A Brief History of Genetics:
From Classical to Molecular

• Classical Genetics (Chapters 14 & 15)

w Gregor Mendel

• Discovered the basic laws of genetics

• Published a scientific paper about his pea plant experiments in 1865 that was unrecognized for its brilliance

• Died an unappreciated “genius”- like Van Gogh

• His work was rediscovered 35 years later in 1900

• Molecular Genetics (Chapters 16-20)

w James Watson and Francis Crick

• Discovered the structure of DNA

• Published a scientific paper in 1953 which identified DNA as a double helix.

s This lead to the realization that DNA was the molecule of heredity.