Question

What would be a likely outcome if the alignment of maternal and paternal chromosomes during metaphase of meiosis did not adhere to Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment?

a.) Alleles for genes would tend to be inherited separately because chromosome pairs would align randomly.
b.) Alleles for genes would tend to be inherited separately because chromosome pairs would align non-randomly.
c.) Alleles for genes would tend to be inherited together because chromosome pairs would align randomly.
d.) Alleles for genes would tend to be inherited together because chromosome pairs would align non-randomly.

Answer 1

Non-adherence to Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment would likely result in alleles for genes being inherited together due to non-random alignment of chromosomes, leading to linked genes being inherited as pairs.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the alignment of maternal and paternal chromosomes during metaphase of meiosis did not adhere to Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment, the likely outcome would be that alleles for genes would tend to be inherited together because chromosome pairs would align non-randomly. This non-random alignment could disrupt the typical random assortment of chromosomes and subsequently the genes they carry, leading to a violation of the expected genetic variation and ratios predicted by Mendel's laws. Linked genes on the same chromosome are more likely to be inherited as a pair, which contrasts with genes that are far apart or on different chromosomes that assort independently due to random recombination events.