How characteristics are passed formparents to offspring. today’s advances in genetics started withthe work of an gregor mendel. mendel began his experiments with pea plants. he knew that eachcharacteristic exists as one of two or forms ofthe charater. (examples are flower color, seed color, pod shape)mendel applied experimental methods to the study of plants. alleles assortment: the inheritance of one characteristic has noinfluence over others (ex. seed color and pea pod shape)