Around 1900, a handful of European biologists conducted groundbreaking research that reshaped the way general heredity and biological evolution was viewed. Leading the way in this exciting field, Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, studied the patterns of inherited physical traits for more than 20 years before his work was finally recognized toward the end of the 19th century. "Biology: Decade by Decade" chronicles the history of this field at the dawn of the 20th century, and features the work of professional biologists and such accomplishments as Mendel's amateur work with the physical mechanism by which living things replicate themselves. Documenting the biological discoveries of this century, this exciting volume heralds the mighty breakthroughs of biology as they emerged at the beginning of the 20th century and throughout.