Concept:Genetic studies focus on heredity and variation. The greatest foundation was laid by Gregor Mendel.Explanation:Mendel conducted experiments on pea plants. He discovered the basic laws of inheritance. These include the law of dominance, law of segregation, and law of independent assortment. His work established how traits pass from parents to offspring. For this reason, he is called the father of genetics.Thomas Morgan worked on fruit flies later. Charles Darwin gave the theory of evolution. Robert Hooke first described cells. None of these match Mendel's direct contribution to genetic studies.Answer:A. Gregor Mendel