During gamete formation, the paired unit factors separate so that each sex cell receives one or the other with equal likelihood; this is known as which law?

During gamete formation, the paired unit factors separate so that each sex cell receives one or the other with equal likelihood; this is known as which law?

• A. Mendel's law of independent assortment
• B. Mendel's law of segregation
• C. Punnett square
• D. Linkage

Answer: (B)

This question tests how alleles are transmitted to gametes during meiosis. During gamete formation, the two alleles at a gene pair separate so that each sex cell receives one allele, and each allele has an equal chance of being included in a gamete. That is Mendel's law of segregation. This separation happens as homologous chromosomes separate during meiosis I, so no gamete ends up with both copies and none are left out—the 50/50 chance wires this into the biology of reproduction. The other terms aren’t describing this single-gene transmission. Independent assortment refers to how different gene loci are distributed independently of one another across gametes, not how the two alleles of a single gene segregate. A Punnett square is a tool used to predict offspring outcomes, not a law governing how alleles are inherited. Linkage describes genes located close together on a chromosome that tend to be inherited together, which can affect assortment but isn’t the general rule described in this question.

This question tests how alleles are transmitted to gametes during meiosis. During gamete formation, the two alleles at a gene pair separate so that each sex cell receives one allele, and each allele has an equal chance of being included in a gamete. That is Mendel's law of segregation. This separation happens as homologous chromosomes separate during meiosis I, so no gamete ends up with both copies and none are left out—the 50/50 chance wires this into the biology of reproduction.

The other terms aren’t describing this single-gene transmission. Independent assortment refers to how different gene loci are distributed independently of one another across gametes, not how the two alleles of a single gene segregate. A Punnett square is a tool used to predict offspring outcomes, not a law governing how alleles are inherited. Linkage describes genes located close together on a chromosome that tend to be inherited together, which can affect assortment but isn’t the general rule described in this question.