Question

Explain the law of inheritance which supports the independent assortment of characters?

Answer 1

Mendel's law of independent assortment states that the alleles of two different genes get separated independently of one another during gamete formation. In this, the allele of one gene does not influence the allele of another gene. According to this, the inheritance of one pair of genes is independent of the inheritance of the other pair.

A cross was made between two pure-breeding pea plants, one having yellow, round seeds (YYRR) and one having green, wrinkled seeds (yyrr). During gamete formation, homozygous dominant (YYRR) parent will produce gametes with RY genes. Similarly, homozygous recessive (yyrr) parent will produce gametes with ry genes during gamete formation. Both the characters, that is color of seed and shape of seeds are independently assorted during gamete formation. The F${}_1$ generation will be heterozygous dominant with genotype RrYy and phenotype round and yellow seeds. When this F${}_1$ generation is self fertilized, there were four different types of offsprings were seen, namely yellow and round, yellow and wrinkled, green and round and green and wrinkled. These traits were in a ratio of 9:3:3:1.