Question

The principle of independent assortment means

(a)Separation of characters of one parent

(b)Non- Separation of characters of one parent

(c)Separation of characters of both parents

(d)Combination of both parent

Answer 1

The Law of Independent Assortment notes that within sexually reproducing species, various genes and their alleles are inherited independently. Chromosomes are divided into several gametes during meiosis. Via the process of crossing-over, genes attached to a chromosome will rearrange themselves. Each gene, therefore, is independently inherited.

Complete answer:

The Independent Assortment Theory states that when reproductive cells mature, two or more characters are inherited when the responsible gene separates independently from one another. The homologous chromosome pairs break in half during meiosis and form the haploid cell. This chromosome division is spontaneous. After meiosis, each haploid cell of the offspring contains a mixture of the mother and father genes of the organism.

Additional Information:

The random inheritance of genes from maternal and paternal sources is defined by this rule. Each chromosome is segregated from its homolog, or counterpart, during meiosis, according to the Law of Segregation. As such, your parents' maternal and paternal chromosomes are "independently assorted," meaning that chromosomes do not have to end up in the same gamete from the same source.

For instance, all maternal chromosomes can end up with one gamete, while another can have a combination of both maternal and paternal chromosomes. This also suggests that the genes on these chromosomes are sorted separately. In effect, a large amount of variation is generated by the Law of Independent Assortment based on various gene combinations that have not previously occurred.

In one case, genes can not be randomly assorted altogether. This happens with genes that are related or genes that share the same chromosome. The crossing-over mechanism during meiosis, however, ensures that even these genes are rearranged. Homologous portions of maternal and paternal chromosomes may be shared during crossing-over. This means that even related genes are sorted independently.

So, the correct answer is ‘Separation of characters of both parents’.

Note: During the meiosis process, independent assortment occurs. Meiosis is similar to mitosis, with gamete cells being the only final product. Gamete cells are called haploid and have half the DNA of normal, diploid cells. This is an important component of sexual reproduction that enables two gamete cells to fuse together to form a diploid zygote, containing all the DNA required to construct a new organism.