Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk and scientist known as the father of genetics. He conducted experiments with pea plants in the mid-1800s, studying how traits like color and shape were passed from one generation to the next. His careful observations led to the formulation of the basic laws of inheritance, which explain how traits are inherited through genes. Mendel's work went largely unrecognized during his lifetime, but it laid the foundation for modern genetics. Today, his principles help us understand everything from heredity in plants and animals to genetic disorders in humans, making his contributions vital to the field of biology.