Final answer:
A trihybrid individual can produce 16 different gamete types, as each of the three traits can have two possible alleles, which assort independently.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked, "How many different gamete types can a trihybrid individual produce?" The answer to this is d) 16. A trihybrid individual has three traits, each with two alleles. For each trait, the individual can produce two different types of gametes (one for each allele). To find the total number of gamete types produced, we calculate 23 (since there are three traits), which equals 8. However, each trait can assort independently leading to combinations, thus we multiply the possibilities for each trait: 2 x 2 x 2, giving us 16 different gamete types.