Answer to Question #47606 in Biology for Elizabeth

Question

How does the process of meiosis explain the law of Independent Assortment?

Answer 1

Law of Independent Assortment states that the inheritance of genes located on a pair of homologous chromosomes is not affected by the simultaneous inheritance of other genes located on other homologous pairs (Campbell 6th Ed. 252-254; 7th Ed. 256-258). According to what we know about chromosome behaviour during meiosis we can say that the behaviour of a particular homologous pair does not direct the behaviour of the other homologous pairs. That is why the chromosomes and therefore the genes on the chromosomes assort themselves independently. For instance, during anaphase I of meiosis three homologous pairs can separate in any one of eight (2³) different combinations