The famous scientist who laid the groundwork for modern genetics through his experiments with pea plants is Gregor Mendel. His pioneering work in the mid-19th century introduced the principles of inheritance, demonstrating how traits are passed from one generation to the next through dominant and recessive alleles. Mendel's meticulous experiments established key concepts such as segregation and independent assortment, although his theories remained largely unrecognized until the early 20th century. Today, Mendel is often referred to as the "Father of Genetics," as his findings set the foundation for the field and our understanding of biological inheritance.