Question

What did the law of segregation data suggest?

A. Alleles segregate independently during gamete formation.
B. The dominant allele always masks the recessive allele.
C. Homologous chromosomes separate during meiosis.
D. Genes located on the same chromosome assort independently.

Answer 1

The law of segregation indicates that during gamete formation, alleles segregate so that each gamete receives only one allele for a gene, which leads to a 3:1 ratio of dominant to recessive traits in the offspring of heterozygous individuals according to Mendel's experiments.

Step-by-step explanation:

The law of segregation suggests that alleles for each gene segregate from each other during gamete formation. This means that each gamete carries only one allele for each gene, ensuring that offspring have an equal likelihood of inheriting either allele from their parents. The physical basis for this law is the first division of meiosis, where homologous chromosomes, and thus different alleles for each gene, are separated into different gametes. This segregation results in the possible combinations of genotypes for a monohybrid cross: homozygous dominant, heterozygous, or homozygous recessive. As a consequence, for two individuals heterozygous for one trait, the F2 generation shows a phenotypic ratio of 3:1, dominant to recessive, as observed by Mendel in his classic pea plant experiments.