Final answer:
Two genes on the same chromosome may not assort independently if they are close together, referred to as linked genes. However, if they are far apart, crossing-over during meiosis may lead to independent assortment.
Step-by-step explanation:
If two different genes are located on the same chromosome, whether they will assort independently depends on their proximity to each other. If the genes are close together, they are linked genes and tend to be inherited together, which violates the law of independent assortment. However, during meiosis, a process called crossing-over can occur, resulting in recombination of genes. This means that if the genes are far apart on the same chromosome, they may assort independently due to recombination which separates them.
Genes on nonhomologous chromosomes always sort independently because of the principle of independent assortment. The inheritance patterns vary if genes are located on the same chromosome. As the distance between genes on the same chromosome increases, the likelihood of crossing-over between them also increases, which may result in independent assortment.