Which among the following statements is incorrect regarding the exper…

The correct answer is Option (3) → The confirmation of his inferences from experiments on the parental generation of his test plants showed that his results pointed to general rules of inheritance.

Gregor Mendel worked on the garden pea for seven years (1856-1863). His results were trusted because he used a large sample, applied statistics to biology for the first time, and checked his inferences over successive generations of his test plants.

Option (1) During his investigations, statistical analysis and mathematical logic were applied to problems in biology for the first time. — A correct statement. Mendel was the first to use statistical analysis and mathematical logic on a biological problem, such as counting plants and working out ratios.

Option (2) He investigated characters in the garden pea plant that were manifested as two opposing traits, e.g., tall or dwarf plants. — A correct statement. Mendel chose characters with two clear, opposing forms, such as tall or dwarf plants and yellow or green seeds. This made the results easy to count.

Option (3) The confirmation of his inferences from experiments on the parental generation of his test plants showed that his results pointed to general rules of inheritance. — The incorrect statement. The word “parental” is wrong. Mendel confirmed his inferences from experiments on successive generations (F₁, F₂ and beyond). The parental generation alone cannot show how traits are passed on.

NCERT Extract:
Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance – “… Gregor Mendel, conducted hybridisation experiments on garden peas for seven years (1856-1863) and proposed the laws of inheritance in living organisms. During Mendel’s investigations into inheritance patterns it was for the first time that statistical analysis and mathematical logic were applied to problems in biology. His experiments had a large sampling size, which gave greater credibility to the data that he collected. Also, the confirmation of his inferences from experiments on successive generations of his test plants, proved that his results pointed to general rules of inheritance rather than being unsubstantiated ideas. Mendel investigated characters in the garden pea plant that were manifested as two opposing traits, e.g., tall or dwarf plants, yellow or green seeds.”