Question

Mendel’s work was rediscovered by:

• A. Avery, McCarty and MacLeod
• B. Sutton and Boveri
• C. Hershey and Chase
• D. De Vries, Correns and Tschermak

Hint:

Mendelian genetics was independently rediscovered in 1900 by three European botanists: Hugo de Vries (Holland), Carl Correns (Germany), and Erich von Tschermak (Austria).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Gregor Mendel published his laws of inheritance in 1866, but his work went largely unnoticed by the scientific community for several decades.
His principles of heredity were independently rediscovered in 1900, marking the beginning of modern genetics.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us review the historical contributions of the scientists listed:
1. Avery, McCarty, and MacLeod (A): In 1944, these scientists demonstrated that DNA is the transforming principle responsible for genetic inheritance in bacteria.
2. Sutton and Boveri (B): In 1902, they independently proposed the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance, which identified chromosomes as the carriers of genetic material.
3. Hershey and Chase (C): In 1952, they confirmed that DNA is the genetic material using bacteriophage transduction experiments.
4. Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak (D): In 1900, these three botanists independently performed hybridization experiments and obtained results similar to Mendel's.
Upon reviewing existing literature, they discovered Mendel's original 1866 paper and credited him with the discovery of the laws of inheritance, leading to the rediscovery of Mendelian genetics.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, Mendel's work was rediscovered by Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak.