Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment: Allele Pairs Separate Independently During The Formation of Gametes
Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment: Allele Pairs Separate Independently During The Formation of Gametes
Independent Assortment
Definition: 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 of one another.
Mendel performed dihybrid crosses, mating of
parent plants that differ in two traits in plants
that were true breeding for two traits.
• For example, a plant that had green pod color and yellow
seed color was cross-pollinated with a plant that had yellow
pod color and green seeds. In this cross, the traits for green
pod color (GG) and yellow seed color (YY) are dominant.
Yellow pod color (gg) and green seed color (yy) are
recessive. The resulting offspring or F1 generation were all
heterozygous for green pod color and yellow seeds (GgYy).
Mendel then allowed all
of the F1 plants to
self-pollinate. He
referred to these
offspring as the F2
generation. Mendel
noticed a 9:3:3:1 ratio.
About 9 of the F2
plants had green pods
and yellow seeds, 3 had
green pods and green
seeds, 3 had yellow
pods and yellow seeds
and 1 had a yellow pod
and green seeds.
A test cross is a breeding or a mating between an
individual of dominant phenotype, who could be either
homozygous dominant (SS) or heterozygous (Ss), with
an individual that MUST be homozygous recessive
(ss).
• These Punnett squares show the
two different possibilities.
Look them over carefully and
convince yourself that, in a test
cross, a homozygous individual will
produce offspring with only the
dominant phenotype, but a
heterozygous individual will
produce offspring with both
phenotypes (in equal numbers).
Notice that the offspring will
reflect that ratio of the
unknown's gametes because the
other parent contributes only
gametes carrying the recessive
allele.
Here’s another example…
The rules of probability applied to segregation and
independent assortment can solve complex genetics
problems. For example, Mendel crossed pea varieties that
differed in three traits (trihybrid crosses).
1. Cystic fibrosis
– most common lethal genetic disorder in US (4% of whites are
carriers)
3. Sickle-cell anemia
– single amino acid replacement in haemoglobin molecule.
Dominant inherited disorders (not as
frequent as recessive disorders)
1. Achondroplasia
-dwarfism
2. Huntingtons disease
-mental deterioration and uncontrollable
movements
3. Alzhiemer’s disease
-mental retardation usually strikes late in life.
4. Hypercholesterolemia
-excess cholesterol in blood; heart disease