Final answer:
The answer to the student's question is the Law of Segregation, which is a principle of genetics discovered by Gregor Mendel. This law states that during gamete formation, each parent's two alleles for each gene separate so that each gamete contains only one allele. The process of meiosis is central to this principle and ensures diversity in traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Segregation of Alleles
The concept described in the student's question is known as the Law of Segregation. This law is one of the principles of inheritance put forth by Gregor Mendel. Simply put, the Law of Segregation states that during the formation of gametes, the two alleles for a gene segregate, or separate, so that each gamete ends up with only one allele. When reproduction occurs, these gametes—each carrying a single allele for a trait—combine, resulting in offspring that inherit one allele from each parent.
Mendel's experiments with pea plants allowed him to observe how traits were passed from one generation to the next. He discovered that organisms inherit two alleles for each trait, one from each parent. These can be either identical (homozygous) or different (heterozygous) alleles. The process in which gametes receive only one allele for each gene ensures the variation and diversity seen in organisms' traits.
The critical part of this process is meiosis, the type of cell division that produces reproductive cells (gametes). During meiosis, the paired alleles segregate, ensuring that each gamete carries only one allele for each gene. This segregation of alleles is random, meaning that any gamete is equally likely to receive either allele.