Using a simple organism like the garden pea (Pisum sativuum), Mendel was able to control pollination among his experimental plants, and most importantly, he used true breeding plants with easily observable characteristics (e.g., flower color, height). He kept meticulous records and discovered consistent ratios involving thousands of plant-breeding experiments over 11 years. Using his knowledge of statistics to analyze biological phenomena, Mendel discovered specific and regular ratios that he used to formulate the laws of heredity.