Which scientist coined the term 'Mendelian inheritance'?
Answer
William Bateson
Answer
William Bateson
William Bateson coined the term “Mendelian inheritance.” The English biologist became the leading early champion of Gregor Mendel’s ideas after Mendel’s work was rediscovered around 1900, helping turn an overlooked paper into the foundation of modern genetics.
Bateson used Mendel’s principles to interpret heredity as the transmission of discrete inherited factors rather than the blending of parental traits. He promoted the terminology surrounding Mendel’s work and became so closely associated with it that he was nicknamed “Mendel’s bulldog.” He also coined the word “genetics” for the scientific study of heredity and variation, and helped establish the term “allele.”
The other names in this question are connected with the story but do not fit the answer. Hugo de Vries and Carl Correns were among the scientists who independently rediscovered Mendel’s work in 1900; Mendel himself developed the underlying principles but did not use the later label “Mendelian inheritance.”
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026