Final answer:
The correct answer is b), which describes that genes are located on chromosomes, and the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis accounts for inheritance patterns, as stated by the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance
The Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance, conceptualized by scientists Walter Sutton and Theodor Boveri, and later supported by Thomas Hunt Morgan's experimental evidence, provides the foundational understanding that chromosomes are carriers of genetic material. This theory encompasses the idea that genes are distinct segments of chromosomes which determine traits and that these chromosomes segregate and assort independently during the process of meiosis, corresponding to Mendelian genetic principles. However, the notion of genetic linkage was later understood to sometimes disrupt the independent assortment of genes, explaining the presence of more traits in an individual than the number of chromosomes, due to multiple linked genes on a single chromosome. Recombination, particularly homologous recombination, contributes to separating these linked genes, thereby maintaining a degree of independent assortment.
Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is: b) Genes are located on chromosomes, and the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis accounts for inheritance patterns.