The Law of Independent Assortment is Mendel’s second law of inheritance. It states that:
Genes for different traits are inherited independently of each other, if they are located on different chromosomes or far apart on the same chromosome.
In other words, the way one pair of alleles separates during gamete formation does not affect how another pair separates.
Example:
In pea plants, Mendel studied seed color (yellow or green) and seed shape (round or wrinkled).
- The allele for yellow (Y) is dominant over green (y).
- The allele for round (R) is dominant over wrinkled (r).
When a plant with yellow round seeds (YYRR) is crossed with one having green wrinkled seeds (yyrr), the F₁ generation has yellow round seeds (YyRr).
When these F₁ plants are self-pollinated, the alleles for color (Y/y) and shape (R/r) separate and assort independently, producing new combinations like:
- Yellow round (Y_R_)
- Yellow wrinkled (Y_rr)
- Green round (yyR_)
- Green wrinkled (yyrr)
In short:
The Law of Independent Assortment means that different traits are passed on independently, leading to genetic variation and new combinations in offspring.