Step 1: Understanding the concept of genetics.
Genetics is the branch of biology that deals with the study of heredity and variation in living organisms. It explains how traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes and how genetic information controls biological characteristics. The development of genetics as a scientific discipline involved contributions from many scientists over time.
Step 2: Historical background of heredity studies.
Before the term genetics was introduced, heredity was studied through Mendel’s experiments on pea plants. Gregor Mendel is known as the father of genetics because he discovered the basic laws of inheritance. However, Mendel himself did not use the term “genetics.” His work was rediscovered later and became the foundation of modern genetics.
Step 3: Contribution of William Bateson.
William Bateson was a British biologist who played a key role in promoting Mendel’s work. He strongly supported Mendelian inheritance and helped establish it as a scientific field. In 1905, Bateson introduced the term “genetics” to describe the study of heredity and variation. This marked the formal naming of the discipline.
Step 4: Why the term was needed.
As biological research expanded, scientists needed a unified term to describe studies related to heredity, variation, and inheritance patterns. Bateson proposed the term genetics to provide a clear identity to this growing field. The term was derived from the Greek word “genesis,” meaning origin or birth.
Step 5: Evaluating other options.
Gregor Mendel discovered inheritance laws but did not coin the term genetics. T.H. Morgan contributed to chromosome theory of inheritance but worked after the term was already established. Wilhelm Johannsen coined the term “gene,” not genetics. Therefore, these options are incorrect for the question.
Step 6: Scientific significance of Bateson’s contribution.
Bateson’s introduction of the term genetics helped unify various studies under one discipline. It provided a formal identity to heredity research and accelerated the development of modern genetic science. His work bridged classical Mendelian genetics with modern biological research.
Step 7: Final conclusion.
Thus, the term “genetics” was coined by William Bateson in 1905, making option (3) the correct answer.