Gregor Mendel was a 19th-century scientist known as the father of genetics. He conducted experiments with pea plants in his garden, studying how traits were inherited from one generation to the next. His work laid the foundation for the laws of inheritance, which describe how traits are passed down through generations. Mendel's research was largely unrecognized during his lifetime, but it gained importance in the early 20th century. His principles, including the concepts of dominant and recessive traits, are fundamental to the field of genetics and have influenced modern biology and medicine significantly.