BRAINCAKELaw of Independent Assortment
Mendel's second law is the law of independent assortment. It states that the alleles of different genes segregate independently of each other during gamete formation. Which allele of one gene a gamete receives has no effect on which allele of another gene it receives.
Mendel found this when he followed two characteristics at once, such as seed shape and seed colour. The explanation is meiosis. If two genes are on different (non-homologous) chromosomes, each homologous pair lines up on the equator in random orientation in metaphase I. The way one pair lines up does not affect how the other pair lines up.
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Key terms in this lesson
- homologous chromosomes
- A pair of chromosomes, one from each parent, that carry the same genes at the same loci.
More in Genetic Information
- Test Cross
- Sampling Errors
- Mendel
- Law of Segregation
- Multiple Alleles
- Codominance
- Dihybrid Crosses
- Drosophila
All 30 lessons in Genetic Information · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics