Which of Mendel's laws or principles explains that traits are passed from parents to offspring individually instead of as pairs, groups, and/or sets?
A. The principle of dominance
B. The law of independent assortment
C. The law of segregation
D. The principle of genetics
Answer (2)
The principle that explains that traits are passed from parents to offspring individually rather than as pairs, groups, and/or sets is B - The law of independent assortment. The law of independent assortment, sometimes referred to as Mendel's Second Law, states that the alleles for different traits are distributed to sex cells (γametes) independently of one another. This law is evidenced by Mendel's dihybrid crosses, which returned phenotypic ratios of 9:3:3:1, demonstrative of the independent inheritance of two different traits. It is applicable except for genes that are closely linked on the same chromosome, which tend to be inherited together more frequently than would be expected by chance alone.
The law of segregation is Mendel's First Law, and it describes the separation of alleles during gamete formation such that each gamete carries only one allele for each trait. Through the process of meiosis, this law is confirmed as chromosomes segregate so that each sex cell receives only one allele per trait.
Mendel's Law of Segregation explains that traits are passed from parents to offspring individually rather than in pairs. This law states that alleles for each trait segregate during gamete formation, leading to diverse combinations in offspring. Therefore, the correct answer is C - The law of segregation.
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