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Independent assortment of alleles for multiple traits

Mendel's experiment published in 1866 demonstrated that alleles for different traits behave according to independent assortment. In this experiment, Mendel considered two characteristics of pea plants, seed color (yellow Y or green y) and seed shape (round R or wrinkled r). In the P generation, he crossed a pure-breeding plant with round yellow seeds (YYRR) and a pure-breeding plant with wrinkled green seeds (yyrr). This resulted in an F1 generation heterozygous for two alleles (YyRr), which he then selfcrossed to create the F2 generation. Mendel recognized two possible outcomes from the F1 cross: either the two traits were dependent (passed on together) or they were independent (passed on independent of one another). In the case of dependent assortment, combinations of Y/y and R/r alleles would be restricted to those observed in the previous parent generation (YR or yr). In the case of independent assortment, any combination of Y/y and R/r alleles were possible (YR, Yr, yR, or yr). To determine the mechanism acting in pea plants, Mendel compared the results to predictions from Punnett Squares. For dependent assortment, both parents would produce half gametes YR and half gametes yr. The phenotypic ratio from this cross is 3 yellow round to 1 green wrinkled. For independent assortment, both parents would produce four types of gametes in equal ratios: (YR, Yr, yR, or yr). The phenotypic ratio for this cross is 9 yellow round to 3 green round to 3 yellow wrinkled to 1 green wrinkled. Mendel found that the resulting cross had a 9:3:3:1 ratio, suporting the hypothesis of independent assortment for these loci.
KEY POINTS

A monohybrid is heterozygous for a single character observed in a crossing experiment. The F1 offspring from true-breeding parents in Mendel's experiments were monohybrids, and helped him create his law of segregation. A dihybrid individual is heterozygous for two different characters that are being observed in a crossing experiment. A dihybrid cross is a cross between two dihybrid individuals. Mendel formed dihybrids by crossing a plant with round yellow seeds and an individual with wrinkled green seeds, producing an F1 dihybrid. Crossing the F1's to each other resulted in a ratio of 9:3:3:1 in the F2 phenotypes, leading Mendel to form the Law of Independent Assortment. The law of independent assortment states that during the formation of gametes, two traits will segregate independently of each other, with the segregation of onetrait having no effect on the other. This is only applicable to allele pairs that occur on different chromosomes. A cross between two monohybrids is a monohybrid cross, and will result in a 3:1 ratio of phenotypes in the resulting offspring.
TERMS

law of independent assortment

The Law of Independent Assortment, also known as "Inheritance Law", states that separate genes for separate traits are passed independently of one another from parents to offspring. That is, the biological selection of a particular gene in the gene pair for one trait to be passed to the offspring has nothing to do with the selection of the gene for any other trait. monohybrid cross

Monohybrid Cross is a mating between individuals who have different alleles at one genetic locus of interest.

dihybrid cross

In contrast to a monohybrid cross, a dihybrid cross is a cross between F1 offspring (firstgeneration offspring) of two individuals that differ in two traits of particular interest. For example, Bb Bb (see the Punnett). Example: B = brown. b = blue. BB = Dark brown. Bb = Brown (not blue). bb = Blue.
The principles that govern heredity were discovered by a monk named Gregor Mendel in the 1860's. One of these principles, now called Mendel's law of independent assortment, states that allele pairs separate independently during the formation of gametes. This means that traits are transmitted to offspring independently. Novanet answer Different traits are passed on to the offspring seperately from one another.....Good Luck *****Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment states that factors for different characteristics are distributed to reproductive cells independently. It does NOT state that the alleles separate during the forming of gametes. That is the Law of Segregation. Another answer: Mendel's law of independent assortment says that chromosomes in a cell line up and then separate randomly. In other words, the orientation of the homologous chromosomes is accidental and not fixed. Mendel's law of independent assortment makes sense with the events of meiosis-it explains that meiosis produces multiple varieties of gene combinations. Because of this randomness, the distribution of genes for one trait does not affect the distribution of genes for any other traits on a different chromosomes LAW OF SEGREGATION
The observation that the two alleles in an individual can separate, with half of the progeny inheriting one allele and half of the progeny inheriting the other allele, is known as Mendels law of segregation. It helps explain why progeny do not al

Mendel's Law of Segregation

In the case of pod color, the Mendel Pea Experiment showed that a cross between a green pod plant and a yellow pod plant produced only green pod plants for the F1 generation. It appeared that the yellow pod characteristic had disappeared. However, the F2 generation threw up a surprising result; the yellow pod variant appeared in a quarter of this generation. Clearly, some thing strange was going on and, in an inspired piece of thinking, Mendel came up with his 'Law of Segregation'.

Read more: Law Of Segregation - Mendel Pea Plant Experiment ways resemble their parents.
For example, two round pea plants with the genotype Rrcan be crossed to produce a wrinkled pea plant. The two alleles, R and r, do not mix or change each other even though they are present in the same individual. Each allele can contribute to the next generation. Like any good hypothesis (a scientific law is simply a hypothesis that is supported by an overwhelming amount of data), Mendels law of segregation allows us to make predictions that can be tested by gathering more data (i.e. from additional experiments). We can also use this as an opportunity to practice using Punnett squares. For each of the following crosses, draw a Punnett square and give the predicted genotypic andphenotypic ratios among the progeny. In each case, the capital letter represents the allele for the dominant trait. Punnett square practice: (Click on the below crosses to reveal the answer) 1) Pp x pp 2) PP x pp 3) Yy x Yy

Y y

Y YY Yy

y Yy yy

Genotypic ratio 1 YY : 2 Yy : Yy Phenotypic ratio 3 Y- : 1 yy Mendels experiments were consistent with these predictions. Since then, thousands of other experiments involving many different traits in many different plants and animals have been shown to be consistent with these predictions, which are based on Mendels law of segregation. Thus, from his experiments with garden peas, Mendel deduced this basic rule of genetic inheritance that applies to all sexually reproducing plants and animals. As we move on, you will want to be very comfortable with the ratios from the different monohybrid crosses (shown below). Preferably, you should know the ratios without needing to draw a Punnett square. Cross AA x AA aa x aa AA x aa Aa x AA Aa x aa Aa x Aa Genotypic ratio all AA all aa all Aa 1 AA : 1 Aa 1 Aa : 1 aa 1 AA : 2 Aa : 1 Aa Phenotypic ratio all Aall aa all Aall A1 A- : 1 aa 3 A- : 1 aa

Notice that the cross A- x aa gives different results depending on whether the A- parent is homozygous orheterozygous. Thus, crossing an individual with a dominant phenotype to a recessive homozyogote is called a test cross, because it can be used to determine the genotype of the parent with the dominant phenotype.

Mendel's Initial Observations

Mendel noticed that certain characteristics appeared to be passed on from parents to offspring, in many species, and wondered why this was so. He also wanted to establish what characteristics were taken from each parent. For the Mendel Pea Experiment he chose pea plants, because they had some measurable characteristics as well as being easy to breed and with a relatively short breeding period allowing a quick experimental turn-around. He measured seven of these characteristics, including seed-shape, seed color, pod-color and podshape, each occurring in two distinctive forms.

Read more: Law Of Segregation - Mendel Pea Plant Experiment