Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
The explanation for why a heterozygous pea plant can produce short offspring when self-pollinating is the segregation of alleles.
During the process of self-pollination, the heterozygous pea plant will produce gametes (pollen or eggs) containing one allele for the tall trait and one allele for the short trait. These alleles segregate or separate during gamete formation, with each gamete receiving only one allele.
When the heterozygous plant self-pollinates, the pollen from the plant can fertilize the eggs produced by the same plant. This results in the combination of alleles from the same plant, which can lead to offspring with different phenotypes.
In this case, the pea plant has a dominant allele for tallness (T) and a recessive allele for shortness (t). When the alleles segregate during gamete formation, some gametes will receive the dominant T allele, while others will receive the recessive t allele. If a gamete with the recessive t allele is fertilized, it will result in an offspring with the short phenotype.
Therefore, the segregation of alleles is the reason why a heterozygous pea plant can produce short offspring when self-pollinating.