ___ for his experiment," we need to identify what Mendel specifically chose for his genetic experiments with pea plants.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding True Breeding Plants**:
- True breeding plants are those that, when self-pollinated, produce offspring that are identical to themselves for specific traits. This means they have stable genetic traits that do not change over generations.

**Hint**: Remember that true breeding plants maintain their traits consistently through generations.

2. **Mendel's Choice of Traits**:
- Gregor Mendel selected specific traits to study the inheritance patterns. He focused on traits that were contrasting, meaning that they had clear, distinct differences (e.g., tall vs. short plants).

**Hint**: Think about the importance of contrasting traits in studying inheritance.

3. **Number of Traits and Varieties**:
- Mendel chose 7 pairs of contrasting traits for his experiments. Each trait in a pair represents two different forms (e.g., green vs. yellow seeds). Therefore, for 7 traits, there are 14 true breeding varieties (7 traits x 2 varieties each).

**Hint**: Consider how pairs of traits lead to the total number of varieties Mendel used.

4. **Conclusion**:
- Based on the information above, Mendel selected 14 true breeding pea plant varieties for his experiments.

**Final Answer**: A) 14 true breeding pea plant varieties.