Medel selected Pisum sativum for hybridisation experiments because of

Options

A. Clear contrasting characters and short life span
B. Long life span and non-fertile hybrids
C. Presence of unisexual flowers
D. Infertile hybrids and production of large number of seeds by each plant

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Mendel's Choice**: Mendel selected Pisum sativum (pea plant) for his hybridization experiments due to specific characteristics that made it suitable for studying inheritance patterns.

2. **Short Lifespan**: One of the key reasons was the short lifespan of the pea plants. This allowed Mendel to conduct multiple generations of experiments in a relatively short period, facilitating quicker results.

3. **Contrasting Traits**: Mendel also chose pea plants because they exhibited clear and contrasting traits. For example, traits such as seed color (yellow vs. green), flower color (purple vs. white), and plant height (tall vs. short) were easily distinguishable. This made it easier for him to observe inheritance patterns.

4. **Self-Pollination**: The flowers of Pisum sativum are naturally self-pollinating, which means that they can fertilize themselves. This trait allowed Mendel to maintain control over the breeding process and ensured that he could study the inheritance of traits without the complications of cross-pollination.

5. **Ease of Cross-Pollination**: Although the plants are self-pollinating, Mendel could also easily perform cross-pollination when necessary. This flexibility allowed him to create hybrids and study the resulting traits.

6. **Conclusion**: Based on these characteristics, the correct answer to why Mendel selected Pisum sativum for his experiments is that it had clear contrasting characters and a short lifespan.

**Final Answer**: Mendel selected Pisum sativum for hybridization experiments because of clear contrasting characters and short lifespan.

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