Question

What is the law of independent assortment? Explain with an example?

Answer 1

According to the law of independent assortment, when two pairs of traits are combined in a hybrid, one pair of traits segregates independent of the other pair of traits. Which means that the allele a gamete receives for one gene does not influence the allele received by the same gamete for another gene. For example, a pea plant with round and yellow seeds was cross-pollinated with a plant that had wrinkled and green seeds.
The F1 hybrids had all round and yellow seeds. Upon self pollinating the F1 hybrids, in the F2 generation, new combinations of traits appeared in the following ratios: 9/16 were yellow round, 3/16 were yellow wrinkled, 3/16 were green round and 1/16 were green wrinkled. I.e., 9:3:3:1 ratio. The new combinations were possible only because the alleles of genes coding for seed colour and seed shape were independently assorted in the gametes.