Law Of Independent Assortment Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Law Of Independent Assortment?
The Law of Independent Assortment is a fundamental law of genetics first proposed by Gregor Mendel in 1866. It states that the inheritance of different traits in organisms is independent from one another. This means that when two parents pass on their genes to offspring, the characteristics associated with each gene are randomly combined and inherited independently from other genes.In more scientific terms, the Law of Independent Assortment states that for any given trait, the alleles (alternative forms of a gene) segregate independently during meiosis (the process of cell division leading to gamete formation). This means that when gametes combine during fertilization, they can produce any combination of alleles and will not affect the inheritance patterns of other traits. The Law of Independent Assortment is an important concept in understanding how genetic diversity occurs across multiple generations. It explains why offspring inherit different combinations from their parents and why siblings can look very different even though they have similar genetic backgrounds. Additionally, this law allows for accurate predictions about genotypes (genetic makeup) and phenotypes (physical characteristics) based on Mendelian genetics principles. Overall, the Law of Independent Assortment stands as one of the foundations for our current understanding about how traits are passed down from parent to offspring and how genetic diversity occurs across generations.