Question

a particular plant has 10 pairs of chromosomes in each cell. for each of the plants gametes, how many genetic combinations are possible through independent assortment?

Answer 1

The answer would be 1,024

Answer 2

A particular plant has 10 pairs of chromosomes in each cell. Since the chromosomes are in pairs, the plant is a diploid. The gametes of this plant will be haploid having half the number of chromosomes. Hence each gamete will have only 10 chromosomes present. To find the total genetic combinations possible through independent assortment, we'll start with an arbitrary chromosome, say, the chromosome 1. The chromosome 1 exists in pair in the plant cell. Hence through independent assortment, the chromosome 1 and its copy will segregate into the gametes. So a particular gamete will either receive the chromosome 1 or its copy. Hence for a chromosome to segregate, it has 2 options. Now there are 10 pairs of such chromosomes, hence, the total genetic combinations possible will be,
`2*2*2*........*2`(10 times) =
`2^(10)`

Hence, the answer is
`2^(10)`.