Question

Genetic variability will not occur among offspring if independent assortment does not occur during anaphase I of meiosis.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

The statement is false because genetic variability can still occur through chromosomal crossover during prophase I of meiosis, even if independent assortment in anaphase I does not occur.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that genetic variability will not occur among offspring if independent assortment does not occur during anaphase I of meiosis is false. Independent assortment is one mechanism that contributes to genetic diversity; it occurs during meiosis I, particularly in anaphase I, where homologous chromosomes are separated into different gametes. However, another important mechanism for creating genetic variability is chrmosomal crossover, which occurs during prophase I of meiosis. This process involves the physical exchange of chromosome segments between homologous chromosomes and leads to new combinations of alleles in the resulting gametes. Therefore, even if independent assortment were not to occur, chromosomal crossover could still provide variability in the genetic make-up of the offspring.

Answer 2

The statement is false because genetic variability can still occur through chromosomal crossover, another mechanism of genetic recombination, even if independent assortment does not occur during anaphase I of meiosis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that genetic variability will not occur among offspring if independent assortment does not occur during anaphase I of meiosis is false. Independent assortment is one of the mechanisms that contribute to genetic diversity among offspring. This process occurs during meiosis I, especially during metaphase I where homologous chromosomes line up at the equatorial plane in random orientations, and later they are separated during anaphase I. The random orientation results in gametes with different combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes. Moreover, genetic recombination also includes chromosomal crossover, which is another source of genetic variability and occurs when homologous chromosomes exchange segments during prophase I of meiosis. The combination of these two mechanisms increases the variation of genetic material passed on to the offspring.