Which scientist developed laws of inheritance before DNA and genes were discovered?

Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, developed the foundational laws of inheritance in the mid-19th century through his experiments with pea plants. He formulated the principles of segregation and independent assortment, which describe how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Mendel's work laid the groundwork for genetics, even before the discovery of DNA and genes. His findings were largely unrecognized during his lifetime but gained prominence in the early 20th century.