10.2. Pisum sativum: Pea Plant http://www.ck12.org
10.2 Pisum sativum: Pea Plant
Status
Published prior to review.
Common Name
- Pea Plant
- Garden Pea
Description
Scientifically, the pea plantPisum sativummay be once of the most important members of the plant kingdom. This
plant was used by Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics, to develop the basic concepts of inheritance.
The pea plant, like all angiosperms, is classified as an autotroph, meaning it uses photosynthesis to convert the
energy of the sun to glucose. This plant has been cultivated across the world for thousands of years. Also, it is a
legume, so it has the ability to fix nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria,Rhizobium.
Pea Plants are useful for studying heredity due to the duality of their various phenotypes. For example, their flower
color is purple or white, the seed form is round or wrinkled, or the stem is tall or short. This means that there are no
intermediate phenotypes. Also, the male and female reproductive parts of the plant are enclosed in the same flower,