Final answer:
Mendel discovered the principles of segregation and dominance in heredity through his experiments with pea plants.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mendel discovered several principles of heredity through his experiments with pea plants:
- The Principle of Segregation: Mendel observed that the two alleles for each trait separate during the formation of sex cells. This means that each parent contributes one allele to their offspring for each trait.
- The Principle of Dominance: Mendel noted that certain alleles are dominant, meaning they mask the expression of other alleles. For example, a dominant allele for pea color will result in the phenotype of that color, even if the other allele for a different color is present.
These discoveries laid the foundation for our understanding of how traits are inherited and passed on from one generation to the next.