Final answer:
The Law of Independent Assortment states that different traits are inherited independently of each other. This principle was established by Gregor Mendel through his experiments with pea plants.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Law of Independent Assortment is a genetic principle that states that the factors controlling different traits are inherited independently of each other. This law was established by Gregor Mendel through his experiments with pea plants.
During Mendel's experiments, he studied combinations of traits such as flower color and stem length. He found that the alleles controlling these characteristics were passed down to offspring independently, without influencing each other. This means that the inheritance of one trait does not affect the inheritance of another.
For example, in a dihybrid cross between true-breeding pea plants with wrinkled, green seeds and round, yellow seeds, all the offspring in the F1 generation would have a combination of the alleles for both traits, resulting in round, yellow seeds. This demonstrates the independent assortment of alleles.