Final answer:
The law of independent assortment typically applies during meiosis I when genes are on different chromosomes or far apart on the same chromosome. It may not apply when genes are close together, unless recombination shuffles the alleles. Independence is increased for genes far apart due to recombination.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Mendel's law of independent assortment, the conditions under which this law holds good include the random orientation of chromosome pairs during meiosis I. Specifically, this law is applicable when genes for different traits are located on different chromosomes, or are far enough apart on the same chromosome such that recombination can effectively shuffle the alleles. During metaphase of meiosis I, the tetrads, each consisting of a pair of homologous chromosomes, arrange themselves randomly on the metaphase plane, leading to the independent assortment of maternal and paternal chromosomes into the gametes. This results in the offspring having numerous combinations of traits.
However, the law does not apply when genes are located close together on the same chromosome, as they tend to be inherited as a group, leading to an exception known as genetic linkage. Yet, the phenomenon of genetic recombination during meiosis can cause even closely linked genes to be inherited independently if it occurs between them. Therefore, the more distant the genes are on the chromosome, the greater the likelihood that they will assort independently due to higher chances of recombination occurring.